Pine Creek Ranch
Active member
Okay, we have been running about 50 pair here for the last 5 years. We have used Scourguard in the past and never had any problems. (Meaning, we have never had to doctor a calf for scours, and never lost one or even seen one scouring). This year, we bought 30 more cows from several outside herds, and switched to Guardian at our vets recommendation, supposedly it covers more strains or whatever. We have always had a 2 month or less calving period, but this year one of the newly purchased cows calved in January, one calved in February, and 25 or so calved in March. Then, our cows that have been here for years started calving the beginning of April. We have always managed the same way, and although its not probably ideal, it has worked great for us in the past. We bring all the cows in close, to a smaller calving pen, probably about 10 acres, and as they calve we kick them out into a bigger pasture. This year, obviously there were a couple older calves in the pasture, but we didn't see any problems until our heifers started calving. We put them out in the bigger pasture just like normal and at nine days old they all started scouring, and then every calf born since then, (we had put more babies out in that pasture in the nine days it took for the scours to show up), EVERY consecutive calf since then we have had to doctor, and we have already lost one almost are going to lose the second. 13 calves in all went into that pasture in the nine days it took before the scours showed up, and all 13 scoured at between 9 and 12 days old.
So, as soon as we noticed the scouring in that pasture, we stopped putting newborns in there, and have just held them up here in the calving pasture, that was nine days ago and you can imagine my frustration when this morning I noticed the oldest calf up here is scouring badly. She is nine days old and the first one that we kept up here, since then we have had another 10 or so calve, all of which are now exposed to the scours and if all goes as before, will get scours at 9 to 12 days old. Not to mention all the pregnant cows still yet to calve, we are only half done and the calves are coming 2 a day now.
Now back to the Guardian. We gave the first dose March 13th, some cows had already calved by then but we knew we were going to be spread out this year because of the new cow purchases, so we did the best we could. Not to mention we got way too much snow here this year to get the cows in to work them any earlier than that. Then we waited until April 5th to give the booster dose. We asked a vet about this and he said it would work fine. On April 9th is when our heifers started calving so it was within 4 days of the booster dose. Obviously not enough time to build up much antibodies, but keep in mind we hadn't had ANY calves scour before we gave this booster dose (and none of the first 25 or 30 calves have even scoured yet) but as soon as we gave the booster dose EVERY calf has scoured since when they got to 9 days old or so. None before 9 days, but a couple at 11 or 12.
Is this just a coincidence? Could the Guardian vaccine have somehow given our cows and/or calves scours? Or is it just because it is that kind of year in these parts this year? (All the ranches around here are losing 10 to 25 percent of their calves to scours) Or is it because we brought on new cows? Or is it because we have a larger herd now?
If any of you have any good ideas on this, we would be so grateful for some advice. We can't hardly bear the thoughts of doctoring every calf from here on out. We are already run ragged just trying to save the ones that have got it already. It hits them really hard and they dehydrate in a matter of hours.
Help!
So, as soon as we noticed the scouring in that pasture, we stopped putting newborns in there, and have just held them up here in the calving pasture, that was nine days ago and you can imagine my frustration when this morning I noticed the oldest calf up here is scouring badly. She is nine days old and the first one that we kept up here, since then we have had another 10 or so calve, all of which are now exposed to the scours and if all goes as before, will get scours at 9 to 12 days old. Not to mention all the pregnant cows still yet to calve, we are only half done and the calves are coming 2 a day now.
Now back to the Guardian. We gave the first dose March 13th, some cows had already calved by then but we knew we were going to be spread out this year because of the new cow purchases, so we did the best we could. Not to mention we got way too much snow here this year to get the cows in to work them any earlier than that. Then we waited until April 5th to give the booster dose. We asked a vet about this and he said it would work fine. On April 9th is when our heifers started calving so it was within 4 days of the booster dose. Obviously not enough time to build up much antibodies, but keep in mind we hadn't had ANY calves scour before we gave this booster dose (and none of the first 25 or 30 calves have even scoured yet) but as soon as we gave the booster dose EVERY calf has scoured since when they got to 9 days old or so. None before 9 days, but a couple at 11 or 12.
Is this just a coincidence? Could the Guardian vaccine have somehow given our cows and/or calves scours? Or is it just because it is that kind of year in these parts this year? (All the ranches around here are losing 10 to 25 percent of their calves to scours) Or is it because we brought on new cows? Or is it because we have a larger herd now?
If any of you have any good ideas on this, we would be so grateful for some advice. We can't hardly bear the thoughts of doctoring every calf from here on out. We are already run ragged just trying to save the ones that have got it already. It hits them really hard and they dehydrate in a matter of hours.
Help!