Herd Management – Not a Seasoned Rancher
The death of one calf when you only have a few can mean the difference between profit and loss. It’s even more difficult when that death could have potentially been prevented. This year I lost one calf to scours. The frustrating thing is that it could have been prevented by a vaccination. Vaccinating for scours is effective most of the time. The devastation to a young calf from the E.Coli virus, Corona virus or Rota-virus can be diminished by vaccinating the mother four to twelve weeks prior to birth depending upon the vaccine you use. If you have a case of the scours, separate the calf from the herd and sanitize everything that is communicable with the rest of the herd so as not to infect the other cows.
If your veterinarian has not spoken with you about a vaccination program for your herd then you should bring it up with him or her and as well visit, www.calfscourstreatment.com. A good vaccination program can be administered by the informed rancher. I have been informed that you can vaccinate the calf within the first day of birth, and achieve similar results. Also speak with a seasoned rancher, who has had experience with herd management and best practices for prevention.
The enjoyment I get from being around cows has always been a part of my life. It’s like watching RFD TV – some people like it and some people don’t. I do. It is always exciting watching the new calves. But as I mentioned in last month’s article, things don’t always happen as you would hope they would.
