Calf trouble Rotavirus

delaval

All was well 'till 5 days ago. Calves started scouring took sample confirmed rotavirus. Cow vaccine not available and besides too late to administer as cows will be finished calving within a month.

I am putting sick calves in individual pens under a light. I am continuing with reduced milk at usual times and Lifeaid at 1pm and 10pm, I am also treating with 4cc Marbycil 2%. Calves seem to be affected at between 5-7 days.

Any helpful suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance

whelan1

clean out all sheds and disenfect.... its a fecker, would one of your neighbours have rotavec corona treated cows to get biestings off them ? They need energy to overcome it, keep doing what you are doing, have you lost some? give them multi vit as well

delaval

whelan1 wrote: »

clean out all sheds and disenfect.... its a fecker, would one of your neighbours have rotavec corona treated cows to get biestings off them ? They need energy to overcome it, keep doing what you are doing, have you lost some? give them multi vit as well

All sheds and calf pens cleaned every Monday and Thursday during calving. Very good idea re rotavec vaccinated biestings will make a few calls in am. We always have had crypto from March every year and it is a walk in the park compared to this rotavirus

simx

delaval wrote: »

All sheds and calf pens cleaned every Monday and Thursday during calving. Very good idea re rotavec vaccinated biestings will make a few calls in am. We always have had crypto from March every year and it is a walk in the park compared to this rotavirus

I feel your pain its a fecker.of a yoke, half a tube of provita response paste asap after birth is what my vet recommended and its working so far

dar31

Had the same with crypto a few years ago
Complete kick in the stones
If you can put all new born calves in to different sheds, keep same feeding gear with healthy calves.
We ended up with calves in roofed silage pits, emptied out storage sheds to put them in, even make pens out of pallets in field next to parlour and put them straight in them, anything to break it

Blue Holland

Had serious prob with crypto last year, was affecting calves as young as 3-4 days, found Asgold lot better than Lifeaid. Mix with the milk, binds them up and stops scouring fast. Calves were'nt getting that sick though which made it easier to handle.

Have found Bimestat Liquid good for calves that are bit under the weather with scour, think its easier on a young calves system but if they are very sick be best stick with the Marbycil.

whelan1

yup dar31 is right try and put them in different housing, rotavirus works like a rotor in their stomach, lost 1 this week the first of this years calves to die, she didnt get the rc biestings while i was away, i am anal about calves here, use rotavec corona, halocur and vecoxan along with cleaning out and disenfecting... lost alot of calves over the years

Blue Holland

What disenfectant are you using, have found Kilcox very good for crypto not sure how it fairs against rotavirus but its powerfull stuff.

whelan1

interkokox... i think, will check tomorrow had been using oocide but its off the market

delaval

Halocur has stopped crypto in it's tracks I thgink we have it under control. One thing's for sure cows calving post 01/03 next year will be vaccinated with rota corona. We have up graded roads,parlors, bulk tanks etc while we grew cow numbers but never did much with calf facilities, I think this is probably common on a lot of farms. At the moment every available nook and cranny is being used, it's down to too many calves for the facilities. It is something that we need to aaddress.
We used to rear calves outside very successfully with the odd hiccup 'till the north wind came last April and they got such a doing that we swore never again.
Maybe a rethink needed?

Injuryprone

I was plagued with it last year. About 90% got it. Most like OP, at about a week old. Lost 1 out of the 55 or so, (mainly cos I was in a rush that morning because the yearlings were going to the mart and I didn't spot it coming on and I was then away all day). Used vaccine this year and it's a great relief.
I'm a complete non-believer in keeping the milk in the diet. Anytime I tried it, they always seemed to take a while to get over it.
I tried out the homemade mix (glucose/breadsoda/salt) and am very happy with the results. The vast majority of last year's bunch would've got 3 feeds of mix at the normal TAD times and then back on normal milk diet again and weren't knocked back by it that much.
Of course, there were a few more severe cases, that took maybe an extra day and a couple of shots of baytril to get over. Had to get vet with drip for 1, with unbelievably good results.
Most are going to mart whenever the weather picks up, we'll see if it was all worth it!

49801

It's a fecker
Rotovec vaccine will start working after 10 days so if you can get it for your last cows to calf it will be worth while!

Someone else mentioned colostrum from a farm that has been vaccinated and that's a very good idea too

freedominacup

49801 wrote: »

It's a fecker
Rotovec vaccine will start working after 10 days so if you can get it for your last cows to calf it will be worth while!

Someone else mentioned colostrum from a farm that has been vaccinated and that's a very good idea too

How long after calving is colostrum, colostrum IYKWIM?

whelan1

freedominacup wrote: »

How long after calving is colostrum, colostrum IYKWIM?

in rotavec coronas case the calf must get the treated biestings for at least a week, i leave calves on the cow for the week and then they still get rc treated milk for another week

delaval

49801 wrote: »

It's a fecker
Rotovec vaccine will start working after 10 days so if you can get it for your last cows to calf it will be worth while!

Someone else mentioned colostrum from a farm that has been vaccinated and that's a very good idea too

I am told none available for 2-3 weeks:mad::mad:

whelan1

49801 wrote: »

It's a fecker
Rotovec vaccine will start working after 10 days so if you can get it for your last cows to calf it will be worth while!

Someone else mentioned colostrum from a farm that has been vaccinated and that's a very good idea too

it takes 3 weeks for the vaccine to work after you have given it to cow, am 99% sure on this, there are other products that work quicker

whelan1

delaval wrote: »

I am told none available for 2-3 weeks:mad::mad:

get trivacton

td5man

I tried out the homemade mix (glucose/breadsoda/salt) and am very happy with the results.




Is this the electrolyte replacement if so what are the quantity of glucose/breadsoda/salt.

whelan1

brought in the leaflet from the rotavec corona
-in artificially fed calves fed with pooled colostrum, protection will continue until colostrum feeding ceases:rolleyes: IN naturally sucked calves protection against rotavirus will persist for at least 7 days and against coronavirus for at least 14 days
-A single injection of 2ml should be given between 12 and 3 weeks before calving is expected
-in dairy herds milk from the first 6-8 milkings should be pooled. the colostrum can be stored under 20 degreesbut should be used asap as immunoglobulin levels may fall by up to 50% after storage for 28 days. calves should be fed on this pool at the rate of 2.5-3.5litres per day for the first 2 weeks of life

whelan1

td5man wrote: »

I tried out the homemade mix (glucose/breadsoda/salt) and am very happy with the results.




Is this the electrolyte replacement if so what are the quantity of glucose/breadsoda/salt.

think there was a thread on forum4farming under stock talk about this

49801

delaval wrote: »

I am told none available for 2-3 weeks:mad::mad:

still in fecking in short supply? thought it was supposed to be back by march!

whelan1 wrote: »

it takes 3 weeks for the vaccine to work after you have given it to cow, am 99% sure on this, there are other products that work quicker

Yes that is what it says on the label but as someone else said this was on F4F lately and effective there was case's where results were obtained in 10days from administration. So I'd def admin it if I could get my hands on it!

freedominacup

whelan1 wrote: »

in rotavec coronas case the calf must get the treated biestings for at least a week, i leave calves on the cow for the week and then they still get rc treated milk for another week

Thanks but what I was trying to ask was how long after calving could a cow considered to be still giving colostrum?

jomoloney

haven't read all the posts

got hit a few years ago

plenlty of fluids essential and we found the "at birth" tubes helped , give to the calf as soon as it is born

49801

freedominacup wrote: »

Thanks but what I was trying to ask was how long after calving could a cow considered to be still giving colostrum?

IMO 2days but as you well know its getting it into them in the first 6hrs that matters.

If I was having to supplement a calf as a cow had not come into enough milk yet i'd take from another cow if i could or else buy it @98c/l in the shop after the first 2 days.

whelan1

49801 wrote: »

still in fecking in short supply? thought it was supposed to be back by march!



Yes that is what it says on the label but as someone else said this was on F4F lately and effective there was case's where results were obtained in 10days from administration. So I'd def admin it if I could get my hands on it!

ye, i suppose those on f4f would know more than the manufacturers, tbh i have used it at less than 3 weeks and it doesnt work, use biestings from ones that have injection long enough

whelan1

freedominacup wrote: »

Thanks but what I was trying to ask was how long after calving could a cow considered to be still giving colostrum?

someone was saying on the milk powder bag it says how many days they should get biestings for. maybe this could tell ya

vanderbadger

i see all the online sellers,farmrite and magenta direct are selling these tubes you can give to calf within first few hrs of birth, mayo healthcare sent out a leaflet with similar offering there recently..are they any good or are they just praying on farmers looking for a miracle cure to scour
http://www.magentadirect.ie/proddetail.php?prod=STARTAIDEXTRA
http://www.fanevalleystores.com/product/3110069/roto-corona-plus-calf-care-paste-30g-syringe
http://www.mayohealthcare.ie/immu_calf.html

freedominacup

delaval wrote: »

Halocur has stopped crypto in it's tracks that we

Acording to the instructions on the box Halocur is to be used mainly from the first couple of days after birth. Also they seem to be cautious about giving it to calves who are already fairly sick. What are peoples experiences with it on the ground?

vanderbadger

freedominacup wrote: »

Acording to the instructions on the box Halocur is to be used mainly from the first couple of days after birth. Also they seem to be cautious about giving it to calves who are already fairly sick. What are peoples experiences with it on the ground?

had crypto scour problems this year..vet recommended this stuff, mad expensive, charged me 200 euro for bottle, anyhoo the first few calves i gave it to still got scour but seemed to pull out of it themselves and lately the last few calves didnt really get the scour at all so its ok i think in fairness but it would want to be for the price

whelan1

freedominacup wrote: »

Acording to the instructions on the box Halocur is to be used mainly from the first couple of days after birth. Also they seem to be cautious about giving it to calves who are already fairly sick. What are peoples experiences with it on the ground?

i give 3x4ml a day for first 3 days

freedominacup

whelan1 wrote: »

i give 3x4ml a day for first 3 days

Is that first 3 days after birth or first 3 days after you find calf sick? If you get trouble after that?

whelan1

freedominacup wrote: »

Is that first 3 days after birth or first 3 days after you find calf sick? If you get trouble after that?

3 days from birth...

delaval

We give Halocur at 8mls per calf per day for 7 days. Do not attempt to feed on an empty stomach as calf will lose appetite for 2-3 days.
Regarding the tubes we used tubes last year and I feel I would have been better to have drank the money.

We had no new sick calves today but will be very vigilant and keep in fluids and Marbycil

DoonallyNew

td5man wrote: »

I tried out the homemade mix (glucose/breadsoda/salt) and am very happy with the results.




Is this the electrolyte replacement if so what are the quantity of glucose/breadsoda/salt.

http://www.animalhealthireland.ie/ckfinder/userfiles/files/20130130%20CAC%20Electrolyte%20Solution.pdf

Important to use Lo-salt as the calf needs potassium chloride and sodium chloride to replace lost electrolytes.

delaval

jomoloney wrote: »

haven't read all the posts

got hit a few years ago

plenlty of fluids essential and we found the "at birth" tubes helped , give to the calf as soon as it is born

Jo, took your advice put all calves one week old on OAD and they have really taken off.
I am a big beliver in OAD but wasn't starting them till 3 wks thought too young before that. We did it on Monday and they took off, adlib meal, plenty of straw and fresh water. Cheers

just back from checking calves no new cases of rota thank god. I am watching calves better than I watch the cows calving;);)

freedominacup

Thanks for the tips everyone. We had something horrible kicking off here last week. We haven't had a viral infection here for years and I wasn't up to speed on what was available. I think we have it under control now but if you don't charge in with everything it gets a foothold and then you're really in bother. So thanks again.:)

whelan1

freedominacup wrote: »

Thanks for the tips everyone. We had something horrible kicking off here last week. We haven't had a viral infection here for years and I wasn't up to speed on what was available. I think we have it under control now but if you don't charge in with everything it gets a foothold and then you're really in bother. So thanks again.:)

yup, thats why we have to use rotavec, halocur and vecoxan and clean out and disenfect as often as possible and keep calves moving

delaval

freedominacup wrote: »

Thanks for the tips everyone. We had something horrible kicking off here last week. We haven't had a viral infection here for years and I wasn't up to speed on what was available. I think we have it under control now but if you don't charge in with everything it gets a foothold and then you're really in bother. So thanks again.:)

Freedom,
Take extreme caution with Crypto. This is the organism that caused the water problems in Galway a few years ago. Use gloves feeding calves, have disinfectant at calf house doors and hot wash your overalls every day. This one bug you do not want to bring home or catch yourself.

freedominacup

delaval wrote: »

Freedom,
Take extreme caution with Crypto. This is the organism that caused the water problems in Galway a few years ago. Use gloves feeding calves, have disinfectant at calf house doors and hot wash your overalls every day. This one bug you do not want to bring home or catch yourself.

I couldn't be sure what it was/is TBH. It's 15 years or more since we had a viral outbreak. I just saw the old signs and tried to get ahead of it. I'm not declaring victory yet by any stretch but thanks for the tip about crypto.