Scours management.

[SmokeStackFarms]

am watching the RFD show about management of scours.
i need more info.---the show is good but i want to know more--than their scripted promotion.
isn't scours more prevalent in warm season?
we just had two calves in the past week........
i will visit http://www.cattlementocattlemen.com???
just want some discussion...

 

[I luv herfrds]

We had problems years ago with scours. Then Scour Guard 3 kc came out. we tried it. Never had a problem since. we are now using Scour Bos 9.
First year heifers get an initial dose at weaning time and the second booster just before calving. The main herd gets theirs just before calving.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

am watching the RFD show about management of scours.
i need more info.---the show is good but i want to know more--than their scripted promotion.
isn't scours more prevalent in warm season?
we just had two calves in the past week........
i will visit http://www.cattlementocattlemen.com???
just want some discussion...

Ok...here's my 2 cents worth:

IMO Scours can occur due to:

• 1. Unsanitary management conditions.
  2. Wrong type of feed/hay that might be too rich for their digestive system.
  3. Animals housed or pastured in contaminated soil or grass area.
  4. Animals coming from Sale Barn or other commingled area.
  5. Peanut hay.
  6. Bottle calf (they are always at risk for a lot of things).
  7. Etc., Etc.

 

[CPL]

My vet recommended that at birth we use a balling gun and use a pill called "1st defense"??, I guess we will see how that works. Last year we didn't have a problem with her calf- Did we just get lucky?

 

[rockridgecattle]

CPL we used that well something similar to that. It was a liquid to be ingested by the calf. One big huge big problemm with that. Both the bolus and the liquid have to be given before the calf gets it's first suck. A just calved momma and a baby...need i say more?
Scour guard worked well given to the cows.
Smoke Stack Farms... If you want to learn more check out a post on the board in herd health titled wowza wowza. It was from a semiar our vet gave on scours.

 

[I luv herfrds]

Our scours would occur in cold wet weather. It was also in different pastures also.

 

[msscamp]

isn't scours more prevalent in warm season?

Not necessarily, it depends on the type of scours. If you're talking about a bacterial/viral type of scours, then yes it would probably be more prevalant during warm weather because the warm weather would allow the bacteria/virus to multiply and infect more calves, unless the mothers were scourguarded. Don't forget that young calves can also develop scours due to being rained/snowed on, and becoming chilled, though.

 

[Scotty]

Going back to Bills comments. The unsanitary conditions. Be carefull how you feed your hat this winter. Spred it out as much as possible. The mix of hay, feces, and a nice rain with cold damp calves is an open invitation for scours. I have started running a drag over the ground were I feed hay.

 

[Putangitangi]

The answer partly depends on what causes your scours, surely?

Our animals live outside all year round, no snow, moderate summer temperatures, no significant drought periods. Last year we had a severe hit by coccidia scours (protozoan, presumably picked up in damp muddy conditions as calves curiously nibbled their surroundings) and had to treat the worst 2 of 49; the others were left to get over it on their own, with an eye to intervening if they looked like it was getting on top of them.

Every year the calves go through a period of slight scouring, sometime in the first six weeks, which I've generally put down to a change in the cows' feed at some stage, but now wonder if it's always been coccidia. There's not a great deal to be done about controlling it. As in the case of the other internal challenges we have here, I just keep all the animals as healthy as possible with adequate feed.

 

[CPL]

Both the bolus and the liquid have to be given before the calf gets it's first suck.

Well that's sort of a problem then because none of us know how to use a balling gun. The vet had said he would come out and do it..... $$$$$$$$$$ :roll:

I'm thinking about using Scour Bos® 9 and forgeting the whole pill at birth thing. Sounds like it will probably be more of a hastle than a help.

 

[I luv herfrds]

CPL giving a cow a shot in the butt is better then having her blow snot down your neck.

 

[rockridgecattle]

no kidding...but in the neck, not the butt

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

If your calves got their colostrum in a timely manner (like right away!) and they are clean & dry, most likely they won't have a problem. Sanitation, lack of stress (wet/mud), and built up immunities.
RRC - glad you pointed out NECK instead of BUTT!

 

[b&langusfarms]

When giving Probios to help with the scours how many does do you all normaly give to a malnourished sick calf?

 

[msscamp]

Both the bolus and the liquid have to be given before the calf gets it's first suck.

Well that's sort of a problem then because none of us know how to use a balling gun. The vet had said he would come out and do it..... $$$$$$$$$$ :roll:

I'm thinking about using Scour Bos® 9 and forgeting the whole pill at birth thing. Sounds like it will probably be more of a hastle than a help.

Even with Scour Bos 9, you're still probably going to be looking at dosing individual calves with pills, so learn how to use a balling gun. I tend to prefer the balling gun with hollowed out tips to hold the pill, and the blades are angled. Stick the balling gun in your back pocket, seperate the calf, corner him and catch him in the corner. Place one leg behind his butt, the other leg in front of his chest. Reach around his head, grasp his jaw, raise his head up to about a 45 degree angle, and stick your thumb in the back of his mouth. When he opens his mouth, gently insert the balling gun with the blades pointed down his throat. When the handle roughly becomes even with his mouth (this will vary from calf to calf, depending on their age), open the blades to position the pill in his throat (thus preventing him from spitting it out), and remove the gun. This protocol works with most any type of balling gun, the key is to GENTLY insert into the calfs throat.

 

[Medic24]

Prevention is surely less work, and easier then treatment.

MssCamp....Perfect method of balling gun work!

May i remind ya'll that in todays world there are in fact some very good vacines, and treatments for scours, no matter the causes. The simplest, yet sometimes hardest being plain ol good sanitation.

Just keep in mind that under no circumstances do you want to 'feed' the scours virus or bacterial whilst trying to treat it.

Meaning, allow the calf to eat or drink nothing that would help the scours bacteria in it stomach to multiply, and cause toxemia, which is usually what kills the animal in the end anyway, that is poisioning and overloading the system with bacteria and or viruses.

The tetrecyclenes (spelling?), and neomycines are almost useless when treating scours. SMZ, and other sulfa drugs are good all around meds for such and has to be given via a small balling gun.

But, the most important treatment for any scours is certainly the supportive therapy, meaning plenty of proper fluids, hopefully ones that help retain some nutrients in the calf's gut for a while before moving though, such as gelling formulas.

At times, milk is NOT the best thing for a calf's health, simply like times as this. :cboy: