When it comes to scour, you can’t beat milk
Milk is the best source of energy and fluid replacement for scouring calves and lambs and stopping milk has been shown to have no impact on the resolution of scour. In fact, calves left on milk during scour can continue to gain weight.
Milk doesn’t just help during scour though – its benefits can be felt before and after scour too.
Together we are helping farmers tackle scour
Scour can present a big problem for farmers, providing a double hit of reduced weight gain and deaths during an outbreak but also impacting the production prospects of surviving animals.
Understanding why and how scour happens is important to make sure that the right approach is being used to tackle it, ensuring losses are minimised now and into the future.
The man-hours and financial burden of scour can be hugely frustrating
Sophie Bridges, Beef and Sheep Farmer, North Yorkshire
Andrea Debenham milks 400 Friesians on the family farm in Beccles, Suffolk.
Andrea Debenham, Dairy farmer, Beccles, Suffolk
Simon Wells milks 270 Holstein Friesians on the fourth-generation family farm near Bath, Somerset.
Simon Wells, Dairy Farmer, Bath, Somerset
Why does milk matter to scouring calves and lambs?
Milk matters before scour
Adequate colostrum intake is hugely important for preventing scour
- Calves should receive 4 litres or 10% of bodyweight (equivalent to ~20 mins continuous sucking from dam) within the first 4 (preferably 2) hours of birth. A further 2 litres should be received within 12 hours of birth.
- Lambs should receive 210-290ml/kg body weight within 24 hours of birth. The first feed should be within 2 hours of birth.
Milk matters during scour
Milk:
- Is the best energy source for weight gain
- Provides fluids
- Contains the building blocks (glutamine) for gut repair
- Contains immunoglobulins to help build immunity against disease
- Has antimicrobial effects
- Maintains abomasal pH levels for optimal digestion
Milk matters after scour
Unrestricted milk feeding during the early months of life has been shown to:
- Increase average daily weight gain across the period until weaning and therefore increase bodyweight at weaning1
- Reduce the age at first calving*
- Stimulate mammary gland development2
- Increase yield in first lactation3
Let us help you make Milk Matter against scour on your farm
Understanding the deadly nature of dehydration and acidosis is key to choosing the right approach to tackling scour. Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) is essential to correct the dehydration and acidosis that scour causes, giving the animal the best chance to recover and maintain weight. Rehydion allows continued milk feeding during scour, so you can make Milk Matter.
Make Milk Matter by getting involved
Contact an advisor / Get involved
Want to know more about how to make Milk Matter on your farm, or do you have a story to share? Get in touch.