Environment, management practices and vaccination protocols work together to build a calf’s immune system and set them up for success. In the first weeks of a calf’s life, these steps can help protect them against disease when they’re most vulnerable:
1. Prevention before birth
Preventing scours outbreaks starts before calves are even born. Dairies should have a vaccination protocol in place to vaccinate dry cows against scours to help increase the number of antibodies in their colostrum and help protect calves from common pathogens. These vaccines are given three to six weeks before calving to align with a dam’s peak colostral antibody production.
It’s also important that a calf’s first environmental contact be a clean one. Make sure teams are trained to clean the maternity pen on a daily basis by applying clean bedding and sanitizing floors, walls and gates.
2. Fine-tune colostrum management practices
By giving calves the right amount of the highest-quality colostrum as close to birth as possible, producers gain an advantage by providing protective antibodies that help reduce disease risk. Ideally, calves should be provided 4 quarts within one to two hours of birth. One study found that the quality of colostrum can diminish as early as six hours after freshening.2
In addition to timely administration, consider heat-treating colostrum and waste milk to help decrease the risk of transmitting disease-causing pathogens to calves. If storing colostrum for future needs, small containers that cool quickly should be used to avoid bacterial growth and contamination.
3. Evaluate vaccination program
Take note of pathogens that your vaccination program currently covers and identify any gaps. Does it provide protection against scours and the main pathogens of BRD? Something to consider may be a Mycoplasma bovis (M. bovis) vaccine. M. bovis is one of the main BRD pathogens and a major contributor to chronic cases of pneumonia. Respiratory disease caused by M. bovis is known to have vague early symptoms, so infections may not be identified early, which can lead to delayed treatment and poor response to antibiotic therapy. Though there is limited data on the prevalence of M. bovis, a recent study showed that M. bovis was isolated in 67% of calves with clinical signs of BRD.3
It is of utmost importance that farm teams work together to apply management protocols that promote a healthy environment and help minimize the impact of calf pneumonia such as M. bovis. Zoetis has a preventive tool to help protect calves: Protivity®, the first modified-live
vaccine for M. bovis. Contact your veterinarian to learn more and discuss what an ideal vaccination program looks like for your dairy.
4. Maintain a clean environment
A clean, healthy environment is key to preventing disease outbreaks and is made up of various management practices. One component that can impact disease risk is air quality and ventilation, especially in the winter, spring and fall months when temperatures are fluctuating. Housing may be enclosed to keep calves warm, so make sure to check air quality routinely during these times. Constant air flow helps reduce exposure to ammonia and pathogens that can cause damage to upper respiratory tissue and increase the risk of BRD.
Also, ensure quality sanitation practices in facilities. Whether it’s bedding, equipment or hutches, employing routine sanitation protocols can help reduce pathogens that may be found on surface areas.
Keeping an eye on the future
The work done in the early stages of life can set dairy calves up for success to be a productive contributor of the milking herd. Remember, protecting dairy calves from disease isn’t a one-and-done process — it’s an ongoing process throughout their lives. It’s important that farm teams have protocols in place for accurate record-keeping and disease identification and are trained to uphold clean and healthy environments for their dairy herds.
1 Stanton AL, Kelton DF, LeBlanc SJ, Wormuth J, Leslie KE. The effect of respiratory disease and a preventative antibiotic treatment on growth, survival, age at first calving, and milk production of dairy heifers. J Dairy Sci. 2012;95(9):4950-4960.
2 Moore M, Tyler JW, Chigerwe M, Dawes ME, Middleton JR. Effect of delayed colostrum collection on colostral IgG concentration in dairy cows. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2005;226(8):1375-1377.
3 Deepak, Aly SS, Love WJ, et al. Etiology and risk factors for bovine respiratory disease in pre-weaned calves on California dairies and calf ranches. Prev Vet Med. 2021 Dec;197:105506.
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