Farm Newsletter
Struthers & Scott Vets
Spring 2013
COLOSTRUM IS KEY! - Early and adequate intake of high-quality colostrum is probably the most
important management factor in determining the health and survival of calves
Calves are born without any
passive immunity and are
reliant on the antibodies they
gain from their mother’s
colostrum – without it they
are likely to suffer from a
variety of infectious diseases,
such as joint or navel ill, scour
and pneumonia. Up to 50% of
calves born in the UK do not
receive a sufficient quantity of
good-quality colostrum.
QUANTITY: a calf needs at
least 3 litres of colostrum in its
first 6 hrs - this means sucking
for about 20mins - and a
stressed calf will need more.
Often the calf needs help in
the form of a stomach tube.
Antibodies are only absorbed
during the first 24hrs, and
especially the first 6hrs so
timing is key.
QUALITY: Numerous factors
will lead to the production of
poor quality colostrum;
AGE – first lactation cows
usually have fewer antibodies
BREED – high yielding dairy
breeds contain less antibodies
HEALTH – poor body
condition = poor colostrum
DISEASE – mastitis, milk
fever etc. will lead to poor
quality colostrum.
It can be useful to store
colostrum, but;
- Hygiene is essential as
colostrum is a perfect medium
for bacteria
- Donors should have known
health status to minimize the
spread of disease
- Store for up to a week in the
fridge or a year in the freezer
- Rapid defrosting & overheating destroys antibodies
Various colostrum supplements
are
available
to
boost
antibody levels where good
colostrum is not available, or
where calves are under
particular stress and need
more. Locatim is the only
veterinary licensed colostrum
supplement,
and
is
recommended by the practice.
It comes in 60ml individual
doses that can be fed neat or
mixed in with colostrum.
Each
vial
contains
a
concentrated
amount
of
antibodies,
which
are
produced from cows that
have been vaccinated against
E.coli,
Rotavirus
and
Coronavirus. The cows all
come from Johnes, IBR, BVD
and TB-free herds.
INVESTIGATE:
if
you
suspect colostrum intakes or
quality are an issue in your
herd, speak to one of the vets
about investigating colostrum
management.
Colostrometer being used to estimate the
quality of a sample of colostrum.
HYPOTHERMIA IN LAMBS - 15% of lambs born in the UK die within
their first 7 days and hypothermia is responsible for roughly 40% of these deaths
The cold, wet and windy
weather we have experienced
lately will increase the risk of
hypothermia this year. Lambs
born indoors can also be
affected, especially if they
have experienced a difficult
birth and failed to suck.
Normal
lamb
body
temperature is 38.5-40C. If
you suspect a lamb may have
hypothermia,
take
its
temperature and follow the
advice given below. If you are
unsure or want further advice
please ring the practice.
SEVERE
HYPOTHERMIA
(temp. <37C) – as these lambs
lose their suck reflex they
quickly become weak, unable
to stand, and can quickly die.
How best to act depends on
the age of the lamb, as lambs
>5 hrs old are likely to also be
suffering from hypoglycaemia
(low blood glucose). Just
warming these lambs will be
unsuccessful, and may cause
convulsions & death. If >5hrs
old, lambs should be given an
intra-peritoneal injection (into
the abdomen) of warm
glucose
solution,
which
allows rapid absorption. Once
this has been done, the lamb
can safely be warmed in the
same manner that a lamb
<5hrs old should be.
WARMING THE HYPOTHERMIC LAMB
- Make sure the lamb is thoroughly dried
before warming until >37C
- A warming box with a thermostat is
preferable to a heat lamp for this job
- Then feed warm colostrum via stomach
tube before warming to 39C
- Then return the lamb to its mother in a dry,
draught free environment, and monitor
PLEASE TRY
TO GIVE US
AT LEAST 24
HOURS IF
ORDERING
SUPPLIES FOR
LAMBING &
CALVING
TIME
Intra-peritoneal Glucose
- 40% Glucose can be diluted
½ & ½ with boiled water to
make a 20% solution, which
should then be given at a rate
of 5-10ml/kg bodyweight
- Suspend the lamb vertically
by its front legs and inject as
pictured – a 1” needle should
be inserted 1” behind and to
the side of the lambs navel,
angling towards its pelvis
- The warmed glucose should
be injected slowly
BVD Update – The Scottish Governments Eradication Scheme
By now all cattle producers should have had a screening test to
determine whether their herd has been exposed to the BVD virus. For
many, their herds will be BVD-free and declared ‘negative’. Nothing
more needs done for the scheme until next year, although we would
strongly advise discussing protecting this status (through good
biosecurity and vaccination) with one of the vets. Those that have
tested ‘not-negative’ have shown evidence of exposure to BVD and
should undertake further whole herd testing to identify – and eradicate
– any PIs. There are a variety of testing methods available – please
contact the practice to discuss further.
Any suggestions /requests for future newsletters, or client evening talks please email tom@struthers-scott.co.uk