I’m sure farmers are saying “not another lecture or article about colostrum”. I’m afraid it very much is. Why be obsessed with colostrum? It gives newborns their main source of immunity to fight infection, it’s free and it is essential to good calf and lamb rearing. I’ve seen firsthand through investigating disease the disastrous consequences on performance when colostrum isn’t managed correctly. So I’m going to tell the colostrum story again.
As calves and lambs are born without innate natural immunity, the only way they can obtain it is through being fed this first milk early, as after the second and third milking, the quality rapidly deteriorates.
Colostrum is full of proteins called immunoglobulins. Many factors can affect its quality in the lead-up to birth, including poor BCS, heavy parasite burdens, large milk quantities leading to dilution and incorrect storage.
Every farm should invest in colostrometers, which are a cheap and effective quality control measure to ensure sufficient quality. It is not a vital tool on the farm. However, it can focus the mind on the whole process and its importance. Although I’m certainly not a fan of pooling colostrums for many reasons, I have become very interested in techniques that use pasteurisation to improve quality.
Immunoglobulins
Colostrum must be given in the first two hours where possible and the first four hours in the case of lambs. This is because immunoglobulins are very big proteins and as hours pass, the ability of the intestines to absorb them rapidly decreases, to a point where after 24 hours virtually none are absorbed.
It must be remembered that once the water bag bursts, the calf is now being exposed to bugs. This multiplies when the calf hits the ground. So we need to get nature’s blood-born bodyguards into play as early as possible. This becomes more important as the season progresses and bugs build up to huge levels in the environment of the newborn.
The one, two, three rule of colostrums include:
Colostrum being fed from the first milkingColostrum given in the first two hours of lifeFor calves, three litres is usually recommendedFor suckler calves, the volumes aren’t quite as big, but the same rules apply with regard to timing. It is reckoned it takes a calf 30 minutes to consume 2.5 to 3 litres by natural suckling. Lambs require 50ml per kg of body weight. Remember, usually the larger the volume of milk produced by a cow, the poorer the quality of colostrum simply by dilution.
Heat is particularly important for young lambs, as most are born with very little fat cover, so a source of high energy such as colostrum is vital
Tubing colostrum may be the best option when there had been a difficult birth and the calf or lamb is too weak to suck, which can be solved by an oral glucose supplement, as glucose plays an important role in absorption. Heat is particularly important for young lambs, as most are born with very little fat cover, so a source of high energy such as colostrum is vital.
If calves don’t get enough colostrum, they will have a failure of passive transfer (FPT) and I have seen firsthand that by testing calves and following their progress, they never perform as well. When disease hits the cow sheds, calves lacking in colostrum are usually fatal and have the highest mortality rates.
So how can you test colostrum transfer?
If you’re rearing healthy calves without issues, you don’t need to be testing.A simple blood test sent to lab measuring ZST can be done.Or what I do is measure serum protein in calves two to 14 days in the practise on a group and this will give a very good idea of whether FPT is an issue.Despite good hygiene practices, the calving box in a dairy farm is a high-risk area for newborns. Therefore, separating them quickly and providing colostrum is the best option.
Dairy cows are also no longer bred for their mothering abilities and although separation may not always be possible, it is the best practice.
Storing and managing
Bottle-feeding the first milk tends to be the best system, followed by a stomach tube. However, repeated stomach tubing is not an advisable practice as it can affect the rumen.
Storing and managing colostrum is also very important, as bacteria tend to grow in warm colostrum, which can spoil the quality and greatly increase the risk of newborn calves and lambs picking up infections.
When storing in the fridge, it’s 24 hours, or a full year in the freezer. No microwaves should be used in the thawing-out process and water baths should not be hotter than 50°C – my general rule is you should be able to put your hand in the water.
Colostrum is probably the most important component when rearing healthy young calves and best of all, it’s free. While there are many replacements on the market, none seem to have matched what nature has created. However, these substitutes are better than no feed at all.
I’m sure farmers are saying “not another lecture or article about colostrum”. I’m afraid it very much is. Why be obsessed with colostrum? It gives newborns their main source of immunity to fight infection, it’s free and it is essential to good calf and lamb rearing. I’ve seen firsthand through investigating disease the disastrous consequences on performance when colostrum isn’t managed correctly. So I’m going to tell the colostrum story again.
As calves and lambs are born without innate natural immunity, the only way they can obtain it is through being fed this first milk early, as after the second and third milking, the quality rapidly deteriorates.
Colostrum is full of proteins called immunoglobulins. Many factors can affect its quality in the lead-up to birth, including poor BCS, heavy parasite burdens, large milk quantities leading to dilution and incorrect storage.
Every farm should invest in colostrometers, which are a cheap and effective quality control measure to ensure sufficient quality. It is not a vital tool on the farm. However, it can focus the mind on the whole process and its importance. Although I’m certainly not a fan of pooling colostrums for many reasons, I have become very interested in techniques that use pasteurisation to improve quality.
Immunoglobulins
Colostrum must be given in the first two hours where possible and the first four hours in the case of lambs. This is because immunoglobulins are very big proteins and as hours pass, the ability of the intestines to absorb them rapidly decreases, to a point where after 24 hours virtually none are absorbed.
It must be remembered that once the water bag bursts, the calf is now being exposed to bugs. This multiplies when the calf hits the ground. So we need to get nature’s blood-born bodyguards into play as early as possible. This becomes more important as the season progresses and bugs build up to huge levels in the environment of the newborn.
The one, two, three rule of colostrums include:
Colostrum being fed from the first milkingColostrum given in the first two hours of lifeFor calves, three litres is usually recommendedFor suckler calves, the volumes aren’t quite as big, but the same rules apply with regard to timing. It is reckoned it takes a calf 30 minutes to consume 2.5 to 3 litres by natural suckling. Lambs require 50ml per kg of body weight. Remember, usually the larger the volume of milk produced by a cow, the poorer the quality of colostrum simply by dilution.
Heat is particularly important for young lambs, as most are born with very little fat cover, so a source of high energy such as colostrum is vital
Tubing colostrum may be the best option when there had been a difficult birth and the calf or lamb is too weak to suck, which can be solved by an oral glucose supplement, as glucose plays an important role in absorption. Heat is particularly important for young lambs, as most are born with very little fat cover, so a source of high energy such as colostrum is vital.
If calves don’t get enough colostrum, they will have a failure of passive transfer (FPT) and I have seen firsthand that by testing calves and following their progress, they never perform as well. When disease hits the cow sheds, calves lacking in colostrum are usually fatal and have the highest mortality rates.
So how can you test colostrum transfer?
If you’re rearing healthy calves without issues, you don’t need to be testing.A simple blood test sent to lab measuring ZST can be done.Or what I do is measure serum protein in calves two to 14 days in the practise on a group and this will give a very good idea of whether FPT is an issue.Despite good hygiene practices, the calving box in a dairy farm is a high-risk area for newborns. Therefore, separating them quickly and providing colostrum is the best option.
Dairy cows are also no longer bred for their mothering abilities and although separation may not always be possible, it is the best practice.
Storing and managing
Bottle-feeding the first milk tends to be the best system, followed by a stomach tube. However, repeated stomach tubing is not an advisable practice as it can affect the rumen.
Storing and managing colostrum is also very important, as bacteria tend to grow in warm colostrum, which can spoil the quality and greatly increase the risk of newborn calves and lambs picking up infections.
When storing in the fridge, it’s 24 hours, or a full year in the freezer. No microwaves should be used in the thawing-out process and water baths should not be hotter than 50°C – my general rule is you should be able to put your hand in the water.
Colostrum is probably the most important component when rearing healthy young calves and best of all, it’s free. While there are many replacements on the market, none seem to have matched what nature has created. However, these substitutes are better than no feed at all.
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