There are several management, environmental, and physiologic factors that can affect young calves. This class will focus on several common, major health problems the preweaned calf can have, such as scours and pneumonia. We'll examine how you can detect and treat these diseases, and, most importantly, how you can prevent against them. Scours, or diarrhea, usually develops during the first month of a calf's life is the most common cause of calf sickness and death.
Scours is a symptom, possibly indicating the presence of harmful bacteria, viruses, and protozoa.
It can also indicate environmental stresses and feeding errors. Salmonella usually strikes calves that are two weeks old or older, however, it has been found in calves as young as three days of age. Cryprtsporidia can strike any time from the calf's sixth day until the calf is four weeks old. Coronavirus and rotavirus usually affect calves between five days old and two weeks old. Scours can be a deadly killer of calves because water, electrolytes, sugars, and amino acids that the calf needs are passed out of the calf's body as wet feces.