How this DairyBeef 500 farmer turned the tide on pneumonia
Since developing a calf to beef system on his farm in Castledermot, Co. Kildare, Peter Byrne has encountered issues with pneumonia during the calf rearing phase.
Fergal Maguire, Teagasc DairyBeef 500 Advisor to the farm, explores the strategies Peter has implemented to limit the impact of this costly disease.
Pneumonia is probably the most common health problem affecting young bought in calves on dairy beef farms. Approximately 3% of calves born annually die from pneumonia in the first 12 weeks of life.
Thankfully, Peter has got on top of the problem in recent years. However, as pneumonia is often referred to as a multifactorial disease, there was no single solution to reducing the level of pneumonia on the farm. Instead, a suite of different practices and measures were implemented to minimise infectious pressure and to maximise the immunity of the calf.
Calf shed adjustments
Similar to many dairy calf to beef farms, Peter’s calf shed is not a purpose-built shed. The shed itself is a simple lean-to style, with the open side facing a southerly direction. Peter used to strategically locate big square bales of straw in front of the opening to block the wind. By doing this, however, Peter was actually creating down draughts in the shed.
On days when it was misty and cold, Peter would notice a big increase in the incidence of pneumonia. Through a consultation with a vet, Peter was informed that the cold air moving over the bales, dropping from a height, before moving to floor level where the calves were lying.
It was then decided to remove the bales at the front of the shed and install gale breakers. The gale breakers allow air into the shed, but also serve to reduce the speed of the air moving into the calf shed during windy periods.
During the consultation, the vet also believed that there was excess air movement at ground level due to the shed being so wide. Stockboard was recommended to be installed on all internal gates and penning. Since Peter put up the gale breakers and installed the stockboard, he has noticed that the calves are a lot more comfortable and happy during periods of poor weather conditions.
Further ventilation improvements
Even though the incidence of pneumonia had reduced, Peter felt there were issues with ventilation in the shed. He would notice that the shed would become stuffy during warm, calm periods later in the spring.
On the back and side of the shed, standard galvanised sheeting was in place with no ventilation inlets. After visiting a few farms that had constructed new calf sheds, he liked the idea of Yorkshire boarding. Peter took down the side sheeting and installed Yorkshire boarding. Yorkshire board has two staggered lines of vertical timber, so it reduces air speed, water entry and the likelihood of draughts, while at the same time allowing air to pass through the shed.
Changes to purchasing strategy
Since Peter joined the Teagasc programme, the number of sources from which calves are purchased has reduced significantly. For the 2024 season, Peter is now sourcing his calves from four local dairy farms. Previous to this, the calves were coming from over 10 different source farms.
The disease risk is heightened when purchasing from multiple sources and Peter believes that sourcing locally has greatly improved the health of the calves. Peter will only deal with farmers who ensure their calves have received adequate colostrum and are reared to a high standard while on their farm of origin.
Herd health plan
Finally, Peter developed a herd health plan with his local vet. As part of the plan, the use of vaccinations to protect the calf from different infectious agents recommended. Now, Peter administers an intranasal vaccine for IBR and pneumonia two days after the calves arrive on the farm. He avoids administering the vaccine if the calves are anyway stressed, as this will reduce the effectiveness of the vaccine. While Peter is a strong advocate of vaccines to prevent pneumonia in calves, he believes having the housing right and a healthy calf to begin are key to keeping calves healthy.
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Also read: What do dairy-beef farmers want in potential calves?