08 July 2022

Calf diarrhoea – prevention is better than cure

Diarrhoea is the most common cause of death for pre-ruminant calves those one month of age & younger. On-farm research by Teagasc Grange has shown an incident rate for diarrhoea of 8.7% in suckler calves and 25.5% in dairy calves. Sabine Scully discusses her research to prevent & manage scours

On-farm research by Teagasc Grange has shown an incident rate for diarrhoea of 8.7% in suckler calves and 25.5% in dairy calves. Calves are particularly vulnerable at this age since the components of the active immune system are under-developed and calves rely on the passive transfer of antibodies from the dam through colostrum.

Currently, the best way to manage scours in calves is to prevent it using systemic management practices, strict sanitation procedures and developing a comprehensive herd health plan.

Summary

• Diarrhoea or scours is the most common disease in calves under one month of age.
• Calves with diarrhoea are commonly infected with rotavirus and cryptosporidia, which cannot be treated with antibiotics.
• A comprehensive herd health plan is necessary to prevent calf diarrhoea.
• Optimized colostrum management supports calf gut health and immune function.
• Biosecurity and sanitation procedures are of the utmost importance.
• The “Holoruminant” EU-funded project is investigating the role of microbiomes in developing solutions to reduce early-life diseases such as diarrhoea.