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calf sick with crypto scour

  • 08-06-2014 12:14pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23


    Hello everyone,

    I have had a real big problem with cryptosporidium scour on the farm this year, most calves got it, gave them halocur for seven days after calving, but even so, a few of calves still broke out with it at about two and a half weeks old, got scour samples tested on many calves, to be sure crypto was the problem again. The final calf of the year calved about three weeks ago, but he has got the same type of scour, he is very sickly, and dull, just wondering if anyone has repeated the dose of halocur again, the vet said not to, but dident give me a reason as to why. But the calf is so sick now that I am thinking of giveing it a go. Kill or cure. I give rotavac corona vaccine every year. Any suggestions that might help are welcome. I would find it hard to face another calving season like this one.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,332 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    do you clean and powerwash sheds regularly. I use interkokask disenfectant. Are they getting enough biestings?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23 farmboy1130


    Hello Whelan2, the calving shed was cleaned with brush and disinfectant, before calving. not as good a job as a powerwasher for sure, the pens where given a coat of builders lime before use, and brushed out and limed again after a cow had moved out. i am going to invest in a power washer this summer, i will need to use the right disinfectant as well, this crypto caught me by surprise, i dident know much about it and i never had it before this year. the calves get plenty of the mothers beistings after calving, if i havent seen them sucking i put the cows in the crush and put the calves sucking, or if there not inclined to suck i milk out the cow and dose the calf with the beisting within three hours of calving. this crack of dosing scouring calves eats up a lot of time, and other important jobs on the farm have not got done, a neighbour helps me from time to time, but i would nearly want him here full time. its a shame there is no vaccine for crypto yet.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,332 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Hello Whelan2, the calving shed was cleaned with brush and disinfectant, before calving. not as good a job as a powerwasher for sure, the pens where given a coat of builders lime before use, and brushed out and limed again after a cow had moved out. i am going to invest in a power washer this summer, i will need to use the right disinfectant as well, this crypto caught me by surprise, i dident know much about it and i never had it before this year. the calves get plenty of the mothers beistings after calving, if i havent seen them sucking i put the cows in the crush and put the calves sucking, or if there not inclined to suck i milk out the cow and dose the calf with the beisting within three hours of calving. this crack of dosing scouring calves eats up a lot of time, and other important jobs on the farm have not got done, a neighbour helps me from time to time, but i would nearly want him here full time. its a shame there is no vaccine for crypto yet.
    lime will not kill crypto, continuous cleaning out, powerwashing and disenfecting are paramount to keep crypto away. I use 12ml of halocur for each calf for the first 3 days.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23 farmboy1130


    yes, your right whelan, i have to clean and powerwash the calving shed,disinfect with the right disinfectant and let dry for the summer. i will be better prepared next year, i am a young farmer, dont know everything yet. i could do with a wise head about the place at times. is there any thing you would recommend giving the calf.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,332 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    yes, your right whelan, i have to clean and powerwash the calving shed,disinfect with the right disinfectant and let dry for the summer. i will be better prepared next year, i am a young farmer, dont know everything yet. i could do with a wise head about the place at times. is there any thing you would recommend giving the calf.
    i would try the halocur again, but if he has gotten halocur for a week i dont know if it will work. I suppose plenty of electrolytes, its a fecker of a disease


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,006 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    we used cobactin and found it good. saved a few calves for sure. this is our 3rd year now bad with it, its a right hoor of a disease


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 531 ✭✭✭munkus


    Had a 4 month old calf get it last week. Can't imagine how he got it they only spend the first day in shed. They all get Vecoxin at 10 days. Vet told me last week that that's pointless and needs to be given before they're liable to infection. Some fu#kin answer!

    Thankfully it hasn't spread. Might have picked it up at water trough where birds would be washing themselves.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,332 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    munkus wrote: »
    Had a 4 month old calf get it last week. Can't imagine how he got it they only spend the first day in shed. They all get Vecoxin at 10 days. Vet told me last week that that's pointless and needs to be given before they're liable to infection. Some fu#kin answer!

    Thankfully it hasn't spread. Might have picked it up at water trough where birds would be washing themselves.
    vecoxan is for coccidiosis


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 531 ✭✭✭munkus


    whelan2 wrote: »
    vecoxan is for coccidiosis

    Apologies! Misread the whole thread, thought it was coccidiosis.


  • Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Sports Moderators Posts: 9,046 Mod ✭✭✭✭greysides


    munkus wrote: »
    Had a 4 month old calf get it last week. Can't imagine how he got it they only spend the first day in shed. They all get Vecoxin at 10 days. Vet told me last week that that's pointless and needs to be given before they're liable to infection. Some fu#kin answer!

    A four month calf is unlikely to be affected by Crypto. The Vecoxan is for coccidiosis, as Whelan 2 said, and giving it at 10 days means it's protective effect is gone by the time they are being exposed some 3 months later. As to 'when' to give it... you have to work out, by experience what age they tend to show the first signs and give it a little earlier than that.
    Thankfully it hasn't spread. Might have picked it up at water trough where birds would be washing themselves.

    They might have picked up via contaminated water alright but most likely due to contamination from other calves.

    The aim of argument, or of discussion, should not be victory, but progress. Joseph Joubert

    The ultimate purpose of debate is not to produce consensus. It's to promote critical thinking.

    Adam Grant



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23 farmboy1130


    we used cobactin and found it good. saved a few calves for sure. this is our 3rd year now bad with it, its a right hoor of a disease

    It is surely, some of my calves had watery scour for up to 15 days, I was up til all hours dosing at night trying to save them, never seen a scour so bad lasting for so long in calves before. Its also costing a fortune to treat them, between yogert,gelite, etc ,and of course halocur, which is expensive.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 112 ✭✭EamonKilkenny


    Give him 2 litres of electrolytes at least 4 times a day and leave him on the cow also. Had it here years ago and they loose massive amounts of fluid. It is heart breaking but if you get this year over you and have a fresh start next spring you will be fine. We used Vircon S to disinfect. Used halocur for two years after and haven't used it the last 4 years and no issue.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 470 ✭✭joejobrien


    Unfortunately I dont believe in all the cleaning , deeep bed of straw, disinfecting etc etc will keep it outside the gate., while I would not ignore hygine dont be fooled in the belief it will sort your proplem. As for halacur , ah ( the vets solution and drug companies) leave your money in pocket and spend it instead on milk replacer!!!
    I know you may well think I MAD BUT it works and works for numerous other farmers also. Dont put them back on whole milk ever. I know some farmers when had surplus of milk coming off gave it to calves and as sure as night followed day the crypto returned. At least your calvesare going forward everyday and alot less work unlke dosing sick calves and dosing with halacur. Like I say it works for us and alot of others.
    PS the scour that we got was confirmed as crypto.
    There is a powder that can be added to whole milk at time of feeding if one insisted on whole milk, but farmers dont find it as good as milk replacer. MY tupence worth!!!!


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26 old deere


    had big problem cupla years ago, vet told me to use natural yogurt 60ml three times a day, strictly no antibiotics seems it kills the good bacteria while crypto is immune to it


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,983 ✭✭✭jaymla627


    old deere wrote: »
    had big problem cupla years ago, vet told me to use natural yogurt 60ml three times a day, strictly no antibiotics seems it kills the good bacteria while crypto is immune to it

    Crypto isn't immune,it's down to the fact it's a parasite hence antibiotics are no use....actually a new product out I'm America that claims to eliminate crypto it works like a vaccine and builds up the calves immunity to crypto but it will be years before it becomes available here if ever.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 76 ✭✭Tail painter


    We have crypto scour since year 2000, so get used to it. Nothing works in getting rid of it. Tried calving outside and leaving calves outside, so they never saw the inside of a shed. The calves still got it within a week. Have often used Halocur a second time without any problems.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23 farmboy1130


    We have crypto scour since year 2000, so get used to it. Nothing works in getting rid of it. Tried calving outside and leaving calves outside, so they never saw the inside of a shed. The calves still got it within a week. Have often used Halocur a second time without any problems.

    Thanks for the advice tailpainter, I gave him the halocur again last night, the scour is thickening up now, although the calf is still very low. I also made up some yougert milk to give him to night. Hopefully that helps as well.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,332 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    Thanks for the advice tailpainter, I gave him the halocur again last night, the scour is thickening up now, although the calf is still very low. I also made up some yougert milk to give him to night. Hopefully that helps as well.
    i put a vitaboost- energy powder from osmonds- in with the electolyte, makes a great job, gives them a lift to fight the crypto


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,921 ✭✭✭onyerbikepat


    I had a calf with it his year for the first time. Nasty scour. Calves loose a serious amount of fluid with it so very important to keep the electrolsis into them.
    I am convinced mine, a suckler calf, got it because he was too late getting the beastings.

    I always think these scours are all caused when the natural immunity of the calf is over-powered and cant fight them off. Keeping the calf warm and well fed with plenty of good quality beastings and everything as clean as possible, shifts the odds more in your favour.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23 farmboy1130


    Hello everyone,
    The calf is well improved, I gave him the halocur for the third night in a row tonight, along with two litres of electrolytes, natural yougert, and two whites of eggs. His dung has thickened up this morning and tonight, although this morning he was weak, tripping and falling around the pen, but tonight he has a lot more energy and is in better shape. Its the halocur that is making the difference in my opinion, I am sure he would be dead by now if I had followed the vets advice and dident give him a second run of it. I hope he keeps improving, and thanks for the advice lads.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,006 ✭✭✭farawaygrass


    Sorry for bringing up old thread again, but low and behold crypto has reappeared again. Calving since early march. First cows calved quick. If they weren't seen sucking the cow was brought in the crush and I'd help the calf suck. Anyhow they we're let off out after couple days in at most and are all fine. Then there was a break of a few days and next batch of seven cows calved quick. Same routine as above and they were batched together in another field. Now we have 2 calved in shed and 4 left to calf. Yesterday morning I spotted one from the second batch with a scour, and then two more with a touch of it. Rang vet and he came out, tested and confirmed it was crypto. He said there was a big outbreak in the last week with the changeable weather. These calves are 2-3 weeks and how they got it I don't know. Out quick and were fine for a good while. The weather was ideal although it rained a lot Saturday night and got a bit cold. The first batch are fine and so are the last batch, although I am giving the last batch halocur just in case.
    Just venting really I suppose but how the hell they got it I'll never know.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,968 ✭✭✭dzer2


    Yeah had a new out break here yesterday last 6 calves in aheap had a cow down with tetney and lost a bullock to Pneumonia

    Some ****e day i tell you.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 30,332 ✭✭✭✭whelan2


    dzer2 wrote: »
    Yeah had a new out break here yesterday last 6 calves in aheap had a cow down with tetney and lost a bullock to Pneumonia

    Some ****e day i tell you.
    fook , that was some day


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 313 ✭✭patjack


    http://www.abpfoodgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/Management-of-the-Scouring-Calf.pdf

    This is a useful resource for anyone rearing calves, a lot of it is common sense but it's a handy reference. Small bit on halofuginone usage as a preventative measure for Crypto.


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