scour guard ?

[haase]

We asually do preg check and shots on cows 1st part of december and around 30days before calving we give a shot of scour guard to help prevention against scours for calves, scour guard only last 60 or so days in the cows,does anyone know of a product that last around 120 days or so, it would save another time of bringing the cows back in the chute.

 

[jillaroo]

I also looked into this issue earlier this fall. We used to vaccinate the cows for scours 30 days or so before they started calving. This year I wanted to try something different as I hate to run cows through the chute that close to calving. We always had a few slip their calves afterwards. It also is difficult to run the herd through as we have very few people working during that time (3 people and 1000 head).
I have a vet friend that works for the drug company that supplies the scour vaccine we use. She said that trials had been done on the E. coli component of the vaccine that showed it was effective given up to 6 months before calving. At this time, challenge studies had not been done on the viral components of the vaccine.
We use Jencine ERC but I'm not sure if it is sold in the US under the same name.
Our cows were vaccinated at preg check (middle of Nov) and only the heifers will be given another dose closer to calving as they need a booster.
I'll let you know how it works out if you like.

 

[rockridgecattle]

Scour bos 9 i think is what it is called.
Hiefers get done during preg check and then the herd is done 8-10 weeks pre calving. This is if your cattle are already on a scour program. If not, then the whole herd at preg testing and then repeat at the same interval 8-10 weeks before calving.

http://www.livestock.novartis.com/scourbos9_dairy.html

 

[hillsdown]

Ever since I lost an irreplaceable heifer calf to e coli every calf born here is given Collimune (it is an oral liquid) never have had it since and that was 7 years ago. I also give all calves calf guard at birth (oral vaccine as well) . I try to get it in their gut before they have their first meal of colostrum, but even if I am a few hours late it still is very effective. It is not feasible for me 2 work cattle that many times to give them all a scour vaccine and this works well for me.

 

[angus9259]

Ever since I lost an irreplaceable heifer calf to e coli every calf born here is given Collimune (it is an oral liquid) never have had it since and that was 7 years ago. I also give all calves calf guard at birth (oral vaccine as well) . I try to get it in their gut before they have their first meal of colostrum, but even if I am a few hours late it still is very effective. It is not feasible for me 2 work cattle that many times to give them all a scour vaccine and this works well for me.

This is what I do as well - except I use "calf guard" and "ecolizer" - same principle.

 

[Lucky_P]

Maximum colostrum antibody makeup and maximum colostral antibody levels are pretty much 'set' by 5 weeks prior to calving, so ideally, any vaccinations that you're administering in hopes of passing antibodies on to the calf need to be administered at least 8 weeks prior to calving.
How far out prior to calving can you give them and still expect maximum protection? I don't know, but would certainly consider 6 months to be reasonable, but depending upon the components, antibody levels may 'hold' for shorter or longer timeframes.
Jillaroo's vet friend - and the company they work for - have evidently done the research looking at colostral antibodies elicited by the E.coli fraction of their vaccine. More and more of the biologics manufacturers are doing this, nowadays.

I've posed this question to folks working for some of the biologics manufacturers - and no one's done the work to say yea or nay, but 25 years ago, one of my virology professors suggested that it *might* be advantageous to vaccinate adult cows with the mlv oral rota/corona vaccines - since, in the case of rota/corona, what we're shooting for is increased levels of IgA(secretory antibody, which is NOT absorbed, but provides 'local' protection in the calf's gut - kind of like an antiseptic 'paint'); oral administration, which stimulates mostly IgA and interferon production might also result in higher levels of IgA in the colostrum and milk(which are both secretory products). From that theoretical standpoint, intramammary vaccination with mlv vaccine might be even better... but no one has done those studies.

Unfortunately, IgG antibodies against rota/corona, which are absorbed in the first 24-48 hours, provide no protection against viral infection - but we know that heifers vaccinated(not orally) with a rota/corona vaccine will continue to produce measurable antibodies against rota/corona in their milk for at least 28 days post-calving, and those will continue to provide some 'local' protection.
I worked with some herds that never really got their viral scours problems under control until they worked it from both directions - vaccinating the cow AND giving the oral mlv vaccine to the calves at birth.

 

[haase]

Thanks for the replys, and yes jillaroo I would like to know how well it works, a buddy read an article in a cattle magazine about a product that was out for scour prevention that last over 120 days, couldnt remember the name of it and threw the magazine out, thought it was guardian or something like that, thanks again for the help.

 

[jillaroo]

Now that we are getting in to the preg checking season, I thought I should post how things ended up on my end. We gave the scour vaccine, Jencine ERC, to the cow herd at preg check in November for the first time. Usually, the cow herd would be run through again 30 days prior to the start of calving in March.
Please note that this was on no way a trial of the drug and my findings are just that; my findings. Before I decided to move the vaccination date, I consulted with a vet friend who also happens to be a drug rep for the company.
The weather this year was much colder with more snow than last year. We also had a lot of mud.
We did not treat anymore calves for scours than we did last year; less actually. I used the same antibiotic as last year. We did not have any death losses attributed to scours this year. Only one calf was placed on an IV this year, and I gave three calves electrolytes orally.
The cows are calved out in a feedlot setting and I am very diligent about moving new pairs to fresh ground within a day. I make sure all calves receive colostrum from their dam within 12 hours as well. If we did not follow these guidelines, I very much doubt any vaccine given at any time would have good results. I believe it's all about good management. The vaccine is simply a tool.
So I guess the early vaccination was a success for us.

 

[dun]

Last year we had a horrible problem with scours in calves born in one pasture. This year for calves born in that pasture and the pastures down stream from it we gave scour gaurd orally at birth. Milk scours in a couple of calves born in other pastures but nothing that Ma Nature didn;t take care of on her own.

 

[angus9259]

Last year we had a horrible problem with scours in calves born in one pasture. This year for calves born in that pasture and the pastures down stream from it we gave scour gaurd orally at birth. Milk scours in a couple of calves born in other pastures but nothing that Ma Nature didn;t take care of on her own.

Interesting about it popping up. I assume you're a closed herd. Where does it pop up from like that?

 

[dun]

Last year we had a horrible problem with scours in calves born in one pasture. This year for calves born in that pasture and the pastures down stream from it we gave scour gaurd orally at birth. Milk scours in a couple of calves born in other pastures but nothing that Ma Nature didn;t take care of on her own.

Interesting about it popping up. I assume you're a closed herd. Where does it pop up from like that?

Years ago this was a dairy. In one pasture there is a low spot, we got so much rain it turned into a nastslimey pocket of yuck looking water. That spot drained threough another pasture then into the woods. I figured that the disease had been sitting in that spot for years and when the claves discovered it and thought it was great fun to play in it and drink it they pciked up whatever it was.

 

[angus9259]

When I started in cattle I had commercial fall calvers - never had scours. Then I moved into seedstock and started vaccinating for calf scours due to heightened value of the stock - still haven't had scours. Always scratch my head on what to make of that. But I hear of something happening like what happened on your place . . . . I don't want to suddenly be chasing calf scours out of the blue either.

 

[Amo]

If your calving in a feedlot type of deal or have lots of places to put cattle try the Sandhills calving system. You have your cows in one group. After 2 weeks or even a week if you can, move the heavies and keep your pairs where they calved at. I cant remember how long it is before you can start co-mingling the pairs, but after a while you can put them back together. If you have enough places to move them with protection, water, etc. they say its better than sliced bread.

http://www.angusjournal.com/ArticlePDF/ ... 011.09.pdf

 

[Stocker Steve]

We had a couple cases this year. One heifer crawled through a fence with her new calf to hang out in the winter slop rather than the clean paddock. She is also poor milker and I assume the calf just had too much stress.

The other ones were all late calvers on grass. Not sure why they had a scours problem unless they got it from the older calves?

 

[angus9259]

Looooove fall calving in Michigan. No slop. Every pasture has some grass and is relatively clean compared to any spring pasture. Not going back!!!

 

[Dave]

Good old Western Washington rain and mud. Scours is an issue every year. I use Guardian. It has a wider window of use than scour guard. I have had good luck with it. The only year it failed me was one when we worked the cows on a real cold day. The vaccine was freezing in the needles. That spring was a train wreck for scours.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Good old Western Washington rain and mud. Scours is an issue every year. I use Guardian. It has a wider window of use than scour guard. I have had good luck with it. The only year it failed me was one when we worked the cows on a real cold day. The vaccine was freezing in the needles. That spring was a train wreck for scours.

How big a window?

 

[Dave]

I don't remember exactly what the window is and don't have it sitting in front of me. But Scour guard was something like vaccinate at least 4 weeks before calving but no more than 8 weeks. So there was about 4 weeks of prime coverage. With a 75 day calving period 4 weeks doesn't cut the mustard. Guardians window of effectiveness was longer. I can vaccinate 4 weeks before the start of calving and have coverage through out the calving season.

 

[dun]

I don't remember exactly what the window is and don't have it sitting in front of me. But Scour guard was something like vaccinate at least 4 weeks before calving but no more than 8 weeks. So there was about 4 weeks of prime coverage. With a 75 day calving period 4 weeks doesn't cut the mustard. Guardians window of effectiveness was longer. I can vaccinate 4 weeks before the start of calving and have coverage through out the calving season.

What we did with the scourguard was squirt it staright into the newborns mouth. Seems to have worked out ok this year.

 

[angus9259]

I don't remember exactly what the window is and don't have it sitting in front of me. But Scour guard was something like vaccinate at least 4 weeks before calving but no more than 8 weeks. So there was about 4 weeks of prime coverage. With a 75 day calving period 4 weeks doesn't cut the mustard. Guardians window of effectiveness was longer. I can vaccinate 4 weeks before the start of calving and have coverage through out the calving season.

What we did with the scourguard was squirt it staright into the newborns mouth. Seems to have worked out ok this year.

They have the individual vials available for that application so you don't have to waste a whole bottle for one calf - tricky part is getting them in the first 12 hours after birth.