The drying-off of cows, for many, signals that the calving season is on the way. This is often when farmers begin making preparations for the arrival of calves.
The spring-calving season is the busiest period on most farms and because of this, it is important that you are not having to deal with sick calves or cows.
With that in mind, here are some health-focussed things to note when preparing for incoming calves.
Calves
Ahead of this busy period on farms it is important to thoroughly disinfect the calving and calf sheds.
Calves are born without any protection from bacteria, so it is important that they are born in an area with a low bacterial load.
Similarly, a high bacteria load or presence of a disease within a shed, such as the calf shed, will likely lead to a number of sick calves.
It may be a good idea to look at records, along with consulting with a vet, to determine if there was an issue with a specific disease last spring.
If it was determined that there was an issue with scour caused by rotavirus for example, you should use a disinfectant that is effective against it.
Although you are unlikely to completely remove disease or sickness from the shed it should hopefully be greatly reduced.
If you have an issue with scour, you should consider vaccinating your calves to aid your defence.
A vaccine will not completely eliminate the issue, but it may help to decrease the number of cases if used in line with a number of other measures.
Calf jackets
Another way farmers can look at improving calf health and preventing sickness is by purchasing calf jackets.
Young calves, under 30-days of age, ideally need air temperature of 15-20°C within the shed. In February and March this temperature is very hard to achieve, although straw will offer some assistance in increasing the temperature.
Calf jackets help the calf to regulate their body temperature better and most farmers that have used them have seen better growth rates in their calves.
If a calf is cold, more energy will be diverted to maintaining temperature and away from growth.
Along with improved growth rates, this warm, helping hand will also likely result in less sickness as calves are consistently at a more ideal temperature.