The spring-caving season is kicking off on farms, during which, the maintenance of hygiene levels is very important to prevent disease.
Keeping calves healthy is key to any calving season, so maintaining a high level of hygiene is critical.
Some key areas to consider are the following:
Calving pens
The calving pen is the first area a newly born calf comes in contact with. The pens should be clean and as hygienic as possible. They should be cleaned out and disinfected regularly throughout the calving season.
The majority of farmers use straw for calving cows; this should be kept fresh and clean.
Recently, some farmers have started using mats for calving cows. Again, these need to be cleaned regularly, ideally after each use, to reduce the spread of disease from one cow or calf to another.
Iodine for the calves’ navel should be on hand in this area. Any other calving equipment such as the jack should also be kept here and disinfected after each use.
Calf shed
In an ideal world the calf shed would be like a clean room, but in reality this is not possible.
You should avoid wearing dirty clothing into the shed and have foot dips located at the entrance.
Access to the calf shed should be controlled to prevent a disease outbreak. The bedding should be kept fresh and cleaned out regularly.
The shed should be a clean and dry environment. Calf jackets can also be used to help calves regulate body temperature.
Feeders
Calf feeders are a vital part of any calf-rearing operation, but they can also be a reservoir for bacteria.
Before being used, calf feeders should be thoroughly cleaned and the teats should be replaced. They should be cleaned after each use and the teats should also be inspected for damage.
The same goes for automatic feeders; the teats should be inspected daily. Calves could potentially chew them, thus causing damage.
Feeders should ideally not be shared with other pens, but if they are, they should be cleaned between the pens.
Stomach tubes
Stomach tubes should be thoroughly cleaned after each use. This should help to control the spread of bacteria from one calf to another.
Milk residues should be removed before the tube is used on another calf. This will help to prevent the spread of Johne’s disease and other disease/bacteria.
Johne’s disease is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP) .
MAP is usually found in the milk of an infected cow so avoiding the mixing of colostrum is advised, especially in herds where Johne’s disease is an issue.
You should also have more than just one stomach tube on your farm. Ideally you should have a minimum of two – one to be used for colostrum and the second for feeding sick calves electrolytes.
Using the same tube for colostrum and feeding sick calves is only aiding the spread of bacteria and disease in the calf shed.
Hygiene
It is also important that there is a high level of hygiene kept when you are handling or calving cows.
Gloves should be worn to prevent the introduction of an infection to a cow and to prevent a zoonotic disease from being passed to you.
With the new changes coming into effect, hygiene levels of farms will be key to preventing the need for antibiotics.