Calf Health Series: Giving newborn calves the best possible start

In Part 1 of the ‘Calf Health Series’ – a joint initiative brought to you by Volac and AgriLand – the topic of feeding colostrum will be reviewed and why it is so important that a calf receives an adequate amount in the early hours of life.

Managing colostrum feeding at birth should be one of a farmer’s key priorities during their calving season.

Unfortunately, on a number of farms, there can be a failure in paying attention to detail when it comes to the quantity and quality of colostrum fed in the calf’s first few hours of life.

Why is colostrum important?

It will take a calf up to four weeks-of-age to produce their own antibodies. The role of colostrum is to provide these newborn calves with antibodies that will provide them with immediate protection and immunity from infectious diseases.

If insufficient quality colostrum is fed to the calf it can result in reduced levels of antibodies passed into the calf resulting in them becoming more susceptible to illness and disease.

A further knock-on effect is a reduced thriving ability, reduced performance and potential mortality.

When it comes to quantity, farmers should remember that a calf needs to be fed 10% of its body weight (normally 3-4L).

The colostrum fed should be from a heifer/cow’s first milking and ideally collected within two-to-six hours post calving.

In terms of timing, ideally within the first two hours of life (six hours maximum) is when a calf should be fed the above amount. This is due to the calf’s gut wall being permeable; therefore, antibodies can pass directly into the bloodstream.

It can be hard to judge if a calf has suckled enough colostrum from their mother, some may not consume sufficient levels within the critical period.

Keeping this in mind, farmers should consider removing the calf from the cow as soon as possible and feed the required quantity via bottle feeding or stomach tube.

However, if a farmer is stomach tubing a calf, they need to be careful as inappropriate use can result in oesophageal bruising occurring. Therefore, seeking veterinary advice on best practice when using a stomach tube is advised.

Keeping equipment clean during the milking of a freshly calved cow is critical in avoiding bacterial contamination. Storage of the equipment should also be planned in order to keep it effectively free from contamination.

How do I check the quality of colostrum?

The efforts of feeding the right quantity of colostrum will be wasted somewhat if the quality is not monitored. A visual assessment of quality is not sufficient, even if the colostrum looks thick and creamy.

The most accurate method that farmers can use to assess the quality is by using a colostrometer. This is a tool that is quick and easy to use to estimate the quality of colostrum.

A refractometer can also be used to assess quality which has a brix score of 22% (50mg/ml) proposed as the cut-off for identifying good-quality colostrum.

If you decide to use a colostrometer to measure quality, it should have a minimum of 50-60g IgG/L. It is quite easy to read the results – if it floats in the green section this means that the quality is good and can been fed to the newborn calf as soon as possible or selected to be stored.

The quality is average if the colostrometer floats in the orange section, which is OK to feed to stronger calves aged from two days old – but should not be used in the first feeding for a newborn calf.

You do not want to see the meter floating in the red section as this means that the quality is poor and should not be given as a first feed.

There are causes for errors in colostrometer readings, such as the temperature of the colostrum. For accuracy, it should be at room temperature of 20-22°. It may underestimate the antibody quality if the sample is too warm .

When using the meter, place the test sample into a clean cylinder and ideally keep froth to a minimum as this can lead to difficulty in reading the scale.

Storing and thawing

Good-quality colostrum can be stored in a fridge up to seven days, although bacteria can still grow in the fridge. Therefore, it should ideally be used within the first two days from collection.

If freezing the colostrum, high-quality samples can be stored for up to one year; however, it should be frozen within one-to-two hours of collection. Ideal temperatures for freezing is at -18° to -25°.

Depending on what is available for farmers, 1-2L containers can be used for freezing colostrum. Although, keeping in mind the thawing process, storing 1L of colostrum in zip-lock bags can lead to easier thawing out.

To avoid damaging proteins, do not microwave or boil the colostrum in high heat during thawing.

Minimising disease and scour risk

If a farm is going to the effort of vaccinating their cows against scour, they should manage the colostrum effectively in order to provide calves with the best antibodies.

This will aid fighting against scours caused by rotavirus, coronavirus and E.coli pathogens.

This risk of Johne’s disease is another factor that farmers have to keep in mind this spring. If the farm is testing for Johne’s disease, they should only feed colostrum to calves from cows that have tested Johne’s negative.

Mycobacterium paratuberculosis (MAP) is the bacteria which causes Johne’s disease and can be present in colostrum, milk and faeces. Obviously any colostrum that has been infected by MAP will pose a risk of infecting calves with Johne’s.

Avoid pooling colostrum on farms to reduce a threat of infection spreading. Also, taking in colostrum from neighbouring farms should be avoided where possible.

Volostrum

There will be cases on farms where good-quality colostrum is not always available. However, no matter what the situation is, newborn calves require some form of quality colostrum within the first few hours from birth.

In this scenario, farmers should consider using good-quality colostrum alternatives to get them across the line. In terms of biosecurity, colostrum alternatives are a good way of reducing a disease risk from using colostrum from a neighbouring farm.

Volac Volostrum is a high-quality, natural alternative to colostrum and is recommended for use when an adequate supply of good-quality, maternal colostrum is unavailable.

Add all the contents to 0.5L (one pint) of warm water (40°) in a clean bucket. Mix thoroughly with a whisk until smooth. Mix in an additional 0.5L of warm water, making a total of 1.6L (approx three pints).

After reconstitution, Volostrum should preferably be fed to calves via a bucket or bottle and teat, although it may be fed via a stomach tube by experienced personnel.

Volostrum contains a consistently high level of protein and energy. Volostrum provides 450g of nutrients in one feed, giving the calf the energy and protein it needs for a good start in life; it has been successfully tried and tested by farmers for over 20 years.

Keeping this advice in mind over the upcoming calving season will hopefully aid you in succeeding with effective colostrum management. Always remember that the management of a calf during their first few hours of life will have a major effect on their performance going forward.