An overview of calf diarrhea - infectious etiology, diagnosis, and intervention

Cho, Yong-il; Yoon, Kyoung-Jin

Cow nutrition is closely associated with weak labor, amount of milk production, dystocia, and calf growth. Inadequate feed intake and macro-or micro-nutrient deficiencies during the last trimester increase calf morbidity and mortality rates because most fetal growth occurs during last 2 months of gestation [89, 90] . The quality and quantity of colostrum is associated with body condition score (BCS). A BCS near 5 (on a scale of 1∼10) is acceptable for multiparous cows and a score of 6 for primiparous cows at calving is desirable [70] . Recently, cow nutrition has been shown to impact the transition of the calf into adult life as well as fetal growth and development [48] . Calves born to underfed cows have poor growth performance, low productivity, and higher susceptibility to disease. In another study, heifer calves born to cows fed supplemental protein during the last trimester were found to have greater pregnancy performance later in life compared to the control group [83] .