The association of non-clotting of cow's milk with scour in the single suckled beef calf
Johnston, W.S.; Maclachlan, G.K.; Hopkins, G.F.
Veterinary Record 106(8): 174-175
1980
ISSN/ISBN: 0042-4900 PMID: 7361411 Document Number: 157087
During the period from autumn 1977 to spring 1979, 50 samples of milk were obtained from cows whose calves were scouring. 29 of the samples (58%) showed prolonged clotting times (only 3 samples clotted in <1 h), but on addition of CaCl2, 26 of the samples clotted within 5 min; 1 sample clotted only after addition of NaH2PO4 and 2 samples clotted after addition of CaCl2 + NaH2PO4. 6 samples of milk, from cows whose calves were not scouring, clotted normally. The cause of the impaired clotting ability may be linked with diet. On the 46 farms involved in the study, 19 fed mainly hay, 16 fed silage and 6 fed hay + silage; 5 outbreaks of scours occurred while the cows were at grass. A combination of hay and no mineral supplement gave the highest incidence of non-clotting milk.