{"id":1358,"date":"2021-04-15T13:42:16","date_gmt":"2021-04-15T18:42:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/axiota.com\/?p=1358"},"modified":"2023-08-29T13:43:26","modified_gmt":"2023-08-29T18:43:26","slug":"for-all-calves-colostrum-holds-key-to-a-healthy-start","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/axiota.com\/for-all-calves-colostrum-holds-key-to-a-healthy-start\/","title":{"rendered":"For All Calves, Colostrum Holds Key to a Healthy Start"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"A calf is a future herd replacement, breeding candidate or destined as protein on a consumer\u2019s dinner plate. No matter if they are dairy, beef or a cross of the two, a healthy start sets them up for a lifetime of success. The key to giving them a healthy start is the feeding of clean, high quality colostrum, which is the ideal method of transferring proper nutrients and antibodies into newborn calves. The antibodies a calf receives from its mother help ward off disease until its own \u201cna\u00efve\u201d immune system matures and effectively develops its own immune response.<\/p>\n

When mother\u2019s colostrum isn\u2019t an option, a colostrum replacer (CR)<\/strong> can be entirely administered to newborns as a healthy alternative; and a colostrum supplement (CS)<\/strong> can be used to boost maternal colostrum.<\/p>\n

Here are some tips to make the best decision for feeding colostrum to your newborn calves.<\/p>\n

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  1. Determine if you need a colostrum replacer or a colostrum supplement.<\/strong> (Also see for quick reference, Table 1, Beef Protocol<\/strong>, within this article.)Colostrum replacer.<\/strong> A product that is able to raise serum IgG concentration greater than 10 mg\/ml within 24\u201348 hours after birth, in order to avoid failure of passive transfer (FPT), may be called a colostrum replacer.<\/strong>One dose of at least 115g IgG\u2013immunity-transferring proteins commonly called immunoglobulins (IgGs)\u2014is generally accepted to be the minimum required to meet this target, while providing sufficient immunity for disease protection for the calf. Newer industry standards suggest 150\u2013200g for achieving higher successful passive transfer rates. Most replacement products contain at least 115g of Bovine IgG. You can always feed multiple bags of a supplement to reach that same level of IgG. Follow the instructions on the colostrum bag to understand how many bags to feed to replace maternal colostrum.<\/em>Colostrum supplement.<\/strong> In general, products that contain less than 115g IgG per dose are categorized as colostrum supplements. These products are usually in the range of 50\u201360g IgG per package and, in a single dose, do not provide the calf with sufficient levels of immunity for disease protection. Supplements cannot replace high-quality colostrum, but they can be used to increase the amount of IgG fed to calves when maternal colostrum is partially inadequate either by quantity or quality. Partial contents of a replacement product can be also used as a supplement.<\/em>\n