1. Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center
Colostrum Management
Great Plains Veterinary Educational Center

2. Percent calves born dead, died, or were lost prior to weaning
2.9
2.5
2.0
1.5
1.0
0.5
2.1
1.2
1.2
1.2
1.1
1.1
1.1
Born
dead
24 hrs or
less
24 hrs –
3 wks
3 wks –
weaning
1996
2007
NAHMS Beef ‘97, ’07-’08 Study

3. Age Immunity Age Immunity Age Immunity Passive Passive Acquired
Antibodies from colostrum
Age
Immunity
Passive
Antibodies from colostrum
Acquired
Active immune response
Age
Immunity
Passive
Acquired
Window of vulnerability

4. Failure of Passive Transfer
< 1000 mg/dl at hrs.=FPT
Weaver et al., 2000; Calloway et al., 2002
< 800 mg/dl vs. >1600 mg/dl
3.2 – 9.5 times more likely to become sick
5.4 times more likely to die
Wittum and Perino, 1995
<2400 mg/dl vs. >2400 mg/dl
1.6 times more likely to become sick
2.7 times more likely to die
Dewell, et. al., 2006
<2400 mg/dl
Increased chance of death and treatment
Born to heifers, as twins, or from difficult births=low serum IgG levels
Waldner and Rosengren, 2009

5. Colostrum management
“First milk”:

6. Colostrum management “First milk”: Give adequate volume ASAP
Immunoglobulin (antibodies)
Varies (16-120mg/ml)
Fat (5-7%)
Vitamin A & E
Carbohydrates and protein (14-15%)
Give adequate volume ASAP ?

7. Colostrum management
This is why it is important to not let the calf go without feeding colostrum.
As time goes by the pores that allow it to enter the blood from the intestines close and delay of colostrum feeding leads to decreased absorption with leads to decreased immunity which leads to increased susceptibility to illnesses such as scours, pneumonia, and joint infections and eventually death.

8. Timing

9. Colostrum management “First milk”: Give adequate volume ASAP
Immunoglobulin (antibodies)
IgG varies (16-120mg/ml)
Fat (5-7%)
Vitamin A & E
Carbohydrates and protein (14-15%)
Give adequate volume ASAP
Feed immediately
7-10% BW

10. Rule of Thumb: Feed 1 gram IgG per pound of body weight-maybe more??
Calculation:
100 lbs calf = 45.5 kg calf
~ 7% of body wt is blood => 3.2 liters = 32.0 dl
~ 70% of blood is serum => 22.4 dl
~6.7 gm of protein/dl of blood => 150 gm protein (minimum)
~ 0.55 gm IgG/gm of protein => 82 gm IgG

12. Colostrum management “First milk”: Give adequate volume ASAP
Immunoglobulin (antibodies)
Fat
Vitamin A & E
Carbohydrates and protein
Give adequate volume ASAP
Feed immediately
7-10% volume BW
1 gram/lb body wt

13. Colostrum Quality Beef vs. Dairy-IgG Level? Cow vs. heifer
Colostrum assessment
Brix Refractometer
23%
Colostrometer
80 mg/ml
Calf assessment
8.4%
Serum Total Protein
5.5 g/ml

14. Serum IgG Correlations-Not Always!
% Brix
STP (g/dL)
IgG (g/L)
8.3
5.2
10.2
8.1
12.8
5.1
14.7
15.7
8.0
5.0
16.6
5.5
16.7
8.2
5.4
20.6
14.5
4.7
10.1
5.3
Saskatoon Colostrum Co. Ltd.

15. Colostrum management “First milk”: Give adequate volume ASAP Sources
Immunoglobulin (antibodies)
Fat
Vitamin A & E
Carbohydrates and protein
Give adequate volume ASAP
Feed immediately
1 gram/lb body wt
Sources

16. Colostrum management “First milk”: Give adequate volume ASAP Sources
Immunoglobulin (antibodies)
Fat
Vitamin A & E
Carbohydrates and protein
Give adequate volume ASAP
Feed immediately
1 gram/lb body wt
Sources
Dam
Cow herdmate – fresh or frozen
Dairy colostrum?
Powdered colostrum?

17. Colostrum Supplement Cost
Replacer
Can be fed alone
What is the appropriate IgG level?
What’s missing?
Supplement
Fed with maternal colostrum
IgG level?

18. Which do you recommend? Why?
Cost example
Product
IgG/Dose
Cost/Dose
Cost/g IgG
Save-A-Caf 55
$12.29
$0.22
Colostrix CR
100
$31.95
$0.32
LifeLine
$25.95
$0.26
Calf’s Choice
$27.49
$0.28
Colostrix CS 50
$11.95
$0.24
Manna Pro ?
$11.49
Which do you recommend? Why?

19. Apparent Efficiency of Absorption, %
Number of Means
Average
Maximum
Minimum
IgG Intake, g
Maternal Colostrum 19
203
447 53
Colostrum-based Replacer 21
126
210 18
Serum-based Replacer 30
129
260
Colostrum-based Supplement 8
157
297 85
Serum-based Supplement 4 96
100 90
Serum IgG, mg/mL 25 16 27 3 11 20 2 9 5 10 6 7
Apparent Efficiency of Absorption, % 23 36 14 33 51 12 22 38 15 26 32

20. Discussion?