Colostrum
September 24, 2024
COLOSTRUM
New-born calves are reliant on colostrum until the immune system develops in the first couple of months of life. Colostrum provides antibodies crucial for protection against conditions such as scour and pneumonia.
The ‘5Qs’ are key to ensure that youngstock get the best start in life:
- Quantity: Give the first colostrum feed of four litres, or 10% of bodyweight, within four hours of birth, followed by a further two litres within 12 hours of birth.
- Quality: Good quality colostrum contains at least 50 g/L of IgG antibodies. Colostrum quality varies enormously between cows, so test quality every time with a colostrometer or BRIX refractometer.
- Quickly: Colostrum quality decreases 3.7% every hour after birth and a calf’s ability to absorb antibodies directly into its bloodstream only lasts a few hours so colostrum must be harvested quickly.
- sQueaky Clean: Good hygiene is essential when harvesting colostrum. At room temperature bacteria numbers can double every 20 minutes. If colostrum becomes contaminated, calf’s uptake of antibodies falls and can lead to sickness.
- Quantify: Reviewing colostrum management on farm is important to make sure calves are receiving the benefit of good quality colostrum. A colostrum protocol should evaluate colostrum quality and calf’s immune state.
If you have any questions or would like to discuss colostrum management, please give the practice a call on 01373 451115 for more information.