2: Health Management of Dairy Calves Flashcards
What % of a dairy herd are replaced each year?
20-25%
What % of replacement heifers die within 2 years?
12%
What do replacement heifers usually die of?
Diarrhoea in the first four weeks
What are you no longer allowed to use to treat ringworm in food producing animals?
Grisofulvin
What is the biggest cause of chronic diarrhoea in calves?
Milk replacer
Where should all protein in milk replacer be derived from?
Milk
What % fat should milk replacer be?
18-25%, higher if outdoor
Where should fat in milk replacer be from?
Vegetable oil
When made up, what sensory qualities must the milk replacer have?
Not smell and remain in suspension
What weight of milk replacer must a calf get per day?
600g/day in a 12.5% solution
How can nutritional scour become a welfare issue?
Can cause skin irritation and fur loss
How can you treat joint ill?
Antibiotics and flushing
What’s a problem with a cow that becomes chronically joint ill?
Permanently lame so lose any profit
Which kind of stock are the biggest source of pathogens?
Older
What are phenols like as disinfectants?
Nasty, but good penetrating power
What is hypochlorite like as a disinfectant?
Good spectrum, but inactivated as diluted
What is quaternary ammonium like as a disinfectant?
Easily inactivated
What is formaldehyde like as a disinfectant?
Slow and difficult to use
Which kind of surfaces are easier to clean?
Painted
What accumulates in the mammary gland in the 3-5 weeks before parturition?
IgG1
Which IgG is not sequestered in the mammary gland?
IgG2
What happens to serum IgG1 in the 2-3 weeks before parturition?
Drops by 50%
Why does a calf not digest all the Ig?
pH doesn’t fall as low so there is less activation of proteolytic enzymes
After what point is it no use giving colostrum?
2 days
