Throughout the semester I will be collecting data on calf temperatures, colostrum information, sire and dam records, and more! The purpose of this project is to hopefully highlight any husbandry areas that we could improve upon so that our calves are receiving the best possible care.
Scours has and is a major concern for every dairy farm, but what is it? Scours is diarrhea in calves which can be very difficult to treat as the majority of cases are caused by a virus. Viral infections are not able to be treated with antibiotics so proper management of symptoms is always key! When a calf is suspected of having scours, the best option for us is to ensure that they are well hydrated by providing them with plenty of water, electrolytes, and even supplying intravenous fluids (an IV!) if necessary. In fact, according to the University of Minnesota Extension, nearly all cases of scours can be traced back to the causative agent rotavirus, coronavirus, or cryptosporidium. If you are interested in learning more about scours here is a link to the University of Minnesota Extension which has lots of useful information: Scours Overview.
One medication that we have at the barn is very useful at treating one specific scours causing bug that I haven't mentioned, coccidiosis! All we have to do is add one of these to a tub of water and the calves will treat themselves when they go for a drink. I was curious in understanding how amprid is treating coccidiosis at a molecular level and after doing some digging I discovered that amprid will prevent these parasites from utilizing vitamin B1 (otherwise known as thiamine) which disrupts their growth and development.
Today we had one new bull and one new heifer calf born.
We shipped 4,755 gallons of milk.
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