24/05/2026
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White scour hit most often within the first 3 weeks of life. It comes on fast. In severe cases, you might walk into the pen and find a calf already down or even dead within 3-10 days of the first loose stool showing up. The most common thing I notice right away is the calf with an arched back and that dull, depressed look, standing away from the rest.
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The main culprit we see is E. coli. I have also come seen linked to Salmonella, rotavirus, coronavirus, and cryptosporidia, especially when hygiene isnโt maintained.
From experience, the biggest triggers are cold, damp bedding, calves missing their first colostrum, and sudden feed changes. Using mouldy calf feed or unclean buckets is another common mistake I see on farms. Overcrowding and putting healthy calves in pens that werenโt properly disinfected after a sick calf was there almost always leads to an outbreak.
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The first thing I insist on is proper disinfection of the calving box and fresh, dry bedding before the cow calves. Colostrum is non-negotiable - if the calf isnโt nursing, I make sure it gets bucket-fed colostrum immediately. In some cases where the calf didnโt get colostrum at all, Iโve used serum from the dam given subcutaneously, and it has shown good results.
One thing Iโve also noticed is that white scour is much less common in beef calves that are kept at pasture compared to housed dairy calves.
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Dehydration is common in case of this. To correct it I use oral electrolytes and IV fluids if the calf is weak. For treatment, I use Antibiotics of sulfa group like sulfamethazine. Along with that, supportive care and keeping the calf warm which help in recovery.
