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When to intervene? (Scours)
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GregChuckles
Posted 4/28/2016 20:41 (#5270301)
Subject: When to intervene? (Scours)


One of the biggest challenges for me as a cow calf operator is young calves and what constitutes scours and a serious issue or not. Quite honestly, it scares the hell out of me, so many unknowns and something that can snowball into a train wreck in a hurry.

When to treat or not? Is it just a slight change in diet or not?

We just came off of 2 weeks basically of some of the crappiest calving weather I've ever been apart of. Not one, but (2) 5 day systems moved through in consecutive weekends with rain and cool temperatures. And not just rain but rain all day. Everything was a mess, couldn't keep anything dry to save your life. Didn't see the sun for 10 out of last 14 days, and some days eere brutally windy. Perfect conditions for things to go wrong so I'm on alert.

It got so bad I had to kick the calves out cows to a small pasture next to the feedyard. Yes it was muddy in spots but at least they could get out of it for a while. The cows have to walk through mud to get to water.

So this morning when checking cows, one of the calves got up and I thought it was peeing, except it was a bull calf. Sure enough runny watery stools upon further review, grayish green in color. Had to get going to go to work so didn't have time to treat, planned on checking tonight and treat.

Went out tonight not knowing what to expect, calf was laying down and seemed fine. Couldn't sneak up on him and was alert. Let him go w my to lay back down and was chewing his cud. Hmmm....maybe he just ate too much fresh green grass or got some alfalfa hay. Calf is one month old. Went to do reset of chores s little later, mother was hollering and the calf aggressively walked in the 1/4 mile and sucked? So what's going on here? Didn't see him poop tonight.

Found another calf, 3 weeks old that did when I was out there. He seemed loose, this is what his stool was like:

What do you think? Some say no worries, others you better treat. This guy after he got done went over to momma and had a meal. You want to be on top of things, but I can't be there 24/7 and they are tough to catch, but leave it go and you got a dead critter.

Edited by GregChuckles 4/28/2016 20:59




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