Summer is usually a calm time for beef producers. Calving is done, breeding is in progress, and weaning is still a few months away. Your cows are happily grazing on pasture. But sometimes, out of nowhere, calf pneumonia can strike, leaving you with many questions.
What is Calf Pneumonia?
Pneumonia in nursing calves is an unpredictable and serious respiratory disease in pre-weaned calves on pasture. Often, the first sign of this illness is a severely ill or even deceased calf, making it crucial for producers to understand the underlying causes and symptoms.
What Causes Calf Pneumonia?
The exact cause of summer pneumonia isn’t fully understood, but experts have found some common factors that may increase the risk:
Poor Mineral Nutrition: If cows and calves don’t get enough essential minerals, their immune systems can weaken, making them more vulnerable to illness.
Weakened Immunity: After calves lose the protection from their mother’s colostrum (the first milk), their own immune system takes over, but it might not be strong enough to fight off infections yet.
Hot and Dusty Conditions: Late summer heat and dust can irritate the lungs of calves, weakening their natural defenses and making them more likely to catch viruses.
Temperature Changes: Fluctuations in temperature can stress calves, lowering their resistance to disease.
New Calves in the Herd: Introducing older calves to the herd can bring in new viruses that younger calves aren’t ready to handle.
Dr. Jeff Hill, a ruminant nutritionist at Ralco, describes summer pneumonia as "the canary in the coal mine." Just as canaries warned miners of danger, calves showing signs of pneumonia might be signaling a deeper problem, like poor nutrition or mineral deficiencies.
What Are the Symptoms of Pneumonia in Calves?
Summer pneumonia symptoms usually show up when calves are between three weeks and five months old. Look out for:
Breathing difficulties
High fevers
Droopy ears
Sluggish behavior
Difficulty keeping up with the herd
How Proper Mineral Nutrition Can Help Prevent Summer Pneumonia
In the past, if a producer experienced summer pneumonia, vets might recommend increasing copper in the calves’ diet. However, Dr. Hill warns that this approach is just a temporary fix and could do more harm than good.
Minerals like zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) need to be carefully balanced and properly sourced. Here’s why:
Impact on the Rumen: If Zn and Cu are not properly sourced, they can interfere with the beneficial microbes in the rumen due to their antimicrobial properties. These microbes are essential for breaking down feed and forage, so disrupting them can hinder digestion and overall health.
Absorption Competition: Zn and Cu also compete for absorption in the body, so if one is too high, it can block the other. This imbalance can lead to deficiencies.
Simply increasing the amount of copper in the diet isn’t enough. Instead, you need to ensure that both Zn and Cu are present in the right forms and balanced properly. Also, other elements like molybdenum (Mo), iron (Fe), and sulfur (S) can interfere with copper absorption, so it’s often better to switch to a mineral source that can’t be blocked.
The key to preventing summer pneumonia and other mineral-related issues is not just adding more minerals but choosing the right source and balancing them correctly for your herd’s specific needs.
When a mineral is balanced correctly, it can provide the immune support calves and cows require to protect themselves against viruses that cause pneumonia. When mineral nutrition is lacking or deficient, immunity is compromised and calves get sick quickly – just like the canary in the coal mine, summer pneumonia in calves is a sign of an underlying trace mineral problem in the whole herd.
What to Do If You Suspect Pneumonia
If you notice signs of pneumonia in your calves, contact your veterinarian immediately. Early treatment with antibiotics and anti-inflammatories can be very effective. Afterward, it’s a good idea to consult with a ruminant nutritionist to evaluate and address any underlying mineral imbalances in your herd.
For a free mineral consultation with a ruminant nutritionist, call 507-337-6916 or email RuminantHelp@RalcoAgriculture.com.
Rumatec Cow/Calf Mineral
The Rumatec line of cow/calf supplements provides the needed nutrients commonly deficient in forages to help ensure optimum performance and reproductive efficiency.