prevent calf scour

Provita products help reduce scour in newborn calves

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In spring 2017 Cavan Johnson who is a dairy farmer in Co Down struggled to control calf scour.  His veterinarian at Downe Veterinary Clinic contacted Provita to help investigate this case.

Provita recommended that Cavan only used fresh or instantly refrigerated colostrum and give every calf Provita Protect, the only medicinally licensed probiotic for the prevention of calf scour and Provita Calf Colostrum powder 300g.  He began this protocol towards the end of calving with good results visible so he continued for this calving season to help suppress the build-up of pathogens. Cavan will give all calves Protect and Provita Calf Colostrum first, the cow’s own colostrum is given in the second feed, and this is especially convenient at night when around 50% of his cows calve. Provita products and protocols help to protect calves during this high-risk period, giving more protection, which enables it to overcome this risk period and develop a stronger active immunity.

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Provita Protect and Calf Colostrum prevents calf scour

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In spring 2017 Cavan Johnson who is a dairy farmer in Co Down struggled to control calf scour.  His veterinarian at Downe Veterinary Clinic contacted Provita to help investigate this case.

Provita visited the farm and assessed all aspects of current calf health management finding that hygiene was good, cows were vaccinated and calves were getting plenty of colostrum soon after birth.  Colostrum quality was assessed and found to be variable but acceptable in most cases.  Provita’s Tommy Armstrong therefore concluded that the colostrum hygiene should be tested.  Results showed that the colostrum itself was too high in bacteria and it represented a hygiene risk to the calves. At best, the colostrum antibodies were being used up fighting the bacteria it was introducing itself!  Indeed a recent survey in Northern Ireland by AFBI reported that some colostrum contained up to 17,000,000 cfu/ml of bacteria.  Provita in-house testing shows that both leaving colostrum at ambient temperature and thawing it out after freezing stimulates bacterial growth.

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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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Protecting the future of our cattle

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It is critical when rearing cattle that we give calves the best possible start in life. Provita Protect POM-VPS is the only veterinary licensed probiotic in Europe, and is trusted by farmers across Northern Ireland and further afield to prevent calf scour.

In Drumquin, Co Tyrone, Raymond Smith has used Protect for the past seven years. He ensures that he always has a few bottles on hand during calving periods, as he knows it is important to use the product as soon after birth as possible.

Provita’s Tommy Armstrong paid a visit to the family farm recently and from arrival it was clear that the family’s love and care for their livestock has filtered through the generations, and that good farm practice is held very highly. Raymond’s grandson spoke of his love for all things farming and in particular getting to help his grandfather on the farm.

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Provita Protect at the heart of successful calf rearing business

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Father and son team Peter and Ciaran Kerr run a successful calf rearing business on the family’s Lurgan farm. The enterprise is focussed on the sourcing of top quality cross bred calves directly from dairy farmers, with whom they have built up a close working relationship. The animals are then sold-on in batches to customers, many of whom are repeat clients.

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Bridging the immunity gap in young calves

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Diarrhoea (scours) is the most common disease problem in the young unweaned calf. It is estimated that it affects in varying degrees over a third of all calves during their rearing period and is responsible for about half of all British calf deaths. Problems arise in all types of cattle husbandry systems. (MDC & NADIS)

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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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