Risk Assessment and Strategic Management for the Reduced Incidence of Neonatal Calf Diarrhea

Abstract

Risk factors associated with calf diarrhea were identified and management strategies were developed to reduce their impact on the incidence of disease. 541 cows were bred to calve. Between March 3 and May 15, 1998. A field investigation checklist was utilized to assess the risk factors in the herd for this year. Risk factors identified were: parity, different origin of the groups of cattle, weather, poor body condition score and intensity of calving. These cattle were 46% first calf heifers, and the remainder were mature cows. The first calf heifers were from 5 different sources, and the mature cows were from the Iowa State University (ISU) Rhodes farm. The groups had never been commingled.

Body condition scores of the cattle averaged below 5, and there was a high maintenance requirement because of muddy conditions and frequent wet hair coats due to continuing cold rains. The first 195 cows were due to calve in a total of 30 days, and 200 of the heifers were bred to calve in 26 days. Procedures were developed to allow a one-way flow of the cow/calf pairs through calving areas to reduce contact of the calves with possible large numbers of pathogens and separate first-parity heifers from the mature cows.