Antibodies contained in colostrum are critical for preventing infections before the young animal’s own immune system gains experience with microbes, matures and takes over.
Tag Archives colostrum
Beef calves require correct colostrum
Get colostrum to those that need it within first few hours of birth, preferably from the mother or cow from the same herd
REGINA — Get them breathing, get them up and get them fed are Dr. Claire Windeyer’s three tips for cattle producers who have just witnessed a calf being born. The latter, and the use of colostrum, drew several questions during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar on calf care. Related stories: Windeyer said assisted […] Read more
Calving season may suffer drought hangover
Covering the basics of calf care will be especially important for cattle producers if dry conditions continue into spring
MEDICINE HAT — There’s a small measure of relief from dryness heading into spring calving season, but an abnormally warm winter may leave cows in less-than-ideal condition. Dr. Krista Dayman of Badlands Veterinarian Service said cow body condition is a concern in areas where feed and water may have been tough to access. “Colostrum intake […] Read more
Monitoring first weeks of life will help ensure calf health
Paying close attention to calf health in the first week of life will decrease mortality and increase growth and returns to cow-calf producers. When we think about prevention of calf mortality, three main things come to mind, and I hope this review will eliminate the need for more calf treatments. For scours, the biggest factor […] Read more
New study reinforces importance of colostrum to calves
Newborn calves are born with virtually no immunity of their own. They have a functional immune system at birth, but because the cow’s placenta does not allow antibodies to pass from the mother to the calf during pregnancy, the calf must receive most of its initial immunity from the antibody rich colostrum, or first milk […] Read more
Colostrum can be used to treat diarrhea in calves
Transition milk, which comes from cows after initial colostrum production, has also been shown to improve calf health
Canadian dairy farmers are doing a better job of getting colostrum to their calves and making sure they have absorbed enough to create passive immunity. However, researchers are pushing the boundaries on uses for colostrum. Dr. Dave Renaud, a veterinary epidemiologist in the University of Guelph’s Department of Population Medicine, has found that colostrum can […] Read more
