New concepts in colostrum feeding for dairy calves
Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: Successful transfer of passive immunity (TPI) is essential for calf health and well-being. The current first-milking colostrum feeding guidelines for newborn dairy calves were established more than two-decades ago. The implementation of these guidelines has led to a marked improvement in calf health. Since the guidelines were established, a great deal of additional knowledge has accumulated about bovine colostrum and the benefits of transition milk feeding to newborn calves, particularly for the first 5-7 days of life. In addition, the Brix refractometer has been validated as a useful on-farm tool to estimate colostrum quality. One of the limitations of the current colostrum feeding guidelines is that colostrum with higher Brix scores is fed to calves the same way than colostrum with a lower Brix score (≥ 22%). This prevents calf care providers and managers from taking advantage of colostrum that contains more than 50 g/L of IgG. Identifying colostrum with an IgG concentration of ≥ 75 g/L enables the establishment of colostrum feeding programs that feed a smaller volume of first-milking colostrum but still delivers a sufficient mass of immunoglobulin to have successful TPI. It will also increase the farm supply of colostrum.
Author: Donald Sockett
Institution: University of Wisconsin–Madison
Language: English
Topic: Animal health and immunology
Subfield: Small Animals
Field: Veterinary
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W4408890142