Colostrum Archives

Will your calving pen protect the newborn calf from disease?

The calving area is the newborn calf’s first connection with the outside world therefore minimising its risk of contact with pathogens before the immune system has been fortified with colostrum must be a priority. During the birthing process, the calf is exposed to an array of microbes, some of which are provided by the cow […]

Be properly prepared to prevent poor performance at calving

As spring approaches, so does the calving period on many farms. Putting in the effort now to plan for it, such as preparing all the essentials, will unquestionably make the job easier and more successful. As it is one of the busiest seasons for farmers therefore having a plan that works for everyone will minimise […]

Careful collection of colostrum and transition milk is critical for calf health

Colostrum and transition milk (TM) should always be at the forefront of calf rearers' minds. We are very aware of the importance and value of first milking colostrum for transferring IgG into the calf’s blood.

Respiratory disease is the top cause of mortality in 1 to 5-month-old calves

Respiratory infections top the chart when it comes to postmortem diagnoses for calves aged one- to five months Respiratory infections more commonly known as pneumonia, made up over one-third of postmortem diagnoses.

So, what’s in transition milk that makes it so good?

Baby calves that are fed colostrum for their first two feeds and then abruptly switched to whole milk or a replacer miss out on a very significant nutritional stage linked to transition milk.

Once-a-day feeding proves very successful for rearing healthy dairy replacement heifers in County Tyrone

Father and son team Kenny and Kyle McIlwaine run a crossbred dairy herd of Fleckvieh x Holsteins and Montbeliard x Holsteins on the outskirts of Newtownstewart, producing milk at an annual average yield of 9,000 litres/cow from twice- a-day milking system. Calf morbidity and mortality is at an all-time low. [...]

Pre-calving preparation

From July onwards, we will be getting into pre-calving season and now is the time to start preparing. We asked one of our dairy farmers who runs an autumn block calving herd consisting of 120 Holstein-Friesians (80/120 cows due September), how they prepare for calving [...]

Overheard at Dairy-Tech 2024

All the questions and answers from Dairy-Tech 2024, from weaning to how to prevent bullying behaviour amongst your calves.

Vortex Holsteins won’t be giving up their skim and buttermilk-based milk replacer

Calf mortality rate from birth to weaning has fallen to just 1.5% at a Dorset dairy farm since a new milk replacer made from low heat skim and buttermilk was introduced.

Colostrum

Will your calving pen protect the newborn calf from disease?

Be properly prepared to prevent poor performance at calving

Careful collection of colostrum and transition milk is critical for calf health

Respiratory disease is the top cause of mortality in 1 to 5-month-old calves

Top Tips for colostrum- a video guide.

So, what’s in transition milk that makes it so good?

Once-a-day feeding proves very successful for rearing healthy dairy replacement heifers in County Tyrone

Pre-calving preparation

Overheard at Dairy-Tech 2024

Vortex Holsteins won’t be giving up their skim and buttermilk-based milk replacer