Winter Calves: Improving Survival Rates
Published on: 5/15/2025Key Takeaways
- Cold weather increases stress on newborn calves, making them more vulnerable to disease and mortality. Strong prevention starts with the cow through proper maternal scour vaccinations that boost colostrum immunity.
- Quickly warming chilled calves and ensuring they receive adequate high-quality colostrum supports immune function and helps protect against early-life disease challenges.
- Antibody products and respiratory vaccines can provide added protection while the calf’s own immune system is still developing.
- Bacterial scours may require sulfas or antibodies, while crytosporidiosis demands strict sanitation because it spreads rapidly and resists treatment.
- Clean, dry calving environments and avoiding cross-fostering help reduce exposure to harmful pathogens during harsh winter conditions.
Cold weather is stressful for calves and makes them more vulnerable to sickness and mortality. Give calves the right start to improve survival rates.
Maternal Scour Protection
Since the cow provides protection via the colostrum, prevention should start with her. When pregnant cows are vaccinated against bacterial and viral pathogens like E. coli, Rotavirus and Coronavirus, they pass along the protection to calves through their colostrum.
Prevent Hypothermia
Warm calves quickly after birth to restore core body temperatures.
Colostrum
It’s important that the calf received adequate colostrum to achieve passive transfer of immunity from disease. Supplementation may be desirable, especially during inclement weather, which can increase pathogen load and weaken the calf’s immune system.
Antibodies
Provide some scour protection until the immune system is functional.
Respiratory Protection
Against respiratory diseases IBR, BVD, PI3, BRSV and Mannheimia haemolytica (pasteurella).
Antibiotics
Sulfus and antibiotics are indicated for scours caused by bacterial infection.
Cryptosporidiosis
Causes scours that is resistant to treatment and can quickly spread through a high percentage of the calf crop; avoid buying calves to cross-foster, as this is the usual source of the organism. Clean, dry calving areas also help prevent infection.
