Animal Nutrition Factors

More research from the Journal of Dairy Science demonstrates the lasting impacts of pre-weaning health and management on long-term outcomes for dairy heifers. Researchers used a dataset of 9,833 calves born on a commercial dairy in Southern Australia to investigate associations between pre-weaning diarrhea and mortality as well as first-lactation outcomes, with interesting results! 🔍 Higher Mortality Rates: Calves with diarrhea face increased mortality in the short and medium terms (first 20 days after enrollment and 21-100 days after enrollment, respectively). ⏳ Delayed First Calving: Affected calves calve about 4 days later than healthy ones. Admittedly, it's a small difference, but it aligns with other published literature. 📈 First Lactation Challenges: First lactation cows with a history of pre-weaning diarrhea were more likely to be removed from the herd and had higher peak somatic cell scores. Read the full study here: https://lnkd.in/g3VTNsJJ This research underscores the importance of early calf health management for long-term dairy farm success. What’s your best strategy for preventing pre-weaning diarrhea? Share below! 🐄✨ #dairymanagement #calfmanagement #dairyfarming #animalhealth

🔰‼️𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗯𝗼𝗿𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗳‼️🔰 Colostrum feeding management is crucial for newborn calves, as it provides essential nutrients, antibodies, and immune factors that help protect against diseases and promote overall health. Here's a comprehensive guide to colostrum feeding management for newborn calves: 💠𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺💠 1. 𝑰𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒚𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒎 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕: Colostrum contains antibodies that help protect the calf against diseases and infections. 2. 𝑵𝒖𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚: Colostrum provides essential nutrients, such as protein, fat, and vitamins, that support the calf's growth and development. 3. 𝑮𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉: Colostrum contains prebiotics and probiotics that help establish a healthy gut microbiome. 💠𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗤𝘂𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗶𝘁𝘆💠 1. 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: High-quality colostrum should have a minimum of 50 mg/mL of IgG (immunoglobulin G) antibodies. 2. 𝑸𝒖𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒕𝒚: Newborn calves should receive 10-12% of their body weight in colostrum within the first 24 hours of life. 💠𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗺 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱𝘂𝗹𝗲💠 1. 𝑭𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈: Feed colostrum within 1-2 hours of birth, providing 2-4 liters (0.5-1 gallon) of high-quality colostrum. 2. 𝑺𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈: Feed an additional 2-4 liters (0.5-1 gallon) of colostrum 12 hours after the first feeding. 3. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅 𝒇𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈: Feed 1-2 liters (0.25-0.5 gallon) of transition milk or whole milk 24 hours after the first feeding. 💠𝘽𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙋𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙢 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜💠 1. 𝑪𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒔: Ensure all equipment and utensils are clean and sanitized to prevent bacterial contamination. 2. 𝑻𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆: Store colostrum in the refrigerator at 4°C (39°F) or freeze it at -20°C (-4°F) to preserve its quality. 3. 𝑯𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈: Handle colostrum gently to avoid damaging the antibodies and other nutrients. 4. 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈: Monitor the calf's behavior, appetite, and stool quality to ensure they are receiving adequate colostrum. 💠𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀💠 1. 𝑰𝒏𝒔𝒖𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒎: Supplement with high-quality colostrum replacers or frozen colostrum. 2. 𝑷𝒐𝒐𝒓 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒎 𝒒𝒖𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚: Test colostrum quality and adjust feeding schedules accordingly. 3. 𝑪𝒂𝒍𝒇 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒍: Offer small, frequent feedings, and monitor the calf's behavior and appetite. By following these guidelines and best practices, you can ensure your newborn calves receive the essential nutrients and immune factors they need to thrive. Consult with your veterinarian to develop a customized colostrum feeding management plan for your dairy farm. #colostrum #calfcolostrum #cowcolostrum #clostrum #colostrummanagement #dairylife #vetlife

Calves are born reliant on transfer of passive immunity (TPI) from colostrum to protect against pathogens in early life. The TPI pass/fail system was recently replaced with four categories. What does it look like in action? Well, scientists Patrick Crannell and Ángel Abuelo Sebio of Michigan State set to find out. They retrospectively assessed records of over 4,000 commercial dairy calves, grouping by serum TPI (Excellent: >6.2 g/dL serum total protein; Good 5.8-6.1; Fair 5.1-5.7; and Poor <5.1; Lombard et al. 2020) to compare to short- and long-term health and productivity outcomes. Calf health: 💩 Calves with Poor, Fair, and Good PTI had a 49, 32 and 14% greater risk of diarrhea treatment relative to Excellent PTI. This is the only metric with a proportional relationship in the four categories. 😷 Calves with Poor PTI had a 39% greater risk for BRD treatment, but the Fair TPI calves with a 17% greater risk might be biologically relevant (P = 0.11). 🌡 Calves with Poor or Fair TPI had a 51 and 21% greater risk to develop any disease pre-weaning. Median survival time for Poor TPI calves was only 20 d, while it took 76 d for 50% calves with Fair TPI to get sick. Mortality: ☠ Calves with Poor TPI were 429x more likely to die in the pre-weaning period compared with Excellent TPI calves. The overall low mortality rate (1.36%) likely prevented determining any impact of Good or Fair TPI. Productivity: ⚖ There was no impact of TPI category on pre-weaning average daily gain, likely due to the high plane of nutrition (9 L/d milk) and early detection of disease in the present study. 🥛 Similarly, no impact of TPI category on first-lactation milk production 💕 Heifers with Poor TPI had reduced risk of reaching first insemination (64%), successful insemination (55%) and reaching first calving (24%) relative to Excellent TPI heifers. General observations: 📛 Heifers with Poor TPI (5.1 g/dL serum total protein) are the clear poor performers from a health, reproduction, and survivability perspective. ✍ The four-category system was only impactful for calf diarrhea in the present study. As Crannell and Abuelo state: "The 4 proposed categories of TPI can assist in decreasing the incidence of diseases that occur in the first weeks of life (i.e., diarrhea), but their effect on other diseases or future performance might be more limited in herds with good colostrum and calf feeding management." How are you seeing these programs implemented on-farm? Are people concerned if they don't make "Excellent" or are they ok with better than "Poor?" #dairy #dairyscience #dairycalves #calves #colostrum #serumpassivetransfer #immunity #jds #adsa2023 https://lnkd.in/gPgKp_a2

Autumn calving: Minimising the risk of pneumonia in calves 📌 Pneumonia in Calves: Pneumonia is a significant health issue for young calves, especially during the autumn calving season and winter months. It can cause permanent lung damage and even death. Causes and Risk Factors: Pneumonia is often multifactorial, typically starting with a viral infection followed by a bacterial infection. High-risk periods include after grouping or mixing calves, weaning, and during changeable weather. Prevention and Management: Key strategies include good hygiene at calving, quality colostrum intake, proper nutrition, appropriate housing with good ventilation, and vaccination. Early detection and treatment are crucial. " 🎯 Are there any specific vaccination protocols for preventing calf pneumonia? Yes, Here are some key points: Timing: Vaccinations are typically administered at strategic times to maximize their effectiveness. This often includes vaccinating calves at 2-4 weeks of age and again at weaning. Types of Vaccines:Intranasal Vaccines: These are often given to very young calves and provide rapid immunity against respiratory viruses. Injectable Vaccines: These include vaccines for viral and bacterial pathogens such as Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV), Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Parainfluenza-3 (PI3), and Mannheimia haemolytica. Booster Shots: Follow-up booster vaccinations are crucial to ensure long-lasting immunity. The schedule for boosters can vary depending on the specific vaccine used. Combination Vaccines: These vaccines protect against multiple pathogens in a single dose, which can simplify the vaccination process and improve compliance. Herd Health Management: Vaccination should be part of a comprehensive herd health management plan that includes good colostrum management, proper nutrition, and optimal housing conditions. Consultation with a Veterinarian: It’s essential to work with a veterinarian to develop a vaccination protocol tailored to your specific herd and regional disease challenges. " Treatment: Sick calves should be isolated and treated promptly. Antibiotics are used for bacterial infections, but not for viral infections. In rare cases, lung worm may be the cause.

What Is Abomasal Bloat? Abomasal bloat, also known as acute bloat syndrome (ABS), usually affects calves between 4 and 21 days old. It occurs when gas builds up in the calf’s stomach (abomasum). This gas is often produced by: Clostridium bacteria Lactic acid fermentation The result is swelling, pain, and in severe cases, sudden death. Main Risk Factors Abomasal bloat is not linked to whether you feed calves with a bottle, bucket, or automatic feeder. Instead, it is usually caused by: Poor hygiene (dirty bedding, dirty equipment) Irregular milk feeding (too much milk or inconsistent amounts) High osmolality milk (milk too concentrated with solids) Low water intake Anything that slows down milk emptying from the stomach gives bacteria more time to ferment and produce gas. Importance of Colostrum Newborn calves should always receive: 3L of quality colostrum within 2 hours of birth Another 3L within 12 hours This ensures they get the antibodies needed for immunity. Care is also needed when using a stomach tube, as incorrect use can damage nerves that control stomach function. Feeding Management To prevent problems: Keep milk well-mixed and at the right temperature Feed at the same time every day Use clean bottles, buckets, and teats (replace worn-out teats regularly) Calibrate automatic feeders often When mixing milk replacer, keep solids consistent: 12.5% (125g/L) or 15% (150g/L) Keep osmolality below 500–600 mOsm/L Role of Water Fresh, clean water should be available from day one. Low water intake makes milk more concentrated, slows digestion, and increases the risk of bloat. For groups over 20 calves, provide at least two water troughs. Prevention Is Key Unfortunately, once a calf develops abomasal bloat, it’s often too late for treatment. The best defense is prevention through consistency and hygiene: Clean housing and bedding Clean feeding equipment Consistent milk amounts and timing Fresh water always available By following these steps, farmers can reduce the risk of abomasal bloat and keep calves thriving through the calving season.

Managing heat stress in calves through nutrition involves strategies to ensure they maintain optimal health and growth despite high temperatures. Here are key nutritional strategies:😍🐄😘 1. **Hydration**: Ensure constant access to clean, cool water. Dehydration can exacerbate heat stress. Adding electrolytes to the water can help maintain fluid balance and prevent dehydration. 2. **Energy-dense Feeds**: Provide energy-dense feeds to compensate for reduced feed intake during heat stress. Calves often eat less in hot weather, so feeds should be rich in nutrients to meet their energy requirements. 3. **High-quality Forages**: Use high-quality, easily digestible forages to reduce the heat produced during digestion (heat increment). Poor-quality forages can increase internal heat production. 4. **Fat Supplementation**: Fats are an excellent source of energy and produce less metabolic heat during digestion compared to carbohydrates and proteins. Consider adding fat supplements to the diet. 5. **Balanced Minerals**: Ensure the diet is balanced in essential minerals, particularly sodium, potassium, and magnesium, which are lost through sweating. Proper mineral balance helps maintain electrolyte levels and reduce heat stress effects. 6. **Antioxidants**: Incorporate antioxidants such as vitamins E and C, and selenium, to help mitigate oxidative stress caused by heat. 7. **Feed Timing**: Offer feed during cooler parts of the day, such as early morning and late evening, to encourage feed intake when the calves are less stressed by the heat. 8. **Feed Additives**: Consider using feed additives like yeast products, betaine, or specific amino acids (e.g., taurine) that can help calves cope with heat stress by improving gut health and overall resilience. 9. **Protein Management**: Use highly digestible protein sources. Excess protein can increase metabolic heat production, so balancing protein levels to avoid excess is essential. 10. **Cooler Feeds**: If possible, provide feeds that have been cooled or stored in a way to reduce their temperature, making them more palatable and reducing the heat load on the calves. By implementing these nutritional strategies, farmers can help calves manage heat stress more effectively, ensuring they maintain good growth rates, health, and overall productivity.

Why Pasteurize Colostrum? A Strategic & Managerial Question 💭 If you think like a dairy farm manager or livestock business owner, it’s not just about “reducing bacteria”… It’s bigger than that: protecting your capital from the very first hour of a calf’s life. 1️⃣ Colostrum: A Mirror of Dry Period & Close-Up Management Colostrum reveals: Is the cow’s nutrition during the dry period properly balanced? Are protein and energy levels optimized? Has the Body Condition Score (BCS) translated into effective immune quality? By using a refractometer and setting a benchmark (e.g., ≥26 Brix), you’re not just selecting high-quality colostrum—you’re indirectly measuring the effectiveness of your entire feeding program before any impact on milk production. Any protein or energy imbalance will show up in the colostrum before it affects milk yield or health, allowing proactive management decisions. 2️⃣ Reducing Bacteria Without Compromising Immunity Golden Protocol: 60°C for 60 minutes, then rapid cooling to 4°C This approach: Reduces bacterial load Protects IgG and IgA antibodies Preserves growth factors and hormones Lowers colostrum viscosity without immune loss Raw colostrum bacteria compete with IgG for intestinal absorption receptors. Removing them opens the path for efficient passive immunity transfer: ✔ Better antibody absorption ✔ Lower calf mortality ✔ Reduced neonatal scours ✔ Fewer respiratory problems 3️⃣ Preventing Transmission of Chronic & Infectious Diseases Pasteurization reduces the risk of transmitting: Johne’s disease (MAP) Mycoplasma infections Salmonella E. coli If a cow tests positive and her colostrum is stored in the colostrum bank, it can be excluded immediately—provided data tracking is accurate. > Stay tuned for Part 2, where we’ll cover the colostrum bank, protocols, long-term benefits, and economic impact of pasteurization! #calf #calves #dairyfarm #dairycow