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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

Publicerad i

Titel: Djurhälso- och Utfodringskonferensen 2015
Utgivare: Växa Sverige

Konferens

Djurhälso- och Utfodringskonferensen 2015: Mjölkens framtid

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Permanent länk till denna sida (URI)

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