calf scour prevention

Club Secretary of Spa YFC happy with Provita products

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Hannah Shaw, Club Secretary of Spa YFC was recently selected for a YFCU Exchange in Norway. Provita sponsored her t-shirts for the trip.

Hannah has bought and reared her own calves for the past four years on the family farm, whose overall work ethic is to ensure that their animals are as healthy and thriving as well as possible. Part of the farm’s animal health programme is to use Provita Protect for newly born or bought-in calves. Provita Protect is the only medicinally licensed probiotic (POM-VPS) for the prevention of calf scour. Calves fed milk replacer also get Provita WD Ruminant feed additive to boost the rumen development to further prevent any upsets and use the milk nutrients efficiently to help thrift. Hannah and the Shaw family use Provita Promist to fog sheds when cattle groups are housed over the autumn period. The results were very noticeable in 2017 when mixing various batches of cattle in the same air space as no groups developed acute coughs or any respiratory distress upon housing.  The respiratory health in bought-in calves has been greatly improved with use of Provita Promist and they will continue to use it as best practice during 2018. The Shaw family have recently started using Provita Combat hoof and wound spray after they dehorn calves. This protects the wound from infection, helps it to heal quickly and seals it nicely to stop any bleeds when calves accidentally hit that area.

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Provita Protect: Tried and Trusted

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Recent on-farm tests for clients referred to Provita by veterinarians in Northern Ireland have discovered very high levels of harmful bacteria in colostrum that has been frozen and then thawed in warm water. Only colostrum that was kept in hygienic conditions or pasteurised and then either fed straightaway or, refrigerated and then fed had microbial loads that would be considered hygienic enough to feed to newborn animals. The management of natural colostrum needs to be improved on these farms to gain the full benefit of colostrum and any vaccinations used. Indeed, the levels of bacteria seen in the colostrum on these farms would be a health risk.

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Provita Protect helps reduce calf scour

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Many farmers across Northern Ireland are turning to local animal health manufacturers Provita Protect POM-VPS to help reduce calf scour.

Calf scour stubbornly remains the number one cause of death in calves under 1 month of age. Along with good management and good hygiene Provita Protect will help reduce calve scour. Beds must be dry and draft free, they should pass the knee drop test, i.e. knee should still be dry after you drop down onto the straw bed. Calves should be fed enough colostrum as soon as possible after birth, ideally 2 litres within the first 15 minutes after birth, plus a further 2 litres 2 hours later. Care must be taken when freezing and thawing out colostrum as harmful bacteria can grow to very high levels if it’s left lying around for more than 1 hour. Equally thawing out at too high a temperature will destroy the proteins, if thawing out too slowly this can create very high levels of harmful bacteria in the colostrum. It is best fed fresh or stored in a fridge and used within a few days. Alternatively a powdered colostrum substitute can be used such as Provita colostrum concentrate, it will work through several modes of action including energy, probiotic, egg powder, natural colostrum, minerals and vitamins.

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Archie’s Limousins looking forward to another good year in 2017

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These are exciting times for the Mc Kenna family, owners of the Archie’s Limousin herd. Fast increasing sale prices in tandem with a recognised commitment to artificial insemination and embryo technology is ensuring the Bellaghy-based operation is starting to catch the eye of both pedigree and commercial cattle breeders within Northern Ireland and beyond.

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Don’t forget to use ‘Protect’ on bought-in dropped calves

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George Shaw farms on the outskirts of Castlewellan in Co Down. The business is home to a small herd of spring calving suckler cows plus a number of bought in cattle.

“There will be around 75 head on the farm at any one time,” he said.

“It is policy to buy-in 30 Continental-cross dropped calves during the autumn period. These are then kept on through to their second year. The most recent acquisition in this regard is a group of choice Belgian Blue calves. We are delighted with the progress they are making. They are doing well. But obviously, they cost a lot of money and every step must be taken to ensure that they continue to thrive.”

He added:

“It is critical for calves to get the best possible start.”

“I will make sure that each calf born to our own suckler cows gets plenty of colostrum during those first critical hours of life. Thereafter, every step is taken to ensure that the calf’s nutritional requirements are met in full. And this includes administering Provita Protect.

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‘Protect’ consistently prevents scour related problems in large suckler herd

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One direct impact of this year’s poor grazing season and the subsequent fall-off in silage quality has been the deterioration in the quality of colostrum produced by cows. This, in turn, will reduce the newborns’ ability to fight off disease.

One way of ensuring that all newborn calves get the required immunity booster they need is to administer Provita Protect, the first and only probiotic licensed for the treatment of scours in the UK 

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Provita Protect – bringing scour control on new levels on Co Armagh farm

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It would take only the briefest of stop-overs for any visitor to conclude that Philip Kelly, from Markethill in Co Armagh, rears his calves well. The bespoke calving house on the farm features well designed single and group pens while the air quality in the house is excellent. One is also struck by the large amounts of clean dry straw used on the farm, guaranteeing the calves a comfortable and hygienic bed.

Philip milks 75 Ayrshire cows, which he has been breeding up to full pedigree status over the last twenty years. His Brackley herd is calving the year round with a current breeding focus on improving milk quality and cow longevity.

“It is critical for calves to get the best possible start,” Philip confirmed.

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Calf Scour Prevented

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Stephen Glenn milks 200 cows with his brother Philip and father Leslie near Carryduff in Co Down. Calving takes the place the year around, apart from the months of June and July. Up to three years ago the family would have had trouble with young calves and, in particular, an issue with scours when they were put on to powdered milk, after having received colostrum.

“We were advised to dose the calves with the probiotic product Provita Protect, Stephen explained.

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Stop scour bug build up before it starts

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Recent, independent research has confirmed just how exposed newborn calves are to picking up disease. For example, on average, it will take a young calf up to three and a half hours to get its first suck. And before it even finds its mother’s teat, it may well have already sucked her tail, leg and other body parts. As a result, the young calf will ingest large number of bugs – Salmonella, E Coli etc – before it receives one drop of colostrum.

Provita’s Tommy Armstrong takes up the story:

“It is crucially important for a young calf to get colostrum as soon as possible after birth,” he explained

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Focus on ‘Protect’ at Connon Farm Merchants

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February 8th, Provita’s Tommy Armstrong will be in attendance at Connon Farm Merchants to discuss with customers the absolute necessity of giving newborn calves the best possible start and, in this context, the valuable role that can be played by Provita ‘Protect’ One direct impact of last year’s poor grazing season and the subsequent fall-off … Read more