Causes & Prevention of Beef Calf Scours

Joe Armstrong, DVM Extension educator

• 95% of infectious calf scours is caused by rotavirus, coronavirus, or Cryptosporidium.

• Dehydration is what kills calves, and correcting with supplemental electrolytes is the most crucial part of any treatment protocol.

• DO NOT prevent scouring calves from nursing. Calves need the nutritional value of the milk to help fight off the disease. Make sure to check the dam’s health.

• To prevent calf scours, use a system-wide approach that includes, cow health, colostrum management, calf nutrition, cleaning and sanitizing, and vaccination.

Calf scours can be a major problem for any cow-calf operation. Controlling the disease is a complex issue and has many variables. While we can identify specific agents of disease that cause scours, it is important to remember that the control of the disease often requires a system-wide approach of prevention rather than individual treatment to solve the problem.

What causes calf scours?

Scours has many causes. We often focus on the infectious causes, which are significant, but it is important to note that there are also non-infectious causes of calf scours.

Infectious causes

Rotavirus, coronavirus, or Cryptosporidium cause 95% of infectious calf scours cases in calves under 3 weeks of age. These three agents can also be present in combination. All calves are exposed to these pathogens; it is unavoidable. The deciding factor in whether or not a calf gets sick is often dosedependent, meaning the more pathogen a calf receives, the more likely they are to have scours.

• Rotavirus infects cells essential to the absorption of nutrients in the small intestine. The lack of small intestine nutrient absorption causes nutritional deficiencies for the calf and interferes with the rest of the digestive tract’s ability to absorb water. The result is diarrhea, with an added complication of missing nutrients for the calf.

• Coronavirus infects cells in a similar way to rotavirus. However, instead of just interfering with absorption, the virus actively kills cells in the lining of the intestine. The result is widespread destruction of the lining of the small intestine. The calf cannot absorb any nutrients, the inflammation is massive, and severe diarrhea occurs.

• Cryptosporidium, often referred to as ‘Crypto’, is a protozoan. Protozoa are microscopic animals. The most important thing to remember is that Crypto is not bacteria. Crypto implants itself in the wall of the intestine and causes severe inflammatory damage to the lining of the intestine. This damage results in diarrhea for the calf. Crypto infections are incredibly painful for the calf. Outside of the body, crypto has a thick shell that allows it to survive for long periods in the environment.

Non-infectious causes

Inadequate nutrition

Calves need to eat. They are trying to grow in addition to fighting off any pathogens that could be present. To gain weight and still have the energy to provide an adequate immune system, calves must have energy stored in the form of fat. With beef calves, infectious agents are likely to blame, but you should also check on the dam to make sure she is providing enough milk. Mastitis, big teats, low milk production and poor maternal instinct (calf rejection) are all potential causes of inadequate nutrition that could lead to scours.

How To Diagnose Scours

Check manure consistency

Just like any mammal ingesting a primarily liquid diet (like human infants), a calf’s feces should not be solid. Scours is not defined as loose feces. A calves feces should be slightly loose.

• Normal calf manure should be semi-formed to loose and sit on top of straw bedding.

• Scours manure will have a consistency close to water and will run immediately through straw bedding.

• Unless the manure has blood in it, the color of the manure usually has little to no diagnostic value.

Examine the calf

A visual and physical exam, in combination with manure consistency, can help you put the pieces together.

• Visually, the calf should be bright and alert with clear eyes and upright ears. Sick calves are depressed and lethargic, with droopy ears and dull eyes.

• Watch for calves that remain lying down when most other calves have stood up.

• Not eating can also be a sign of a sick calf, but the goal should be to pick out the calf that is struggling before they have stopped eating.

Many calves with scours will breathe faster than usual with increased effort. Make sure you are not misdiagnosing scours cases as respiratory infections.

How To Treat Scours

As with almost anything on a farm, prevention is preferable to treatment. Having treatment protocols is essential for proper calf care, but the primary goal is always to identify the root of the problem and prevent scours. Even with excellent prevention in place, scours cases will occur. Here are the things to consider when treating.

If the calf is unable to stand, call your veterinarian. The calf may need IV fluid therapy in addition to the treatments below.

Dehydration

Dehydration is what kills calves, and correcting with supplemental electrolytes is the most crucial part of any treatment protocol. Electrolyte feeding should be given in addition to milk feedings. If you can, leave the calf with mom whenever possible. Work with your veterinarian to decide what electrolytes to use and how often to treat.

If you are bottle feeding, DO NOT stop feeding the calf milk. Leave the calf with the dam whenever possible and monitor the calf to make sure it is continuing to drink milk. The calf needs the nutritional value of the milk to help fight off the disease.

Always mix electrolytes according to package instructions. Feeding electrolytes that are too concentrated can make things worse by causing more scours.

Pain or discomfort

Scours is extremely uncomfortable and painful for calves. There are several options for anti-inflammatory use in calves. Providing pain relief helps calves get back on their feet faster.

"Calf Scours" continued on pg 26

Work with your veterinarian to determine what and how much to use.

Antibiotics

As discussed above, 95% of scours cases are not caused by bacteria, meaning in 95% of cases, antibiotics will not treat the cause of the disease. Scours can result in secondary bacterial infections. The only way to know if antibiotics are necessary is to examine the calf.

• Every exam should include a rectal temperature.

• Use antibiotics in a set protocol you develop with your veterinarian.

• Consider using a long acting antibiotic (8+ days) to prevent a secondary infection.

How To Prevent Calf Scours

The cow

Preventing calf scours starts even before the calf is born. A healthy cow produces a healthy calf. We can influence the health of the calf by making sure the cow has a proper body condition score, adequate nutrition (including minerals), and a clean, dry environment. We can also use vaccines to influence what antibodies a cow puts into her colostrum (first milk) that are then passed to the calf. By vaccinating at the correct time while the cow is pregnant, we can improve the quality of the colostrum and target specific scours-causing pathogens. Work with your veterinarian to develop a vaccine protocol.

Colostrum

A calf should drink good quality, clean colostrum within the first two hours of life. Every hour after birth, the calf’s ability to absorb the protective antibodies in colostrum decreases. Receiving colostrum is the single biggest predictor of calf survival and health. Make sure you have some colostrum replacer on hand during calving season. If a calf is unable to drink colostrum from the dam, feed a replacer. If you are unsure if the calf drank colostrum from the dam, feed a replacer.

Calving area

Exposure to scours-causing pathogens starts the moment the calf is on the ground. If the calving area is not clean and dry, the exposure to pathogens is more likely. Make sure your cows are calving in a clean environment. Mud is your biggest enemy. If you cannot avoid mud in your current system, you need to change your system or change the time of year you start calving.

Pathogen build up

In general, scours causing pathogens transfer from older animals to younger animals. Additionally, many of the pathogens (especially Cryptosporidium), persist in the environment for an extended period. This means that, over time, disease-causing organisms can build up in an area making exposure and disease more likely for calves.

• A 45-60 day calving period (calving window) keeps a large majority of calves the same age within a system that minimizes disease transfer between calf age groups.

• Sorting and separating cows by calving date can minimize disease transfer between calf age groups.

• Designating a pasture, concrete pen, or barn for calving and minimizing cattle traffic at all other times of the year can prevent pathogens from building up.

Vaccine

In the order of importance, vaccines given to calves are towards the bottom of the list. Colostrum, nutrition, clean environment and cow health are all more critical factors. There are products when given at birth under label instructions that can reduce scours, but they are not a cure-all solution. Work with your veterinarian to develop a vaccination protocol.

Commentary

Hats Off

by Austin Sorensen

Greetings, Normally I start these articles with a “Wow, where’s the time gone!” or “How about the weather?” but as I sit here writing this one, I struggle with that. As I reflect on the numerous articles I have been fortunate enough to write over the last two years, I realized that generally the topic is good people. That being said, there is one awfully good person I haven’t covered and seeing the nature of this issue, I definitely need to write this article.

Anyone who knows me knows I’m a huge movie buff and in one of my favorite movies, Lone Survivor, there is a quote that says, “anything worth doing is worth over doing.” That quote reminds me so much of our team leader and my mentor in this business, Mike Sorensen. From the very first time riding with Mike for training up until the most recent time here just a week or so ago, I have learned many invaluable lessons; many of those being life lessons. Mike hits everything he does with a full head of steam. I would challenge those of you that have a sale to find a field man that shows up earlier to a sale he’s working and then spends more time on the phone trying to move cattle for you than Mike does.

Anyone who knows Mike personally, knows he is genuine. He won’t leave you guessing what he’s thinking, but he has a big heart. I remember Christmas of 2021, my wife and I spent a week over Christmas in the hospital with our 4 month old boy as he had a bad case of RSV. Outside of direct family, Mike Sorensen was the only other person to check on us every single day, ask if he could do anything, and cover for me on the business end of things. I don’t think we reserved enough pages in this issue for me to write all I would like to say about Mike and how innovative he was to start this publication, so I will leave you with this; everyone teases us when they find out we are not actually related, but I tell ya, I would be honored to claim him as family any day of the week.

Please, as Mike said in his article, do not hesitate to reach out to us as we all plan on continuing to help market your livestock. Give us a call or shoot us a text. I know we would love to visit with you. As for my last hats off, that goes to you Mike Sorensen! Thank you. Thank you for all you’ve done and continue to do. Your leadership and friendship has meant the world to me!

Commentary

Lefty’s Logic

by Eric Lee

What a crazy week it has been. For those of you that are friends with me on social media have probably seen, I proposed to Brooke this week and she said yes! All of us that travel for a living know it takes a special woman to handle it, I was just fortunate enough to find one that is in the same business and I get to travel with from time to time! Brooke is an amazing partner and an even better mother. For some reason God thought that I was worthy enough to have her in my life. If it was not for this job we may have never gotten together as our first date

44 Point After

was at Iowa Beef Expo.

Livestock Plus has been an absolute blessing in my life. I cannot begin to thank Mike enough for all that he has done for me. It has been an honor to be trained by a future hall of fame inductee and a privilege to have him as a friend and a mentor. The last four years have been amazing. I have cultivated many great relationships with both peers in the marketing business and producers. Although our time here with Livestock Plus Inc may possibly be coming to an end, my career in livestock marketing is not. I will continue to serve as a marketing agent in this great industry in some facet and will have more information as we move into summer.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been there along the way from the auctioneer, sale management, and the other field men. Most of all, all of the great customers I have been so blessed to work with. We could not have done it without you!

Thank you all and God bless!

Eric “Lefty” Lee • 608-295-5312 gileecc@yahoo.com

because after they

Office: 405-372-3300

It is with very mixed emotions, and I mean mixed, big emotions, that I write this notice. My partner and I have decided that we are ready to slow up and be released from some of the stress. Both of us are living a life with what we think are active twenty-five-year-old minds, but seventy-year-old bodies that say slow up a little and take some stress out of our lives. To do this, we have decided that the April 2023 issue will be the last issue of Livestock Plus Inc.

As most of you know, when Livestock Plus started, it was Mike and Dixie Sorensen and Family on its own. Dixie, Heidi, Bubba, Mandi and I, taking off on an adventure that many people questioned, including me. I must give lots of credit for my start to Genoa Community Bank, of Genoa Nebraska, and the Burke Family for having faith in me and making Livestock Plus my dream come true.

Other people that I think were instrumental in making Livestock Plus Inc. successful were the folks that said it wouldn’t last a year. They made this bull-headed, half-blood Dane mad enough that we made it work for twenty-eight plus years. One of those folks has passed away, but while he was alive, I reminded him many times that he was a driving force to make me succeed. Also, I must give a great deal of credit to the Allen Family from Clarion for partnering with us, and their help in switching from newspaper print to glossy slick magazine that we have today.

To our very valuable customers, Thank You!! I have met so many great people on this trip that I will never forget. We are very appreciative of all of you. To all of our faithful readers, and for all the complimentary comments, thanks a bunch. To those folks that are faithful readers of our comments we will try to continue those online in some fashion. (livestockplusinc.com)

To the employees past and present, I/we appreciated all of your efforts. I will always treasure your friendship. Hopefully you will continue your efforts as valuable livestock fieldmen and ring men.

To all commitments that have been made for April and May sales, they will be carried out as usual. Again, Thank You for your support over the years.

God Bless

PS

At this point, our fieldmen including myself are not planning on going away or quitting our efforts to help in merchandising your livestock. Please stay in touch with each of us by phone or email. I’m certain that we will all be in some form of promotion. Watch social media late summer for announcements on possible changing of the guard for Livestock Plus.