Why a farmer should kneel in the calf barn

Pneumonia is a common disease in cattle calves that results from a complex interaction between viral and bacterial pathogens, environmental stressors, and the animal's own resistance to disease.

Important viral causes of respiratory disease in calves include bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV), parainfluenza virus-3 (PI-3), and bovine herpesvirus-1 (BHV-1), which causes infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR). Bovine viral diarrhea may also be associated with pneumonia in some herds due to its negative impact on the animal's immune status.

These viruses can cause disease on their own or damage the respiratory defenses, predisposing the calf to secondary bacterial lung infections. There are a large number of bacteria that can cause disease on their own or act as secondary invaders after viral damage to the lung defenses.

Pneumonia and diarrhea are the two leading causes of death in young cattle , so prevention of these diseases should be of paramount importance. A calf's susceptibility to pneumonia depends on the strength of its immune system.

First, it's important to remember that colostrum is the most powerful factor influencing the immune system of newborn calves. Providing calves with good-quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth will give them the best start in life and help reduce the risk of disease. 

Secondly, a calf's immunity is affected by nutrition , management practices, stress and environment - problems in any of these areas will negatively impact the calf's ability to fight disease. 

Mixing animals of different ages or from different sources in the same airspace will increase the risk of respiratory diseases. Similarly, if calves are housed in poorly ventilated or damp barns, even high levels of immunity will not prevent disease outbreaks. Each calf requires 1.5 square meters of bedding space per calf and 7 cubic meters of airspace. 

The quality of the bedding is crucial. "In Ireland, farmers have long used the 'knee test' to assess the suitability of the bedding if it becomes too wet. It's simple. Kneel on the straw, and then its suitability will be determined. If you feel dampness when you press your knee into the straw, it should be replaced. If it's dry, the bedding is still suitable. Many factors that increase the risk of pneumonia in calves can be related to bedding quality, so paying close attention to this is crucial."

We would like to emphasize the importance of timely vaccination , given the multifactorial nature of the disease. Vaccines are now available that improve protection against common viral and some bacterial causes of pneumonia in calves. It is important that vaccines are administered before high-risk periods to allow animals sufficient time to develop effective immunity.