Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Twitter LinkedIn
    • FREE Email Newsletters
    • About Us
    • Advertise
    • Subscribe
    • Contact Us
    Twitter LinkedIn
    Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    • News
      • Arable & Agronomy
      • Dealership News
      • Environmental Land Management Scheme/Policy
      • Event News
      • Health & Safety
      • Machinery
      • People
      • World News
    • Farm Machinery
      • Amenity & Maintenance
      • Cultivations
      • Drilling
      • Grassland Equipment
      • Harvesting
      • Muck & Slurry
      • Sprayers
      • Telehandlers
      • Tractors
      • Tractor of the Year
      • Tyres & Tracks
      • Whatever happened to?
    • Precision Farming
    • Markets & Policy
    • Profiles
      • National Arable and Grassland Awards
      • Company Profiles
      • Reader Profiles
    • Livestock
      • Beef
      • Dairy
      • Sheep
    • Magazines
      1. August 2025 issue
      2. 2025 Drills and Seeds supplement
      3. July 2025 issue
      4. June 2025 issue
      5. Cereals event guide 2025
      6. May 2025 issue
      7. April 2025 issue
      8. March 2025 issue
      9. 2025 Tyre Developments supplement
      10. February 2025 issue
      11. National Arable and Grassland Awards supplement
      12. January 2025 issue
      13. December 2024 issue
      14. November 2024 issue
      15. October 2024 issue
      16. September 2024 issue
      17. August 2024 Issue
      18. 2024 Drills and Seeds supplement
      19. July 2024 Issue
      20. Cereals Supplement
      21. June 2024 Issue
      22. May 2024 Issue
      23. April 2024 Issue
      24. Tyres and Tracks Supplement
      25. March 2024 Issue
      26. National Arable & Grassland Award – Meet the Finalists
      27. February 2024 Issue
      28. January 2024 Issue
      29. December 2023
      30. Agritechnica Preview Supplement
      31. November 2023
      32. October 2023
      Featured

      August 2025 issue available now

      By Matthew TiltAugust 1, 2025
      Recent

      August 2025 issue available now

      August 1, 2025

      2025 Drills and Seeds supplement available now

      August 1, 2025

      July 2025 issue available now

      July 9, 2025
    • Events
    • Podcast
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer
    Beef

    Prepare for the Threat of Coccidiosis in Spring Born Calves and Lambs

    John SwireBy John SwireMay 7, 20213 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email

    Sheep and beef producers are being encouraged to be on the lookout for coccidiosis in spring born calves and lambs as any passive immunity gained from colostrum starts to wear off.

    According to Dr Kat Baxter-Smith from MSD Animal Health, young calves and lambs are particularly susceptible to the performance damaging Eimeria parasite as they grow and develop over the late spring and early summer months.

    “Thanks to antibodies gained through ingesting colostrum early in life, calves and lambs initially acquire some passive immunity to the parasite. But this protection is short-lived, leaving young animals particularly susceptible to infection as they grow and develop as the weather warms up. In spring born calves, disease can occur at any age from three weeks to six months old and in lambs, maternal immunity wanes at four to eight weeks of age,” she says.

    Dr Baxter-Smith explains that clinical coccidiosis is caused by a build-up in the rearing environment of oocysts produced the Eimeria parasite. 

    “Susceptible growing calves and lambs become infected by ingesting these oocytes when they lick contaminated objects in their rearing environment or ingest feed or water contaminated by faeces. Once taken into the body in sufficient numbers, the oocysts hatch and the parasites invade and destroy intestinal cells. Infection often leads to diarrhoea, weight loss and poor growth rates.”

    She says that alongside good hygiene practices, anticoccidial treatments often have to be used strategically to manage the disease threat on many cattle and sheep units as a consequence.

    “This allows youngstock some level of exposure to the parasite so that they gain longer-term immunity, but also removes it before it is able to impact on productivity and further contaminate the environment.

    “Oral drenches such as Vecoxan® – which recently joined the MSD Animal Health portfolio of enteric products – are generally the most convenient way of ensuring that each calf or lamb receives the correct dose at the right time.

    “Easy-to-administer as a single oral dose, Vecoxan® is a flexible coccidiosis management solution that can be used in calves and lambs of any weight, in any management system and without any environmental restrictions or meat withdrawal period. In addition, its strategic use with all young animals in a group allows natural immunity to develop in your youngstock and there’s no need to dilute manure from treated animals before spreading1.”

    However, Dr Baxter-Smith adds that it is important to recognise that coccidiosis is only one of a number of causes of diarrhoea in calves and lambs. Farmers unsure about a particular disease management situation, should contact their vet for advice.

     

    Tweet
    Share
    Share
    Pin
    Share. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email
    Previous ArticleKRM reaches agreement to distribute SIWI products in the UK
    Next Article Carbon mapping service now available from Hutchinsons
    John Swire

    Read Similar Stories

    Hi-Spec to introduce new diet feeder at Royal Highland

    June 16, 2025

    Shearers welcome from overseas after NAAC lobbying

    April 14, 2025

    ‘No regular worm season’ as Zoetis urges farmers to conduct faecal egg counts

    April 4, 2025
    Most Read Stories

    Low carbon fertiliser launched

    August 27, 2025

    Krone announces new generation of digital cameras to improve safety during operation

    August 27, 2025

    Mitas becomes general partner to World Ploughing Championships

    August 27, 2025
    Farm Contractor & Large Scale Farmer

    The UK's leading agricultural machinery journal

    Twitter LinkedIn
    © 2024 MA Agriculture Ltd, a Mark Allen Group company

    Privacy Policy | Cookies Policy | Terms & Conditions

    • Farmers Weekly
    • AA Farmer
    • Poultry News
    • Pig World

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.