Colostrum
Colostrum is vital for dairy calves because it provides energy and essential nutrients for digestive development, disease protection and long-term health. As a result, it’s crucial for calves to receive adequate, high-quality colostrum within hours following birth for a healthy start to life.
For producers striving to deliver consistent, high-quality colostrum to newborn calves, the most important management window may begin much earlier than previously thought.
Not all colostrum is equal, but simple on-farm tools can help you determine the best quality.
When tracked across calves and over time, serum total protein can provide insights into calf health, management consistency and future performance.
The importance of colostrum in raising healthy, productive calves only continues to grow as we learn more about it.
When it comes to colostrum, more isn’t always better.
Dr. Adam Beard shares new research evaluating short-term contact between cows and calves and its impact on early calf health and growth.
Colostrum supplies can often drop as temperatures cool and days shorten, but smart planning and management can help you beat the seasonal slump.
New research shows adding dry colostrum replacer powder directly to moderate-quality colostrum can safely boost its immune value.
Frozen colostrum is a valuable tool for calf health, but to preserve its quality and immune benefits, dairy farms should use it within eight months, store it in non-frost-free freezers and label it clearly.
More colostrum would be welcome on virtually every dairy farm, especially if it also had higher quality. A team of Cornell University researchers explored whether a dose of oxytocin could help fresh cows deliver either, or both.
Sponsored
Dr. Travis White, DVM, Director of Technical Services, The Saskatoon Colostrum Company Ltd.
Could increasing colostrum volume delivery help calves better navigate cold stress? Brazilian researcher Carla Bittar shares her insights on adjusting colostrum dosage for winter-born calves.
The end of summer means more than cooler nights, changing leaves, and football Fridays. It also brings with it a downward shift in colostrum production on dairy farms.
Demand for colostrum is exploding. A recent market estimated the global value of colostrum sold in 2023 was $1.49 billion. That figure is projected to see a compound annual growth rate of 6.5% for the next decade.
The best-quality colostrum is thick, creamy, and has a beautiful golden color, right? Not necessarily, according to Danish veterinarian and researcher Hanne Skovsgaard Pedersen.
The more we learn about the myriad virtues of colostrum, the more of it we want. And if it also could be even higher quality and/or produce higher offspring immunity, that would be even better for calves.
Colostrum’s myriad benefits for calves may be transferrable to an entirely different field: human health. Researchers are discovering the benefits of colostrum in both health nutrition supplements and therapeutic agents.
Acidification of milk or milk replacer is a common practice for some calf raisers, with some studies showing it improves weight gain and fecal scores in calves.
Have you ever noticed that cows who calve during the fall and winter months tend to produce less colostrum than their herd mates who calved during the spring and summer? Here’s why.
Giving a second feeding of colostrum to dairy calves can help increase successful passive transfer.
Here are five tips to ensure you’re storing and handling colostrum properly.
Effectively treating calves for scours could be as easy as feeding them something that virtually every dairy farm has on hand: colostrum.
Maternal colostrum is often considered nature’s “perfect food.” But does this “free” resource help calves achieve passive immunity as reliably as the guaranteed ingredients in a bag of colostrum replacer?
A protocol overhaul helped the team at Singing Brook Farms, Imler, Pa., up their game in colostrum delivery. Two of their key managers share how they now seamlessly deliver high-quality colostrum to every newborn calf.
A team of Brazilian researchers studied the thermoregulation capacity of calves fed various levels of colostrum, then determined which of the animals were best able to keep themselves warm.
If you sell your bull calves shortly after birth, it’s tempting to send them down the road with no colostrum. But those animals will be far better served if you take the time to get them the colostrum they need.
New research studies suggest there are health and developmental benefits to feeding calves colostrum or transition milk well beyond the first day of life.