With the calving season now underway on the majority of dairy farms across the country, the importance of good hygiene is vital.
Calving is a busy time on farms, but if hygiene standards are not maintained then the workload is likely to be higher.
To help and protect against sickness, you should ensure that hygiene standards in the calving shed are maintained.
It is also important that standards are maintained when assisting cows during calving, feeding of cows and throughout the rearing process.
Calving season
The bacterial pressure in calving pens need to be low. Calves are born with no immunity, so there is a high risk of them picking something up in the period just after they have been born.
Ideally, individual pens would be cleaned out and disinfected between each calving.
You need to ensure that there is a deep bed of straw and that the pen is reasonably clean throughout calving.
Once a calf has been born, you should follow the ‘1,2,3’ method for colostrum, and ensure that the naval is spread with iodine.
Where possible, calves should be isolated for the first few days of life – this again helps to keep disease and infection pressure low.
Calf shed
There can also be significant bacteria pressure within the calf shed if it is not managed correctly.
Access to the shed needs to be controlled, and at a very minimum you need to have a footbath at the entrance to shed.
Keep the bedding fresh, and clean it out once it has become damp.
Hygiene of the feeding equipment is also vital – you should be thoroughly cleaning calf feeders after each use.
Any calf that is showing signs of sickness needs to be removed and isolated to prevent any further spreading of infection and for ease of treatment.
Keep it simple
Remember, sometimes the simplest measures are the most effective. Wash your hands before handling calves and avoid wearing excessively dirty clothing.
Access to hot water is also important – it is very useful in cleaning and disinfecting yourself and equipment.