Calfhood Pneumonia
By Dr. Jeff Hookstead

I recently attended a dairy meeting put on by the production staff of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. Topics included dairy cow lameness, fresh cow problems and common treatment mistakes, new facility recommendations, discussion of the new transition cow index (TCI) and calf pneumonia. This meeting reinforced the fact that the dairy business is fluid. What was gospel three to four years ago may very well be antiquated today.

There were lots of take home messages, but the discussion on calf pneumonia and its prevalence in various facilities was quite interesting. Based on air bacteria counts, most current ventilation systems fail to provide adequate air quality to the calf. Regardless of whether the calf facility is a retro-fitted dairy barn with a negative pressure system or a newer facility with curtain sidewalls, the air quality at the level of the calf is marginal. The current answer to the problem most likely is a small positive pressure system which blows air through small holes into the calf hutch area creating a mixing effect and improved air quality at the level of the calf.

It is impossible to touch on all of the new ideas from this meeting, but other issues such as nesting bedding levels, thermo neutral temperatures for calves, nose to nose contact, etc. all play a role in the respiratory health of calves. If your calves struggle against pneumonia, it may be time to reevaluate your system.

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