Volume 22 • Issue 04 • 2018
is adequate. In terms of hygiene, consider both
the environment and fomites (bottles, staff hands
etc.) and remember that healthy adult cows
shed most of the causes of calf diarrhoea in their
faeces. Separation of calves from older animals
and footbaths/handwashing when entering the
calf area should be implemented. We are moving
out of the era when we could rely on antibiotics to
cover up poor management and biosecurity.
AO - 18 Jan 2016
We have tried with “limited” success 50:50:
Keno-Cox a sporocidal product made by CID
Lines. We spray the environment and also wash
the prolapses before reducing them and placing
a retaining suture. Normal procedure of wound
treatment and disinfection followed.
Spray for fly worries. I try to improve the
immune status – nutritionally – increased energy
and protein (winter) and immune stimulants
(levamizole and vitamins nucleotides etc).
Increase the moisture content of the feed and
lowering the water intake. Get the environment
dry.
We use “Pienk Poeier” Stalsosan (commercially
available) dusted over the sleeping areas. It dries
it out/ disinfects in summer but not completely in
winter. Winter we take out bedding – place slaked
lime (“gebluste kalk”) under the bedding and add
some stalosan as a sprinkle over the bedding.
I have found agricultural lime to be to inert for
being a disinfectant or changing the environment.
I have also used clays Zeolyte and Bentonite to
absorb the moisture. It must be removed on a
regular basis to maintain a dry environment.
– I presume you want to reduce the E coli and
clostridial load. Clostridium I strongly think
you must look at nutrition management. That is
where clostridium plays an important role
JC - 27 Nov 2017
The BCS (body condition score) that the dam/
cow reflects in the week prior to calving has a
direct correlation to the percentage of IgG that
the calf receives from the colostrum. This also is
correlated to:
•
•
•
•
Increased period from calving to first heat
Decreased conception
Often results in long breeding seasons
Generally result in lower average weaning
weights
Crypto is a major immune stressor through its
pathophysiological effect on the local gut defence
and including Maryke’s comments especially the
environmental factors and cattle movement it has
now probably become the biggest cattle neonatal
challenge.
In cases where we are involved in AE (adverse
event) reporting, we encounter it where there
is a shortcoming in one or more of the following
factors:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Nutrition / BCS
Vaccination program
Indiscriminate cattle movement
Environmental sewage contamination
Management
Lack of understanding of the complex
aetiology of modern day neonatal diarrhoea
by all in the livestock sector. Similar to
brucellosis ?
Eagerly awaiting Halocur registration !
And maybe a vaccine development ?
RM - 28 Nov 2017
I found the best management tool is to limit
exposure: I managed to turn a 25% mortality into
less than 5% year on year by just implementing
these basics. I like to use Kaopectin mixes
(Kyron). Electrolytes with amino acids make a big
difference (my workers tell me Kyron’s Prolyte is
the best)
1. new calving areas
2. remove calves asap( I’m of the opinion that
the main contamination is from the dam's
udder)
3. have an all-in all-out system in calf pens
4. meticulous cleaning of feeding equipment
and calf pens. Pay attention to the habit of
stacking milk buckets into each other (dirty
bottoms)
5. NO raised calf pens
"no amount of colostrum can overcome a filthy
unhygienic calf pen" (think it was from a Maquire
article)
FM - 01 June 2018
(Translated from Afr. – Ed)
Best Francois. I hear you may have a disinfectant
that you use for Crypto? Details please
FvN- 20 June 2018
(Translated from Afr. - Ed)
The product is chlordioxide by Stericlear.
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