Keep tabs on scour
Keep tabs on scour
CALF producers should identify which organism is causing scour to help minimise concerns in subsequent calvings.
So advised Deborah Stanley, vet for animal health care company Schering-Plough at the launch of its Scourwatch initiative.
"To control scour effectively you need to know what you are dealing with. This means involving your vet at an early stage and taking faecal samples – before treatment – to find the cause."
As part of its initiative, the company is providing free sampling kits for producers. These will be available through vets, who will send samples for analysis – which must be paid for by producers – and recommend control measures based on the results.
Where E coli K99 and rotavirus were found to be concerns, prevention in subsequent calvings could be based on vaccinating cows to stimulate antibody production in colostrum, said Ms Stanley. Cost of vaccination is £10-£15 a cow, depending on herd size.