Colostrum feeding routines - Passive immunity and welfare in dairy calves

Abstract

Calves are born with insufficient immunity to fight disease and rely on the passive transfer of immunity via ingestion of maternal immunoglobulins (IG) present in the colostrum. To ensure adequate transfer of immunity, dairy farmers utilize different methods to feed colostrum to their calves. Feeding methods include bottle or bucket feeding, oesophageal tube (OT) feeding, or suckling the dam. However, inherent differences between the feeding methods are known to result in different levels of transfer of passive immunity to the calves. These differences are related to the ability to control 1) the timing of first colostrum feeding, 2) the quality of the colostrum (mainly IgG content) and 3) the volume of colostrum consumed by the calves. With OT feeding it is easy to control the timing, quality and volume. With bottle or bucket feeding it is easy to control the timing and quality but more difficult to control the volume of colostrum consumed by the calves. In suckled calves, it is more difficult to control all, the timing, quality and volume of the colostrum consumed. Because OT feeding makes it possible to control the three main factors affecting transfer of passive immunity, farms that feed colostrum via OT have less failure of passive transfer (FPT) of immunity (often defined as serum IgG1 concentrations of

Published in

Title: Djurhälso- och Utfodringskonferensen 2015
Publisher: Växa Sverige

Conference

Djurhälso- och Utfodringskonferensen 2015: Mjölkens framtid

SLU Authors

• Hernandez, Carlos

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Rustas, Bengt-Ove

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Berg, Lotta

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Lidfors, Lena

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Röcklinsberg, Helena

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Alenius, Stefan

  • Department of Clinical Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

• Svennersten Sjaunja, Kerstin

  • Department of Applied Animal Science and Welfare, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Animal and Dairy Science

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/80067