Advice on breaking the scour cycle in youngstock housing

Scour remains one of the most important early-life challenges in calves and lambs, and two of the key threats are Cryptosporidium and coccidia. 

Cryptosporidium is a major concern in calves’ first weeks of life, while for lambs coccidiosis becomes an important challenge from around 3 weeks onward. 

Young animals are exposed mainly through the housing environment contaminated by faeces.

Impact goes far beyond diarrhoea: driving mortality, compromised growth with limited or no compensatory gain, uneven groups, delayed age at first calving, and reduced 1st lactation yield.

© Huvepharma NV

Supportive care, nutrition and targeted veterinary treatment remain essential, but they will not remove pathogens from the environment.

Infected animals can shed up to billions of oocysts, and adults can also contribute to contamination.

As oocysts are highly resistant, they can persist for long periods in housings, especially if bedding is moist and dirty. 

That’s why effective scour control starts with reducing infectious pressure in the housing environment.

© Huvepharma NV

Cleaning is the foundation of effective disinfection. Organic matter can reduce disinfectant performance so removing manure, dirty bedding and visible debris is a critical first step. 

Using a detergent helps prepare surfaces properly and gives the disinfectant the best chance to work.

Smart disinfectant choice is critical.  Not all disinfectants are proven effective against Cryptosporidium and coccidia oocysts. Mixed infections with bacteria and viruses are common, so broad-spectrum disinfection matters.

This is where Prophyl® S stands out as a reliable choice for ruminant housing.  Prophyl® S is a modern phenolic derivative disinfectant for veterinary use, based on the synergistic mix of chlorocresol and glycolic acid, and DEFRA approved¹. 

Prophyl S © Huvepharma NV

At 2% dilution, it has demonstrated 98.9% efficacy against scour-causing Cryptosporidium and coccidia oocysts on housing surfaces in 2 hours².

It also offers proven efficacy on key bacteria, viruses and fungi relevant to ruminant housing³, together with long-lasting effect and ability to work in soiled environments. 

Prophyl® S can help strengthen your farm biosecurity and be used to reduce pathogen pressure between groups, therefore forming an important part of a scour management program.

Prophyl® S should be used on empty buildings following thorough cleaning and in accordance with the label instructions.

For more information, please contact James.girdler@huvepharma.com | 07946 896 574

Read more about Huvepharma® calf and lamb care holistic approach.

For professional use only. Use biocides safely. Always read the label and product information before use. Wear appropriate protective equipment as recommended on the safety data sheet.   

Do not use for surfaces in contact with feed/food.                                       

¹DEFRA: FMDO 1:50 ; TBO 1:15 ; GO 1:20.

²at 10°C.

³in 2 hours according to EN 1656, EN 14349, EN 14204, EN 14675, EN 17122, at 10°C.