LIQUID GOLD FOR NEWBORN CALVES
Colostrum is liquid gold for newborn calves
Colostrum, the cow’s first milk, is not only important for the health of the neonate (newborn calf), but has a profound effect on the future performance of the calf all the way through the feeding period.
About 5-6 weeks before calving, immunoglobulins from the cow’s serum are concentrated into the colostrum. These immunoglobulins are such large molecules that they can’t pass through the placenta directly to the fetus. So, in order to convey some level of passive immunity to the neonate, colostrum must consumed.
When to give colostrum
The rule of thumb is 6 hours or less.Generally a calf should receive 5 to 6 % of its body weight as colostrum within the first six hours of life, and another 5 to 6 % of its body weight when the calf is 12 hours old. Studies have shown, that at six hours after birth, calves absorbed 66 % of the immunoglobulins in colostrum, but at 36 hours after birth calves were able to absorb only 7 % of immunoglobulins. Colostrum contains approximately 22 % solids, compared to 12 % solids in normal whole cow's milk. Much of the extra solid material in colostrum is immunoglobulin, but colostrum is also an important source of protein, sugar, fat, and vitamins A and E.
Why is the time in which a newborn receives colostrum so important?
The immunoglobulins in colostrum are absorbed very efficiently in the small intestine of the newborn calf. At this early stage in life, the cells lining the intestine are able to absorb these large molecules. But it doesn’t take long for the intestine to “close,” at which point the immunoglobulins are no longer absorbed.
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