Short communication: addition of sodium bicarbonate to maternal colostrum: effects on immunoglobulin G absorption and hematocrit in neonatal calves

Colostrum Management: Keys to Optimizing Output and Uptake of Immunoglobulin G

Colostrum is essential for the health and wellbeing of dairy cattle. This review provides insight into different means of augmenting or enhancing colostrum quality including colostrum feeding, dry cow management, prepartum cow diets, freezing, pasteurization, colostrum additives, and colostrum replacers. Other components in colostrum such as maternal cells and their importance are discussed. New research is needed regarding the components in colostrum (bioactive peptides and growth factors) and their effects on the neonate. Colostrum replacers and a prediction equation to estimate colostrum quality are reviewed.

Symposium review: Colostrum management and calf nutrition for profitable and sustainable dairy farms

Multistate dairy management research project NC-2042, which is part of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, has devoted an ongoing objective to calf and heifer nutrition and management. Within this objective, colostrum research has been a priority due to continued opportunities to improve this area on US dairy farms. Research has focused on heating colostrum to reduce bacterial populations and pathogens while increasing IgG absorption. Research also identified other proteins that are reduced when heating colostrum. Studies indicated an apparent upper limit to IgG absorption from colostrum fed to calves. Additional studies have shed light on absorption of IgG from colostrum replacers and evaluated the use of lactoferrin and sodium bicarbonate in both maternal colostrum and colostrum replacers. Milk replacer formulation, feeding strategies, and the effect of calfhood nutrition on future performance have also been researched. Finally, water quality and its effect on calves and heifers have been studied. This review focuses on research done by multistate research project NC-2042 member states in the area of colostrum and calf nutrition and management.