Colostrum Archives - Page 2 of 3

Factors affecting IgG absorption in the baby calf aside from colostrum

Excellent colostrum management is key when it comes to providing the baby calf with its first source of immunity. But what else can impact the immune status of baby calves? A study conducted by Jones et al. (2004) found the apparent efficiency of IgG absorption ranged from less than 10% to greater than 25% in […]

Updates on calf passive immune status and colostrum management

Targets for serum IgG concentrations in calves at 24 hours old have been increased in an attempt to combat the high morbidity and mortality levels that still persist in rearing systems. It had been thought that achieving 10g/litre IgG in calf blood serum at 24 hours of age was adequate while less than 10 g/litre […]

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

Thorough calving preparation, from dry cow nutrition to clean facilities and clear calf protocols, reduces stress, improves calf health and supports better performance at calving.

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 [...]

Colostrum

Factors affecting IgG absorption in the baby calf aside from colostrum

Updates on calf passive immune status and colostrum management

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