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Bringing heifers back to the dairy
Posted by: Dairy Calf & Heifer Association

By Roy Williams, 2010 Leadership Class member

For many dairy operations, sending young calves to a custom grower until they are ready to calve is routine procedure. Heifers returning to the dairy after being at a heifer ranch, and purchased heifers, can present health challenges. In this article, we'll briefly review some of the issues that you may face with these heifers.

1. Biosecurity
There is always a risk that new variations of common diseases, parasites (protozoa and worms), or highly infectious diseases (Johnes, BVD, BLV)⁽¹⁾ will enter your dairy along with these heifers. While the risk is low, there is always the possibility of a major and serious disease outbreak. More likely, the flow of animals into the dairy imports just enough pathogens and parasites to increase the morbidity and mortality rates in the milking herd by a few percent.

There are some things you can do to minimize the risks.

Quarantine arriving cattle for two weeks; keep as much physical distance as possible between arriving cattle and the rest of the dairy.
Sanitize equipment moving from the quarantine area to rest of the dairy.
Monitor arriving cattle closely for two weeks.
Immediately isolate sick animals away from other animals.
Keep arriving groups of animals separated from each other.

2. Pneumonia (shipping fever)

Shipping fever⁽²⁾ is a well-known problem in feeder cattle, due to stress in combination with multiple opportunistic pathogens. Shipping fever causes 64% of deaths in feedlots in

Colorado. Shipping puts extreme environmental stress on the animals; livestock trailers can be hot, cold, drafty, dusty, rainy or damp, very crowded, and often very unsanitary.

Your first defense against shipping fever is an appropriate vaccination program, so be sure your heifers are properly vaccinated before they are shipped. There are at least six respiratory disease pathogens⁽²⁾ for which vaccines are available. Vaccinations do not "work" immediately - usually two weeks or more are required for the immune system to respond completely to vaccine, and many vaccines require two doses, so be sure vaccines are given far enough in advance of shipping to allow for effective protection.

Respiratory bovine coronaviruses (RBCV) is an "emerging disease," first isolated in 1993. One study found that RBCV was significant factor in shipping fever⁽³⁾. Ask your veterinarian for advice on how to combat RBCV in your herd.

Some field research suggests that some feeding programs can reduce the incidence of shipping fever, but this is too complex a topic to discuss here⁽⁴⁾ (talk to your nutritionist).

References

Brouk MJ. Contract Growing Dairy Heifers: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. s.l.: Dept. of Animal Sciences and Industry, KansasStateUniversity.
Bagley CV. Bovine Respiratory Disease. UtahStateUniversity. s.l.: Extension Beef Cattle Resource Committee. publication number BCH-3505.
Storz J, et al. Coronavirus and Pasteurella Infections in Bovine Shipping Fever Pheumonia and Evans' Criterial for Causation. 9, s.l.: American Society for Microbiology. Journal of Clinical Microbiology. Sept. 2000; 38: 3291-98.
Galyean ML, Duff GC. Recent advances in management of highly stressed, newly received feedlot cattle. s.l.: American Society of Animal Science. Journal of Animal Science. 2007; 85: 823-840.

For further information, contact:

TVM Marketing

(262) 369-8765

tina@tvmmarketing.com

Charlie Kazda

Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition

Marketing Services Coordinator

(847) 426-3411 ext. 1125

CKazda@milkspecialties.com

CALF MEDIC PLUS TREATS BOTH SCOURS AND PNEUMONIA

Carpentersville, IL. (April 30, 2010) — Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition recently introduced Advance® Calf Medic Plus™, a medicated, all-milk protein milk replacer for treating scours and pneumonia in calves. Containing the maximum medication level of Oxytetracycline and Neomycin Sulfate allowed, calf raisers should feed Calf Medic Plus for the treatment of bacterial enteritis caused by Escherichia coli and bacterial pneumonia (shipping fever complex) caused by Pasteurella mutocida susceptible to oxytetracycline; plus the treatment and control of colibacillosis (bacterial enteritis) caused by E. coli susceptible to neomycin.

Calf Medic Plus provides total nutrition for quick recovery. It has been specially formulated to supply needed dairy nutrients, extra fat for vital energy, more vitamin E to boost the immune system and electrolytes for quick re-dehydration lost during scouring. “Based on new regulations, Calf Medic Plus tops the market with the highest approved treatment levels of Oxytetracycline and Neomycin Sulfate for maximum effectiveness,” says Lee Scoville, Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition Director of Consumer Products. “Dairy producers finally have an instant mixing, all-milk protein, complete formula medicated for the treatment of both calf scours and pneumonia.”

Calf Medic is also available in a concentrated formulation for larger-scale treatment. With a feeding rate of 1,000 mg of Oxytetracycline and 1,000 mg of Neomycin Sulfate per 100 pounds of body weight daily, Advance® Calf Medic Concentrate is ideal for multiple calves at one time. This product is mixed with non-medicated milk replacer to treat calves with scours or pneumonia.

In addition, Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition announces a new look for Calf Medic Plus and Calf Medic Concentrate packaging. “We’re really excited about introducing the new Calf Medic family of products, now available in more convenient bags with a heavy-duty zipper for an airtight seal,” adds Scoville.

Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition offers a spectrum of specialty dairy ingredients used in the formulation and processing of animal nutrition products, as well as a comprehensive line of milk replacers, ration supplements and rumen-inert fats. The group uses a combination of leading-edge research, precision processes and industry expertise to deliver consistently superior products. To learn more, visit MilkSpecialtiesGlobal.com or call (866) 894-3660.

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Photo Caption:

Milk Specialties Global Animal Nutrition introduces Advance® Calf Medic Plus and Advance® Calf Medic Concentrate, designed for the treatment of scours and pneumonia in calves.