Water Supply

Before starting calves, take a water sample to your local lab and have it checked for bacteria, nitrates, iron sodium and ph. Water left in a storage tank between calf crops can become a prim source for bacteria that cause scouring. This is a prime place for bacteria to grow and cause scouring. Feeding temperature should not be lowered during the summer months, instead provide cool water 2 hours after feeding.

Scour problems

A scouring calf should be taken off milk replacer immediately and given Electrolyte solution and sufficient water to prevent dehydration.

Animal Health

Walk through calves before and after every feeding to find problematic calves and decide treatment.  Always mix medication and vitamins to milk replacer when solution is at feeding temperature. Hot water can denature vitamins & destroy some medications.

Mixing

Mix your feed for at least 3-5 minutes – a timer should be used.  To properly mix fats in water, mix milk replacer at 65ºC or greater. This should be the temperature after the milk replacer powder has been added. A good thermometer is a worth while investment. The most important factor in fat digestion and maximum growth is good fat dispersion in the mix.

Housing

Check the conditions of the stall daily. Look for broken and missing floor boards. A high pressure sprayer should not be used to clean the floors in the rooms when calves are less than four weeks old.