I have a two week old Charlois heifer that I am bottle feeding goats milk. I noticed this morning that she had blood streaks in her poop. This just started this morning and if it's coccidiosis I want to treat as soon as possible. I am assuming that it is cocciciosis. How do you treat your baby calves for this. Thanks

-- sherry in Arkansas (chickadee259@yahoo.com), March 12, 2002

Answers

Albon or Sulmet is what I've used on goats.I think it is used for cattle also. My goats seemed to have gotten it from chickens going in the same area as them, possibly contminating their drinking water.It's good practice to keep poultry away from goats and cattle

-- SM Steve (unreal@msn.com), March 12, 2002.

Hi there There are many species of cocci. A calf with a bit of blood in its normal consistency motion can be an isolated incident and not a concern. Cocci is observed in calves 3 weeks and older, usually following stress, poor sanitation, overcrowding or sudden changes in feed. It often occurs in calves 7-14 days after they are moved from the calving lots onto pasture. You don't mention scours so either haven't got a problem or have got it early in which case amprolium is the preventative used here in New Zealand. cheers Karen

-- kiwikaren (fp116@ihug.co.nz), March 12, 2002.

Coccidiosis in calves is characterized by gray, loose manure. Not running, but pasty. Relatively normal looking except for the colour. A blood streak is probably not much of anything if the manure is normal otherwise.

-- Jennifer L. (Northern NYS) (jlance@nospammail.com), March 12, 2002.

Used to have this problem big time. By the time you notice it it's really late to do anything. Even pieces of the gut would be mixed in with the manure. So now I buy a 10 pound bag of Decoxx and toss a big pinch in the calfs bottle once a day from the start. Results--- no more problems. Been doing this for years and not one case. It nips it in the bud before it gets started. Bag of Decoxx from feed store is less than 10 dollars. It's a feed additive to prevent problem in cattle eating grain, but works on non ruminating cattle also.

-- Don (dairyagri@yahoo.com), March 12, 2002.

Don's answer is right on. Deccox can also be purchased from pipevet.com or jefferslivestock.com, you can use your sulmet, sulfas or Corid (amprolium) exactly the same way, preventative in the bottles. Sulfa's have the added bonus of bacterial pnemonia and some other preventions and treatments in it also. Lifecycle to the harmful cocci is 21 days, so it is unlikely that you have this problem in 2 week old calves, but we do start our kids on sulfa before they turn 3 weeks. Also cocci is species specific and though your hens can carry it on their feet, just like we can with dirty boots from one pen to another, fowl cocci can not infect ruminents and vice versa. Vicki

-- Vicki McGaugh TX (vickilonesomedoe@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002.

Around here, Corid is used for coccidiosis, put in the drinking water for 5 days. The scours stop before 5 days, but the product should be used for the full time. Instructions are on the container.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2222@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002.