Working Ranch Magazine January/February 2025

A SAMPLE FLOW CHART A sample flow chart may include the following information: 1. Once scours appear in calves, the producer and veterinarian should identify contributing factors and infectious causes. If Cryptosporidiosis is the culprit, be aware that humans can be infected. Ranchers should protect themselves to minimize their disease risk. Place calves in a warm, clean environment. 2. Take fecal samples to determine which bacterial, viral, or protozoans are causing the disease. Sample six to 12 freshly scouring, untreated calves. 3. For colostrum management, the veterinarian takes a sample to determine quality with a colostrometer and tests the calves’ blood for total protein analysis. 4. Treat sick calves. Continue milk feeding, rehydrate with electrolytes or IV fluids, and give pain relief and/or antibiotics.

BY GILDA V. BRYANT

Not everyone has multiple pastures or areas to calve in. If you can sep arate older calves from the younger ones, that lowers the scours risk.” When prevention strategies are in place, two essential treatment prod ucts should be on hand, electrolytes and colostrum. Bottles of electro lytes purchased at local feed stores prevent dehydration. Van Emon also encourages producers to buy colos trum replacers, which are packed with more immunoglobulins than colostrum substitutes. Electrolytes and colostrum replac ers enable calves to develop a more robust immune response, especially if their dams are not in the best con dition or cannot produce quality colostrum in large quantities. “Don’t stop calves from nursing,” Van Emon explains. “It’s import ant to continue nutrition to help them fight off infection. Keep an eye on the newborn especially if the [younger or older] dam had a

calf have moved to pasture.” On farms where Cryptosporidiosis , sometimes called Crypto, has been previously diagnosed, treat all calves with electrolytes. For more extensive operations, the Flint Hills Pasture Rotational system works well. This approach separates cows into calving groups based on breeding dates. “Bring your herd to a small pasture or trap,” explains Van Emon. “When you’re two weeks into the calving season, keep cows and calves where they are and move those pregnant females into the next pasture. After two weeks, move the remaining pregnant cows and heifers into another pasture.” Why is this scheme beneficial to animal health? “This plan helps pre vent scours because newborn calves are moving away from older calves,” Van Emon explains. “Newborns don’t have the immune system set up and ready to go like older calves.

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