Factors Associated with Colostrum Quality and Effects on Serum Gamma Globulin Concentrations of Calves in Swiss Dairy Herds.

Reschke, Christina; Schelling, E; Michel, A; Remy, Franziska; Meylan, Mireille (2017). Factors Associated with Colostrum Quality and Effects on Serum Gamma Globulin Concentrations of Calves in Swiss Dairy Herds. Journal of veterinary internal medicine, 31(5), pp. 1563-1571. Wiley-Blackwell 10.1111/jvim.14806

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BACKGROUND

Previous studies have shown a high prevalence of failure of passive transfer of immunity (FPT) in Swiss dairy calves.

OBJECTIVES

To investigate risk factors associated with poor colostrum quality and FPT on Swiss dairy farms.

ANIMALS

Colostrum and serum samples from 373 dam-calf pairs at 141 farms.

METHODS

The gamma globulin (Gg) concentrations of the dams' colostrum and the calves' serum samples were determined by electrophoresis. Potential risk factors were assessed by logistic regression of questionnaire data.

RESULTS

Prevalence values of 15.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 12.0-19.6%) for low-quality colostrum (<50 g Gg/L) in cows and 43.5% (95% CI, 38.4-48.8%) for FPT (serum Gg < 10 g/L) in calves were estimated. The main factors associated with low colostrum quality included colostrum leakage before or during parturition and a time lag > 6 hours between parturition and first milking. The results confirm that the occurrence of FPT in calves primarily was influenced by the quality of colostrum, the amount of ingested colostrum, and the time between birth and first feeding.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

These results confirm a large potential for improvement in colostrum harvesting and colostrum feeding procedures in the study herds. Control for colostrum leaking intra-partum, early colostrum milking, and ensuring that the calves ingest a sufficient volume of colostrum within the first hours of life are measures that can be readily implemented by farmers to decrease the incidence of FPT without additional workload.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

05 Veterinary Medicine > Research Foci > Veterinary Public Health / Herd Health Management
05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine (DKV)
05 Veterinary Medicine > Department of Clinical Veterinary Medicine (DKV) > Clinic for Ruminants

UniBE Contributor:

Reschke, Christina, Remy-Wohlfender, Franziska, Meylan, Mireille

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health
600 Technology > 630 Agriculture

ISSN:

0891-6640

Publisher:

Wiley-Blackwell

Language:

English

Submitter:

Daniela Fasel

Date Deposited:

21 Nov 2017 10:44

Last Modified:

02 Mar 2023 23:29

Publisher DOI:

10.1111/jvim.14806

PubMed ID:

28833573

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Failure of passive transfer Immunoglobulins Management Risk factors

BORIS DOI:

10.7892/boris.106068

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/106068

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