Calf hydration management is one of the most critical and often overlooked components of successful calf raising. In the first weeks of life, calves are highly susceptible to fluid imbalance caused by environmental stress, management transitions and gastrointestinal illness.

A calf’s gut is a blank slate at birth, but bacterial microbes quickly establish themselves within the first weeks of life. During this narrow window, the calf’s gastrointestinal (GI) tract is rapidly colonized by bacteria from equipment, colostrum and bedding – both beneficial as well as harmful.

Working alongside external mitigation, nutrition interventions can help to reduce the impact of heat stress. Together, they help keep internal processes balanced and alleviate some of the stress from higher heat and humidity.

As calving season progresses, we hear of miracle remedies that will get an unthrifty calf up to snuff in no time. Whether oral or injectable, it’s good to understand what the active ingredient in the “cocktail” is that may – or may not – give the calf a boost.

Combating the pathogen that causes scours, providing for the calf's physiological demands (hydration, energy and acid/base balance) and restoring intestinal health are the three main objectives of calf scours therapy.

Neonatal diarrhea, or calf scours, is one of the costliest diseases in the cattle business and is responsible for more mortalities in calves under 1 month old than any other disease.

There are a few things you as a producer can do to help increase the odds that your calves will overcome calfhood diarrhea.