12 minute read
Boost colostrum quality to help protect calves from scour
Unfortunately, the UK farming industry is still losing too many calves to scours. Indeed, a 2017 study highlighted that in calves under two months of age, scour is the main cause of death (Johnson et al).
According to MSD Animal Health’s latest national youngstock survey (spring 2020), 81% of more than 300 farmers surveyed said they had experienced scour in their calves during the last 12 months and 50% of farms had suffered mortalities. On dairy farms, calf deaths due to scour had been seen by more than 65% of units.
The cost of treating scour is estimated to be £57.94 per calf affected (ADAS report, 2013), but this figure doesn’t include the longer-term financial impact associated with a depression in growth rates and lifetime productivity. It’s important to appreciate too that treatment with antibiotics is rarely effective against most causes of infectious scour.
Immunity-led disease prevention
MSD ruminant veterinary adviser Dr Kat Baxter-Smith explains that the key to better control of infectious calf scour lies in immunity-led disease prevention supported by good management and hygiene.
“Practically, this means giving dry cows a vaccine to boost dam colostrum quality pre-calving – and then feeding enough of this fortified feed to newborn calves,” she says.
“Calves are most at risk from infectious scours during the first 1–4 weeks of life and need a source of protection – through passive transfer of antibodies in the colostrum – to help keep them healthy. On many units, normal colostrum may not provide enough antibodies.
“However, vaccination of the calf’s mother with Bovilis Rotavec Corona between 12 and three weeks before calving boosts colostrum quality, allowing you to feed high levels of antibodies against rotavirus, coronavirus and E.coli F5 (K99) in early life. Calves gain protection by drinking this fortified colostrum from their vaccinated mothers.
“To ensure this passive transfer of antibodies from the dam to calves, four litres of colostrum (or at least 10% of calf body weight) containing 50g/litre of IgG antibodies should be fed within the first four hours of birth. This should be followed by two additional litres within 12 hours of birth. For calves left on the cow, getting four litres of colostrum requires approximately 20 minutes requires approximately 20 minutes of continuous suckling,” Dr Baxter-Smith says.
Increased flexibility
The Bovilis Rotavec Corona vaccine from MSD Animal Health was licensed in November 2020 for use up to 28 days after first opening the immediate packaging*. The previous licence meant the product needed to be used within eight hours of opening.
“For producers taking an immunity-led approach to their herd health programmes, this extended shelf life means greater flexibility in preventing infectious scours on many calf units and will help reduce any unnecessary wastage of vaccine on farm,” Dr Baxter-Smith says.
“What’s more, the newly launched 100ml 50-dose pack of Bovilis Rotavec Corona, plus more durable product packaging, is further improving the vaccine’s usage convenience, economics and environmental credentials.”
She explains that the vaccine’s product packaging is also being transitioned from glass vials to polyethylene terephthalate (PET), a lightweight commercial plastic widely used for durably packaging pharmaceuticals.
“PET has a significantly smaller production, transportation and disposal carbon footprint compared to glass, requiring less energy to produce. From a safety point of view, PET does not break or fracture – and requires nearly seven times less material (by volume/weight) compared with glass – which means lower carbon dioxide emissions and reduced transportation costs.”
Vaccine storage and administration
To maintain the e cacy of the Bovilis Rotavec Corona vaccine, it must be stored properly – upright and refrigerated (at 2–8°C) before and after broaching, and after rst use. A broached vial will be able to be used once more during the next 28 days after the rst vaccination event and then discarded.
MSD Animal Health says that vaccine vials should still be shaken well before use. The injection should be made through an area of clean, dry skin with precautions taken against contamination. Vaccination equipment such as needles and syringes should be sterilised. Use of a multi-dose syringe to minimise vaccine contamination and excessive broaching is recommended.
Taking steps to prevent youngstock illness is critical to the long-term productivity of that animal and your business.
For more information on how vaccination can be used to prevent scour and other youngstock diseases – and the detail on the correct fridge storage protocols for animal medicines – please contact your vet or animal health product retailer. FG
Livestock New first-choice varieties added to forage maize DL
KWS Exelon from KWS and Gema from Limagrain are new entrants to the British Society of Plant Breeders’ 2022 Forage Maize Descriptive Lists for Favourable Sites. Gema also made the DL for Less Favourable growing conditions.
The last few years have tested the forage maize varieties with a range of challenges, says NIAB forage crop specialist Ellie Sweetman (pictured), including cold springs delaying sowing and testing early vigour, prolonged drought conditions and high temperatures challenging growth with some high levels of lodging and some very wet conditions delaying harvest.
Commenting on the new Favourable Sites List varieties, Ms Sweetman highlights Exelon as one of the highest yielding at 18.9 t/ha. “It has an ME yield of 222,000 MJ/ha and starch yield of 6.45 t/ ha with excellent eyespot resistance. Newcomer Gema has the highest starch yield on the DL at 6.55 t/ha with good standing power and eyespot resistance. But the highest yielding variety on the List is Limagrain’s Resolute, rst listed in 2020, achieving 19t DM/ha at 32.9% dry matter, with the highest ME yield of 224,000 MJ/ha and very good early vigour.”
Gema has also been added to the Less Favourable List with a high starch content of 36.7% and good resistance to eyespot. Resolute has the highest dry matter yield per hectare and highest ME yield on the List, as well as good early vigour.
Growers looking for highly digestible, good quality silage in more challenging growing conditions should look for early maturing varieties with good early vigour to make best use of a shorter growing season.
The standalone Very Favourable Descriptive List includes varieties found on the Favourable and Less Favourable DLs as well as some unique to this List. Four varieties have been added to the Very Favourable DL; Mantilla from Limagrain, Neutrino from Saaten Union/Elsoms, RGT BIXX from RAGT and SPYCI CS from Caussade. Each are high yielding with good ME yield per hectare, good early vigour and good standing power. Ms Sweetman explains that varieties on the Very Favourable DL may be suitable for producers growing to maximise yield as a feedstock for anaerobic digesters where sites have a long growing season and very favourable conditions. “ME yield is also an important factor for achieving high biogas yields so should be taken into consideration.”
BSPB variety trials co-ordinator Jeremy Widdowson, explains that since exiting the EU, all maize varieties sold in the UK must now be included on the UK National List, which requires two years of trials data. “The data produced from the Descriptive List trials programme includes a minimum of four growing seasons data for each variety, through rigorous, independent evaluation of the varieties across thirteen sites, providing robust information to support the resilience of forage systems within the changeable UK climate.”
The BSPB 2022 Forage Maize Descriptive Lists are available to download from the BSPB and NIAB websites. FG
KWS maize varieties 2022
n With the latest KWS hybrids you no longer have to sacrifice yield for maturity n Dedicated breeding programme n Rapid early vigour n Excellent starch content
The ultimate allrounder!
CITO KWS
Ultra Early: FAO 150
n Short season hybrid offering high grain density for maximum starch
DEBALTO
Early: FAO 170
n Push your starch yield ….keep your harvest on track!
Hybrid subject to a Pre NL Marketing Agreement.
KWS PASCO
Early: FAO 170/180
n Excellent yield performance for silage or CCM
KWS EXELON
Early: FAO 170
n High grain to stover ratio for energy dense silage
Choosing maize varieties: A guide
Great strides have been made in maize breeding over the past ve years and producers have a wide range of varieties to choose from. John Burgess of KWS o ers some guidance on varietal selection.
Consideration of end use is the rst step towards choosing a maize variety, says Mr Burgess.
“Maize for forage requires a variety with high dry matter potential and a minimum starch content of 30%. I would recommend that choice is limited to varieties with a maximum FAO, or maturity rating, of 190.
“If maize silage is to be included in a dairy cow total mixed ration, ultra-early hybrids will help to ensure an all-year-round supply. These ultra-earlies require an average 130–140 days in order to reach maturity, compared with an average of 160 days for mainstream types. They can bring harvest forward to early September, or allow time for ‘catch up’ in seasons where drilling is delayed.”
A di erent set of selection criteria will apply to maize grown for anaerobic digestion.
“Many AD maize growers are responsible for large acreages and therefore one of their priorities will be to spread the drilling and harvest window. In these situations, the inclusion of varieties with a range of FAO gures will be preferable. The other priorities should be high freshweight yields and good disease resistance.”
Maize for corn cob mix (CCM) production and crimping is becoming increasingly popular among livestock producers, as they seek to increase their use of home-grown feedstu s, he adds.
“CCM is usually cut 4–7 weeks later, compared with maize silage. It requires a compact or semi-compact variety with an FAO range of 150–210. It should also have FAO range of 150–210. It should also have good standing power, a trait which will good standing power, a trait which will also apply to maize for crimping. Producers who are planning to crimp their maize should avoid ultra-early varieties, due to the risk of brackling.” The 2022 KWS Maize Portfolio is packed with detailed information on a range of maize varieties to suit all farm situations. The handbook can be downloaded at www.kws-com (select the maize option) or order a paper copy by contacting the KWS UK maize office: maize@kws-uk.com FG
A perfect balance of yield and quality!
KEOPS
Maincrop: FAO 210/220
n Extremely high yield potential
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This month, we spoke to vet Stephanie Winslow from Three Valleys Veterinary, part of CVS (UK) Limited, for her advice on this critical phase.
Q
What are the key pitfalls during this period? What preparations should farmers make?
A: Body condition score: Cows calving in excess body condition (>3.5) have reduced dry matter intake, leading to increased risk of metabolic disease (milk fever, ketosis, displaced abomasum), immunosuppression predisposing to infections (mastitis, metritis) and decreased fertility. Meanwhile thin cows have increased risk of involuntary culling ( rst 60 days in milk) and lameness.
‘Far o ’ and ‘close up’ batches:
Avoid overfeeding ‘far o ’ dry cows but maximise DMI and rumen capacity by o ering a high bre and low energy dense diet (ME 90MJ/day). Increase energy density for the ‘close up’ group to 120MJ/day by adding a dry cow concentrate or having a speci c transition diet formulated by your nutritional advisor. Ideally feed low potassium forages – forage analysis will guide decision making. Cows at grass should be housed three weeks pre-calving as grass has high potassium content.
Lameness: Treating causes of lameness and improving foot conformation during the dry period decreases lameness risk in the next lactation. AHDB reports the average cost of a lameness case is £330/cow. Lack of footbathing along with poor environmental hygiene predisposes cows to infectious causes of lameness.
Mastitis: Hygiene at dry o is key to avoiding introduction of bacteria to the udder (especially if using a teat sealant only) and subsequent mastitis. Cubicle cleanliness and slurry management decrease the risk of dry period infection. Mastitis costs £70–250/cow/year.
Dry period length: Less than 45 days is associated with reduced yield and increased risk of infection and >70 days has an increased risk of high body condition, metabolic disease, reduction in lifetime yield and new infection.
Q
A:
• Body condition score cows 8–10 weeks before calving. Identify at-risk individuals • Foot trim all cows at dry o to identify and treat causes of lameness • Identify cows with high somatic cell count (>200,000 cells/ml) or clinical mastitis in the previous three months before dry o . Use targeted antibiotic dry cow therapy with a teat sealant. Use teat sealant only in all other cows provided bulk tank SCC is below 200,000 for the last 12 months • Divide dry cows into ‘far-o ’ (8–3 weeks pre-calving) and ‘close-up’ (three weeks pre-calving) groups • Calculate the dry period length and consider using metabolic pro les to assess dietary adequacy • Stocking density, cubicle size, bed comfort and hygiene, feed and water space need careful consideration (>90cm/cow) (>10cm/cow). Remove old feed and provide fresh palatable food daily • Minimise pen moves to decrease stress.
Cows should be moved to calving area 4–5 days before calving to avoid decreased DMI or in second stage labour (feet out!) to avoid delayed calving. FG
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