Colostrum supplementation beyond the first feeding after birth

Tri-state conference proceedings: Literature review about the nutritional and health benefits of feeding colostrum to older dairy calves.

Colostrum is a bioactive, first bovine milking that provides calves with immunoglobulins, and bioactive components such as lactoferrin that are imperative for proper immune response to disease in the first few weeks of life. There is also increasing evidence that a calf can benefit from the immune-supportive properties of colostrum beyond the 24-hour phase postnatal when the “gut closure” occurs, and IgG molecules are no longer passively absorbed. Specifically, colostrum-focused research is emerging in postnatal calf nutrition studies: 1) Preventative feeding strategies that add colostrum to the milk diet to reduce disease likelihood and improve calf average daily gain (ADG), or 2) intervention of supplemental colostrum feeding (CR) as a nutraceutical to calf groups that are already sick, or at risk for disease. Overall, compared to controls, researchers who used preventative feeding strategies for 14 days of colostrum feeding at a rate of at least 0.35 kg/d observed an improved ADG response postweaning, and lower odds of diarrhea in the calves if calves were limit-fed a whole milk diet (e.g., limit-fed control calves for studies= < 0.64 ADG). However, preventative feeding at a lower dose for 14 days 0.05 kg/d of colostrum, did not positively affect ADG, though these milk replacer-fed calves experienced reduced odds of diarrhea and a lower hazard of mortality. For intervention feeding when calves deviated from their milk feeding patterns, feeding colostrum at a rate of 0.13 kg/d for 3 days to high-fed calves (e.g., > 1 kg/d ADG) did not affect overall ADG to 2 weeks post-weaning (90 days of age), or likelihood of diarrhea. Surprisingly, the CR-fed calves from this intervention study had reduced odds of pneumonia, and CR ameliorated pneumonia severity when calves were fed CR for 3 days when they deviated from their milk-feeding patterns. Similarly, a different study observed that intervention feeding CR to limit-fed diarrheic calves at a rate of 0.15 kg/d for 4 days shortened the severity of diarrhea, and improved ADG in the milk replacer-fed calves. In summary, colostrum as both a preventative and intervention feeding ameliorates diarrhea in young calves and ameliorates pneumonia in older calves fed CR at 30 days of age. However, research is inconclusive if colostrum supplementation to the diet improves ADG; most benefits were observed in studies that limit-fed calves to achieve slow growth post-weaning (< 0.64 kg/d ADG). Future research should investigate the mechanisms involved with colostrum improving a calf’s resiliency to a disease bout and investigate targeted colostrum feeding programs for calves at-risk for disease.

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Work Title Colostrum supplementation beyond the first feeding after birth
Subtitle Tri-state Dairy Nutrition Conference
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Open Access
Creators
  1. Melissa Cantor
License In Copyright (Rights Reserved)
Work Type Article
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  1. Tri-state 2024 Conference Proceedings
Publication Date April 15, 2024
Deposited July 22, 2024

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    • Tri-state conference proceedings: Literature review about the nutritional and health benefits of feeding colostrum to older dairy calves.
    • Tri-state conference proceedings: Literature review about the nutritional and health benefits of feeding colostrum to older dairy calves.
    • Colostrum is a bioactive, first bovine milking that provides calves with immunoglobulins, and bioactive components such as lactoferrin that are imperative for proper immune response to disease in the first few weeks of life. There is also increasing evidence that a calf can benefit from the immune-supportive properties of colostrum beyond the 24-hour phase postnatal when the “gut closure” occurs, and IgG molecules are no longer passively absorbed. Specifically, colostrum-focused research is emerging in postnatal calf nutrition studies: 1) Preventative feeding strategies that add colostrum to the milk diet to reduce disease likelihood and improve calf average daily gain (ADG), or 2) intervention of supplemental colostrum feeding (CR) as a nutraceutical to calf groups that are already sick, or at risk for disease. Overall, compared to controls, researchers who used preventative feeding strategies for 14 days of colostrum feeding at a rate of at least 0.35 kg/d observed an improved ADG response postweaning, and lower odds of diarrhea in the calves if calves were limit-fed a whole milk diet (e.g., limit-fed control calves for studies= < 0.64 ADG). However, preventative feeding at a lower dose for 14 days 0.05 kg/d of colostrum, did not positively affect ADG, though these milk replacer-fed calves experienced reduced odds of diarrhea and a lower hazard of mortality. For intervention feeding when calves deviated from their milk feeding patterns, feeding colostrum at a rate of 0.13 kg/d for 3 days to high-fed calves (e.g., > 1 kg/d ADG) did not affect overall ADG to 2 weeks post-weaning (90 days of age), or likelihood of diarrhea. Surprisingly, the CR-fed calves from this intervention study had reduced odds of pneumonia, and CR ameliorated pneumonia severity when calves were fed CR for 3 days when they deviated from their milk-feeding patterns. Similarly, a different study observed that intervention feeding CR to limit-fed diarrheic calves at a rate of 0.15 kg/d for 4 days shortened the severity of diarrhea, and improved ADG in the milk replacer-fed calves. In summary, colostrum as both a preventative and intervention feeding ameliorates diarrhea in young calves and ameliorates pneumonia in older calves fed CR at 30 days of age. However, research is inconclusive if colostrum supplementation to the diet improves ADG; most benefits were observed in studies that limit-fed calves to achieve slow growth post-weaning (< 0.64 kg/d ADG). Future research should investigate the mechanisms involved with colostrum improving a calf’s resiliency to a disease bout and investigate targeted colostrum feeding programs for calves at-risk for disease.