Topic: Calf Care: Scours & Electrolyte Selection
Author: Ben Bennett, DVM
In last month’s newsletter, I covered the first topic of a two-part, calf care newsletter series. In that newsletter, I covered the importance of proper selection and use of colostrum replacers on your ranch. Now, in this second, calf care newsletter, I am going to focus on scours; one particular way that people have successfully prevented it and proper electrolyte selection if it does occur. Again, with so many different products on the market, it can be difficult to know which supplement is best for your calves. As with the last newsletter, if you learn nothing else, just know that NOT ALL ELECTROLYTE SUPPLEMENTS ARE CREATED EQUAL!
In an ideal world, there would never be a need for electrolyte supplementation on your ranch. If everything worked out perfectly, then the colostrum that the cow provides to the calf would provide a high level of immunity that protects the calf in every situation. Unfortunately though, we do not live in that perfect world. In this world, scours in young calves is a very real issue and is often considered the costliest disease to the cow-calf sector of the beef industry. [READ MORE]