Last week, Ciarán talked about the importance of thrive during the first six months of a dairy heifer's life.
Good performance here means better initial fertility and better overall longevity in our herd.
Vet's view
A common parasite on most farms, many will not consider coccidiosis a thrive-reducer, rather a cause of bloody scour.
However, here in the second video of our series, Glanbia Technical Vet Adviser Joris Somers outlines how coccidiosis has a significant negative effect on thrive across full groups of heifers, even if only a small number of animals are exhibiting the classic blood scour symptoms.
Joris explains how calves' immune systems work hard to keep coccidiosis symptoms at bay and typically succeed in doing so. However, this immune response comes at a significant energy cost - pulling nutrients out of the system. This is energy that would ideally have been used to gain weight, but instead was diverted to the immune system.
"Research has shown that across a group of infected calves it will affect thrive by about 19%," Joris explains.
Joris adds than when coccidiosis hits a group, the weaker calves will be the ones that exhibit symptoms. For example, calves that didn't receive adequate colostrum or calves that lay in a draughty corner.
Group
"They might have the bloody scour, but you have to assume that the others in the group are affected as well," Joris pointed out.
Coccidiosis management involves keeping burdens at a level that will stimulate the animal's natural immunity, without overwhelming weaker animals. Often this isn't feasible in commercial farm settings, so drenches like Dycoxan can be used to eradicate coccidia from the animal.
"When using coccidiostats, it's not just about focusing on the calf that is sick, but on all the animals in the group. All will need a treatment," Joris says.
Somers advised to dose calves two weeks after first exposure to the parasite - this prevents clinical issues and allows exposure to stimulate immunity.
As well as Dycoxan, clinically affected (scouring) animals should be given supportive rehydration therapy.
Keep learning
Last week, Ciarán talked about the importance of thrive during the first six months of a dairy heifer's life.
Good performance here means better initial fertility and better overall longevity in our herd.
Vet's view
A common parasite on most farms, many will not consider coccidiosis a thrive-reducer, rather a cause of bloody scour.
However, here in the second video of our series, Vet Adviser Joris Somers outlines how coccidiosis has a significant negative effect on thrive across full groups of heifers, even if only a small number of animals are exhibiting the classic blood scour symptoms.
Joris explains how calves' immune systems work hard to keep coccidiosis symptoms at bay and typically succeed in doing so. However, this immune response comes at a significant energy cost - pulling nutrients out of the system. This is energy that would ideally have been used to gain weight, but instead was diverted to the immune system.
"Research has shown that across a group of infected calves it will affect thrive by about 19%," Joris explains.
Joris adds than when coccidiosis hits a group, the weaker calves will be the ones that exhibit symptoms. For example, calves that didn't receive adequate colostrum or calves that lay in a draughty corner.
Group
"They might have the bloody scour, but you have to assume that the others in the group are affected as well," Joris pointed out.
Coccidiosis management involves keeping burdens at a level that will stimulate the animal's natural immunity, without overwhelming weaker animals. Often this isn't feasible in commercial farm settings, so drenches like Dycoxan can be used to eradicate coccidia from the animal.
"When using coccidiostats, it's not just about focusing on the calf that is sick, but on all the animals in the group. All will need a treatment," Joris says.
Somers advised to dose calves two weeks after first exposure to the parasite - this prevents clinical issues and allows exposure to stimulate immunity.
As well as Dycoxan, clinically affected (scouring) animals should be given supportive rehydration therapy.
Keep learning