Passive transfer and neonatal health in dairy calves receiving maternal colostrum and/or a colostrum replacer

Author(s)

da Silva, Ana Paula ^[1] ; de Toledo, Ariany Faria ^[1] ; Cezar, Amanda Moelemberg ^[1] ; Coelho, Marina Gavanski ^[1] ; Virginio Junior, Gercino Ferreira ^[1] ; Poczynek, Milaine ^[1] ; Silva, Marcos Donizete ^[1] ; Haines, Deborah M. ^{[2, 3]} ; Campos, Manuel ^{[2, 3]} ; Machado Bittar, Carla Maris ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Anim Sci, Luiz de Queiroz Coll Agr, Av Padua Dias 11, BR-1341900 Piracicaba, SP - Brazil

^[2] Univ Saskatchewan, Dept Vet Microbiol, Western Coll Vet Med, Saskatoon, SK - Canada

^[3] Saskatoon Colostrum Co Ltd, SCCL, 30 Molaro Pl, Saskatoon, SK - Canada

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: LIVESTOCK SCIENCE; v. 240, OCT 2020.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the passive transfer (PT), health and performance of calves fed differing volumes of a colostrum replacer and/or maternal colostrum. Newborn calves were colostrum fed within 2 h of birth as follows:1) 2 L (192.78 +/- 11.55 g of IgG) of maternal colostrum (2MC); 2) 4 L of maternal (387.69 +/- 12.10 g of IgG ) colostrum (4MC); 3) 2 L (196.16 +/- 11.48 g of IgG) of maternal colostrum + one package (100 g IgG in 1.4 L) of colostrum replacer (2MC1CR); 4) 2 packages of colostrum replacer (2CR) and 5) 2 packages of colostrum replacer given within 2 h following birth + one package of colostrum replacer given between 6 and 8 h after birth (3CR). Calves were individually housed and following colostrum feeding(s), were fed 6 L/d of milk replacer with ad libitum access to water and calf starter. Passive transfer as assessed by serum immunoglobulin (Ig) levels were high (mean values of 21.8-25.9 g IgG/L) and did not differ signficantly among groups (P > 0.05). Calves fed larger volumes of colostrum and thus greater Ig mass had lower apparent efficiency absorption (P < 0.0001). There was no difference among colostrum feeding protocols in health parameter outcomes, including fecal score, days with diarrhea, days with fever, number of treatments for diarrhea and number of treatments for pneumonia (P > 0.05). However, the number of treatments for cattle tick fever differed among groups (P = 0.0042). The mean weight and ADG, as well as the blood parameters including total protein, albumin, glucose, BHBA, NEFA and insulin levels, evaluated during the pre-weaning period, did not differ among the groups (P > 0.05). While group numbers were modest (10 calves/treatment), this study shows that all protocols used can deliver high levels of passive transfer suggesting that either good quality maternal colostrum and/or the colostrum replacer evaluated may be recommended for newborn calf colostrum management. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 17/12305-1 - Evaluation of passive immunity transfer in calves receiving maternal colostrum or different doses of colostrum substitute and its effects on health and performance
• Grantee: Ana Paula da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master