Changing fur in animals is a normal phenomenon, popularly called molting. In young cattle, hair loss and new growth occurs in the spring and autumn seasons. It happens that cattle breeders ask veterinarians why a calf’s hair begins to fall out in summer or winter, and molting is accompanied by the appearance of hairless areas on the animal’s body - the reasons may lie in poor nutrition and care, as well as in serious pathologies.
Improper feeding
To maintain the health of cattle, owners must provide the animals with a balanced diet containing the necessary set of vitamins and nutrients. Young calves must receive sufficient amounts of mother's milk. But many cattle breeders pay more attention to feeding dairy cows, and the calves get leftover feed. In such cases, hair loss is the result of an unbalanced diet.
It is very important to include in the diet of young animals:
- fresh, juicy grass;
- tops;
- bone meal;
- fishmeal;
- legumes and cereals;
- roots.
Hair loss due to improper nutrition is explained by the fragile intestines of the calf. He is not yet able to digest rough food. If cattle breeders feed their young stock with expired, moldy, or frozen feed, normal digestive function is disrupted. A large number of allergens accumulate in the intestines, due to which calves lose part of their hair.
Fungi, parasites and hormonal imbalances
The skin of cattle can be parasitized by fungi that provoke the development of dermatomycosis - these are trichophytosis, microspores and other pathogens. When introduced into the skin, calves experience itching and hair loss. Symptoms of fungal infection in young animals:
- bald spots in the fur, bald patches forming behind the ears;
- the characteristic appearance of areas affected by the fungus - the fur looks as if it was specially cut with scissors;
- itching;
- restless behavior of the calf.
If treatment is not started in time, weeping erosions form at the site of the lesion, and the skin becomes covered with a scaly crust.
In addition to hair loss, parasites - lice, lice eaters, mites - cause concern to young animals. Calves can pick them up in a cramped stall from already infested stock. Symptoms of parasite damage are calf restlessness, itching, bald spots in the coat. In advanced cases, animals do not gain weight, become lethargic, and lag behind in physical development.
Hormonal imbalances are usually observed in adult cows when mating phases are disrupted, but can also affect calves. This occurs if cattle breeders give young animals feed containing hormones, congenital diseases and severe stress.
Ringworm and its treatment methods
Trichophytosis (lichen) - occurs in adult cows and young animals. The disease has specific symptoms:
- hair appears on the head, neck, back, tail, and around the eyes, forming areas of baldness;
- with the superficial form of trichophytosis, an inflammatory process develops on the skin;
- exfoliation of the upper epithelial layer;
- inflammation of the deep skin layers, formation of abscesses (in the follicular form).
Ringworm can be transmitted from cattle to humans, so it is important to diagnose it in time and begin to treat it. Treatment regimen for trichophytosis in calves:
- vaccine "LTF-130" 10 milliliters for calves up to 4 months of age, 15 milliliters for young animals from 4 to 8 months (requires three injections with an interval of 10 days);
- “Griseofulvin” - the drug is added to concentrated feed in a dosage of 20 milligrams per kilogram of animal weight, the course of treatment is 14 days;
- ointments “Unisan”, “Salicylic” (10%), “Yam” - for external treatment of areas affected by lichen.
After treatment for lichen, it is necessary to disinfect the barn, utensils and equipment, and whitewash the walls. Young animals with no symptoms should be vaccinated immediately.
Demodectic mange in calves
The causative agent of the disease is a mite of the genus Demodex, reaching a size of 0.2-0.3 millimeters. Ticks infect the hair follicles, sweat and sebaceous glands of cattle, living in them in colonies of up to several thousand individuals. In 25-30 days, the larva turns into an imago (adult tick).
The affected areas are located on the legs, back, chest, shoulder blades, neck and head. In these places, small tubercles form, and when pressed, a grayish exudate begins to release. There is no itching; bald spots may appear in the hairline around clusters of tubercles. Treatment includes:
- "Ivermek" - a drug for intramuscular injection (0.2 grams per kilogram of calf weight);
- “Cycloferon”, “Immunoparazitan” - immunostimulating drugs;
- "Dicresyl" emulsion at 0.5% concentration - five times treatment every three days;
- chlorophos solution 1-2% - external treatment of skin and wool every 3-4 days up to 6-7 times.
It is important to isolate sick calves from healthy livestock. For prevention and if infection is suspected, livestock are treated with acaricides.
Lice as one of the reasons
The source of lice is infected cows and calves. The risk of developing head lice increases in winter, especially if livestock are kept in cramped stalls where the necessary sanitary and hygienic conditions are not met.
In winter, calves often experience a decrease in immunity, which is aggravated by unbalanced nutrition and feeding young animals with low-quality feed.
When infected with lice, the skin of calves becomes bald in the affected areas - the parasites bite through the epidermis and damage the capillaries. In particularly damaged areas, in places of greatest baldness, you can notice boils, nodules, hemorrhages and foci of eczema.The animal suffers from itching, eats poorly, becomes restless, and loses weight. To get rid of lice in calves, traditional methods are preferred, since the use of insecticides can harm young animals:
- rubbing wood ash into the skin - at least two weeks;
- treatment with kerosene or birch tar for 14 days;
- washing the hair with a decoction against lice - you need to steam the wormwood with a liter of boiling water, leave it, add hellebore water from the pharmacy and tar soap.
You can use the drug in the form of an aerosol “Ivermek” - it gets rid of parasites, accelerates the healing and restoration of damaged skin, eliminates itching and pain.
Stomach damage
Hair loss in calves can be caused by gastrointestinal diseases. Damage to the digestive organs is most often caused by an unbalanced diet and the use of low-quality feed. If a cattle breeder gives young animals unripe, expired or frozen feed, the livestock develops inflammatory processes in the stomach and intestines.
Moldy food causes fermentation in the digestive system. A lot of toxic substances and allergens accumulate in the intestines. The balance of beneficial microflora is disrupted. As a result, the animal's hair begins to fall out, lethargy appears, weight is lost, and physical development slows down. The situation is aggravated in the spring and autumn seasons, when cattle suffer from vitamin deficiency.
Preventive measures
To prevent skin diseases and parasitoses that lead to hair loss in young cattle, it is necessary to regularly inspect the livestock and carry out routine vaccination. All sanitary and hygienic standards must be strictly observed keeping cows and calves in the stalls.Important points are balanced nutrition for calves, strengthening the immune system, and preventive treatment of hair with antiparasitic agents.
Only experienced cattle breeders can distinguish diseases of the skin, stomach, and vitamin deficiency in calves from ordinary seasonal molting. If the calf suddenly begins to go bald, loses its appetite, becomes lethargic and is not gaining weight well, it is necessary to urgently call a veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. When young animals retain their appetite, the animals behave actively and do not show signs of illness, but lose more hair than usual, it is worth conducting a course of therapy with vitamin preparations to prevent systemic pathologies.
