The days are getting longer and soon we shall see calves, foals, lambs, kids, and green grass!
Unfortunately, before it gets beautiful, it will get ugly with mud and a winter’s accumulation of manure. Be sure that your livestock have a dry place to bed down and preferably to eat and drink.
Hoof rot tends to occur in the early autumn and late spring when the weather gets a little warmer and the ground is still very wet. Once you have an outbreak, your herd and/or flock will always be susceptible. Daily cleaning is ideal, but for those impossible pens and areas, a good straw pile works well, too. Aspen
Veterinary Service’s sister company,
Bluebird Farm & Horse Ranch, has straw for sale in small square and large round bales. Please visit: www.bluebirdfarm.net
or call (208) 659-
6825 for details. A good straw matt is an ideal environment for livestock to birth in; and can help prevent some neonatal diarrheas and illnesses.
February’s Disease Discussion is
Scours.
Scours are the bane of spring. The fickle weather in February, March, and early
April makes calves susceptible to scours by vexing their immune systems. Scours is a broad term used to describe calf diarrhea caused by parasites, feed changes, viruses, and bacterial infections. It is usually a combination of exposure, lack of adequate colostrums, a weakened immune system due to weather, inadequate housing, or a combination of disease exposures at the same time. The usual culprits are E. coli
(K99 enterotoxigenic strain in calves only a few days old), Rota and Corona virus, Bovine Virus Diarrhea (BVD),
Cryptosporidium parvum , Clostridium perfreinges Types C & D, Salmonella
(serotypes typhimurium and dublin ),
Coccidia, and occasionally Giardia.
When an outbreak occurs, it is sometimes prudent to determine the infectious agent so that preventative vaccines can be used
(if available), or improvements to the environment or management can be made to reduce the risk of repeat exposure.
Many agents are hardy and will be back next year to infect each subsequent calf crop if left in the environment or endemic in the herd.
Regardless of the cause of scours, the treatment is the same: recognize the problem early, separate sick pairs from the herd, replace electrolytes and fluid losses in the calf, and keep the calf warm, dry, and clean. Repeat exposure to infectious agents can overwhelm a new calf and may even kill him in less than 12 hours. Therefore, know when to get professional help. When the calf is no longer suckling, cold, or lethargic, it is time to call the vet! Intravenous fluids will be necessary at that time, and may not save the calf.

It is probably best to start working with your veterinarian at the first sign of trouble so losses can be minimized.
Remember, most of these infectious organisms have been around for a while and have acquired remarkable antibiotic resistance. Don’t waste your money on over the counter antibiotics – get the good stuff from your veterinarian. It may save your calf’s life!
Poultry may begin to pair up at this time of year, and chickens may be gradually weaned from their artificial lighting. This may get some farms to begin thinking about replacement pullets.
If you would like to hatch a clutch from your individual flock, there are many good quality incubators available to do the trick.
Just remember to keep the genetics diverse and don’t use eggs from a single rooster or drake if at all possible. Aspen Veterinary
Service offers incubation of chicken, turkey, duck, and goose eggs. Feel free to call and ask for a quote based on your individual flock and production goals.
Quote of the month:
Life is simpler when you plow around the stump.
Got Ideas?
Aspen Veterinary Service is always looking for new topics and great ideas. If there is something you would like to know more about, please don’t hesitate to ask. Dr. Bowes can be reached at annie@aspenvetservice.com
or (208) 659-
6825. And feel free to share some jokes that can be published in the next issue!
As always, your animal’s health is very important to Aspen Veterinary Service and routine care is a major component of husbandry. It is the hope that this Newsletter was helpful and informative; and in keeping with the mission statement of this company:
Aspen Veterinary Service is dedicated to preserving a country way of life, and promoting general farm animal health and production.
Together, we keep American farms and ranches going strong.
For additional information about Aspen
Veterinary Service, please visit: www.aspenvetservice.com
Happy Trails!
Copyright 2009 ©
Aspen Veterinary Service. PLLC Post Falls, Idaho