Calf on the prairie -- LNN

By Dori Modney

As calving season approaches, plan now to protect you investment

Jan 17, 2022 | 5:13 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB. — As ranchers and producers approach calving season on the prairies, the Beef Cattle Research Council (BCRC) has published several articles in the past week that deal with calving issues.

One such article, “Protect your investment” has been written by BCRC Science Director, Dr. Reynold Bergen. The article notes that producer surveys show five to eight per cent of calves die before weaning.

At a time when producers sold off some of their herd in the fall and are struggling to maintain a ‘mother herd’ during a time of high winter feed costs, lost calves will mean lost investment. Bergen’s article points out that scours and respiratory disease are two leading causes of preventable disease and death in young calves.

Calves rely on antibodies from the cow’s colostrum to fight off common pathogens. If the cow herd is well-vaccinated and well-fed, and if calves consume adequate amounts of high-quality colostrum within the first few hours of life, maternal antibody levels can remain high for several months.

However, maternal antibodies can interfere with injectable vaccines. There are solutions, which are outlined in Bergen’s article.

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Another BCRC article “Calf 911 – “The Ins and Outs of Esophageal Feeding”, covers another calving issue. It is not a process that will be required with all calves but, it can be critical for calves that lack vigor or suckling problems.

Esophageal feeding, also known as “tube feeding” or “stomach feeding,” is critical when a calf requires colostrum or if you are treating dehydration in a sick calf.

The article provides tips on proper tube feeding and a video on the process.

For more information, visit our Calving and Calf Management webpage.