Full calf sheds can result in increased levels of sickness in calves, with one such sickness being pneumonia.
The next couple of weeks will see many calf sheds at capacity, with many herds now having a large number of cows calved.
Pneumonia and scour are two of the biggest killers of young calves and prevention regarding these sicknesses should be a priority.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia in calves causes inflammation and damage to the lung tissue and airways, which ultimately compromises lung function.
It is the result of a complex interaction between viral and bacterial pathogens, environmental stress factors and the animal’s own resilience to disease.
Some factors that increase the risk of a pneumonia outbreak are:
- Low environmental temperatures;
- High humidity;
- Poor ventilation;
- Draughts;
- Overcrowding;
- Poor nutritional status.
The majority of farmers will be well aware of the symptoms of pneumonia in calves and the importance of identifying and treating calves as early as possible.
Clinical signs include:
- Dull and depressed;
- A temperature of greater that 39.5°;
- Increased breathing rate and effort;
- Coughing;
- A nasal discharge which is initially clear and watery, but becomes thick and pus-like as the disease progresses.
As mentioned, pneuomnia causes damage to the lungs of animals which can result in reduced production performance and liveweight gain.
This ultimately means an outbreak in a calf shed can have a detrimental impact on the calves and result in reduced performance going forward.
Control
Where possible, sickness in calves, such as scour and pneumonia, should be prevented.
To achieve this, calves need to get off to the best start in life, and for this farmers should ensure that they get adequate amounts of high-quality colostrum within two hours of birth.
This is even more important on farms where vaccinations have been used, as it is the only way that the antibodies can be transferred to the calves.
Farmers should do their best to provide calves with a clean and dry bed, even though increased numbers in the shed may mean that beds need to be cleaned out on a more regular basis.
Draughts should also be prevented in the shed, however major alterations should not be completed now – but small measures can be taken to reduce the draught for calves.