Question: The moment I start weaning my calves they develop warts. What can I do to get rid of the warts?

Warts are contagious and can incubate on your farm, infecting your cattle for long periods. It is important therefore for the farmer to take action to prevent such diseases.

It would be best to isolate the infected calves and treat them. When they have healed they can be released back into the same camp as the rest of the herd.

The warts can be cut off with a sharp, sterile knife. Take the severed wart and rub it against the wound. This is an old farm remedy and it really works.

Alternatively, you can take the severed warts and place them in a paper bag (not a plastic bag) and take them to your veterinarian, or send them to Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute in South Africa and ask them to make a vaccine for the specific warts affecting your cattle.

Don’t use old oil to treat the wounds. Only use prescribed spray-on wound dressings to keep flies away.

Also read:
Cattle production: What is weaning shock?
Cattle production: Weaning calves with nose rings
Cattle production: How do I know if a calf has been dehorned correctly?

• This article was written by Cois Harman and first appeared in Farming SA.