The best way to prevent calf scours is through management practices. These management practices consist of:
1. Have cows calve on clean, uncrowded (no more than four cows per acre) pasture with shelter that protects them from the wind.
2. Calve replacement heifers in their own pasture (no cows).
3. Rotate hay feeding areas to prevent buildup of pathogenic organisms.
4. Administer colostrum milked from dam to any calf (via esophageal feeder) that requires assistance in delivery.
5. Do not use wintering grounds as calving grounds.
6. Periodically move all cows that have not calved to a new calving pasture.
7. Separate calves that develop diarrhea and their dams from the herd.
Proper herd nutrition, especially correction of trace mineral deficiencies (copper, selenium, or zinc), is also important in reducing the incidence of calf scours. Vaccination of dams in the last two months of pregnancy can also help, but management is more effective in the prevention of calf diarrhea.
