Control and Prevention of Neonatal Calf Diarrhoea

The implementation of a preventive program effective against multiple pathogens is a vital part of successful calf management.

Critical aspects of a successful NCD control program:

• Maximizing natural resistance through maternally derived antibodies via colostrum through vaccination of the dam.
• Low stress environment
• Minimizing exposure to pathogens

Calf management

General calf management is very important:

• Calf immunoglobulin status - Adequate colostrum intake within the first 6 hours after birth is essential.
• Feeding - Overfeeding at a single feed is a common problem, it is better to divide the daily intak for a calf into multiple feeds. If milk replacers are used, they must be made up strictly according to the manufacturers directions. Under or over strength milk replacers will cause problems.
• Environment - the calving area and calf housing must be kept clean and properly disinfected between calvings.
• Hygiene of equipment - Washing and disinfection of feeding buckets, bottles and teats is essential to reduce exposure of calves to pathogens.
• Vaccination status of dams

These factors determine the immune status of calves and the presence of infective pathogens in the environment.

Colostrum management

Colostrum management and intake plays a key role in the production of a successful and healthy calf.  Many calves fail to drink enough, making them vulnerable to disease and infection, particularly scours.  A calf’s gut lining is able to absorb the antibodies (immunoglobulins) only in the first few hours after birth.  After 12 hours, the gut lining changes and by 24 hours antibodies can no longer be absorbed.  

Colostrum management recommendations

• It is vital that the first feed takes place within six hours of birth and that the calf drinks 6% of its bodyweight eg 2.7 litres for a 45kg calf, followed by another 6% within 12 hours of birth.
• For optimal protection it has been shown that daily intake of colostrum is essential to the calf from birth to 2 weeks of age
• Calves should then either be left to suckle naturally for a minimum of 2 weeks or a colostrum feeding regime must be established (daily supplement with 500 ml of colostrum)

The excess colostrum from the first and second milking should be poled, aliquoted and stored deep frozen. Alternatively the colostrum can be stored at +4° C for about 2 weeks.

Vaccination of the dam with multivalent vaccines

Vaccination of the dam provides neonatal calves with passive immunity via colostrum. Multivalent vaccines use maternally derived antibody to protect calves against three of the most important causes of NCD: bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus and enterotoxigenic E. coli.

Calves are protected by feeding colostrum from vaccinated cows. Ensuring that colostrum is fed properly is as important as ensuring that the cows are vaccinated properly in achieving a successful result.