Page 38 - MWC 2-2-2023s

The Midwest Cattleman · February 2, 2023 · P38
Use Calving Pasture Rotation to Prevent Disease Spread

By Lisa Moser, K-State Research and Extension news service
As cows begin calving, born calves, said Bob Larson, old enough
K-State experts advise K-State veterinarian. to be co-min-
moving the pregnant cows “A newborn calf’s worst gled with the
to new pastures every few enemy from a germ stand- others in the
weeks to reduce disease point is a calf that is a few herd, accord-
spread among the new- weeks old because those older ing to veteri-
borns. calves shed more germs that narian Brian
The old saying that “an cause scours,” Larson said. Lubbers.
ounce of prevention is worth To reduce the exposure be- “This al-
a pound of cure” is one that tween newborns and calves lows the
commonly refers to the im- that are few weeks old, Lar- calves to be
portance of reducing the risk son and the other experts born on the
for disease spread. recommend following the cleanest pas-
And in the case of beef Sandhills Calving System tures, and
cattle scours, where cows that was developed through then once a
calve has a lot to do with University of Nebraska re- certain per-
how well the newborns can search done years ago in the centage of the herd has mission, so by having a fence
stay healthy in the first few Sandhills. calved, those cows that are between the calving groups,
weeks of life, say the experts “The Sandhills Calving still pregnant move to a new most of the risk for scours
at Kansas State University’s System is one of the most im- pasture,” Lubbers said. passing through the groups
Beef Cattle Institute. pactful interventions that we Larson said the goal of each of calves is minimal.
Veterinary experts out- have for calf scours,” Larson herd following this system Regarding the timing of
lined how calf diarrhea, also said. would be to move the preg- bringing all the spring calves
known as scours, can be a In this system, cows that nant cows away from cows together in the same pasture
serious issue in newborn are heavy in their pregnancy that have already calved at with their dams, the veter-
calves but one that can be are moved to new pastures least three times from the inarians agreed that when
minimized by rotating the every 2-3 weeks, and once start to the end of the calving the youngest calves are six
pastures where the cows they calve, they stay in the season. weeks of age the greatest risk
calve. Scours can lead to de- same pastures where they “After cows have been calv- from scours is passed and it
hydration and death in new- gave birth until the calves are ing for two or three weeks, is safe to bring the herd to-
move the pregnant cows to gether again.
a new pasture and do that “Make sure the last pas-
again after the next two to ture they go to as a group
three weeks of calving,” Lar- is not one that was used for
son said. calving earlier in the season
Lubbers added that the so that they are all being
bacteria and viruses that moved to a clean pasture,”
cause scours are spread Lubbers said.
through fecal to oral trans-

DON’T LET University Extension recom-
continued from page 38 mends that producers con-
sider management practices
similar and designed to meet for your operation that allow
the animal’s maintenance re- your cattle a place to es-
quirements. After the study, cape from muddy conditions
cows in unbedded pens were and lie down in a cleaner
82 pounds lighter and heifers and drier environment. Cat-
in unbedded pens were 96 tle forced to deal with mud
pounds lighter than bedded have increased net energy
cows and heifers. This loss demands to maintain and in-
in body weight for cows and crease their body weight. The
heifers that were housed in energy demands are likely to
muddy unbedded pens cor- increase with the increasing
responds to an increased en- severity of muddy conditions,
ergy demand of 3.9 and 4.3 as well as other weather-re-
megacalories/day, respective- lated factors such as low
ly. While the energy demands temperatures, rain, snow,
of a pregnant cow increases and wind. If cattle are unable
6.5 megacalories/day from to escape muddy conditions
the initiation of gestation to on your operation, consider
calving, mud may increase supplying additional ener-
the energy demands of the gy in the diet to compensate
cow even further if subjected for the increased energy de-
to muddy pen conditions. mands from mud.
Managing mud can be a
challenge. Michigan State