In the bovine section of the effective standards, it is mentioned that all calves must be fed colostrum or a colostrum replacer within 24 hours of life. What is this stuff called "colostrum", and why is it needed within a calf's first 24 hours of life?
Colostrum is a cow's "first milk" that she begins to make a few weeks before she is due to calve. Colostrum is packed with nutrients to get a newborn calf off to a good start. Below is a chart that shows the difference in colostrum versus milk that the cow produces after she has her calf.
As you can see, colostrum is nature's super milk. It has high levels of fat and lactose (sugar), which are necessary energy sources for the calf. Colostrum also has over three times the protein of regular milk, which helps the calf start to grow. Newborn calves must transition from a protected world in the womb where it is warm and all nourishment is provided by the mother, to the outside where it can be quite cold, not to mention the energy it takes to try and stand for the first time!
But what are these things called immunoglobulins?
Immunoglobulins, also known as antibodies, are small proteins that help our bodies fight off pathogens such as bacteria and viruses. They act as "red flags" by binding to pathogens so immune cells can recognize and destroy them. Mothers of some species, such as humans and primates, give their offspring immunoglobulins while they are still in the womb. However, cows and other farm animals are different. They must transfer immunoglobulins to their offspring through the calf's ingestion of colostrum, which is packed with immunoglobulins.
This transfer of immunoglobulins is nothing short of a miracle. Normally proteins, even small ones like immunoglobulins, are broken down into smaller non-functional building blocks and then absorbed in the intestines. In newborn calves, they have special transporters that allow entire immunoglobulins from colostrum to be absorbed into the blood stream. These immunoglobulins stay in the calf's blood for several weeks until the calf's immune system begins to make its own immunoglobulins.
When it comes to getting the most use out of colostrum, time is everything. The minute a cow has her calf the clock starts ticking, and the immunity colostrum can provide to the calf starts to decrease. This decrease in effectiveness happens for two reasons:
- First, as soon as a cow has her calf she begins to make regular milk. This starts to dilute the concentrated colostrum and effectively lowers the amount of immunoglobulins the calf is able to ingest (a newborn calf's belly is only so big!). Below is a graph that shows how the concentration of immunoglobulins in colostrum begins to decline after a cow gives birth:
- Second, once the calf is born its intestines become less and less able to take whole immunoglobulin proteins into the blood. Because of this, a calf must stand up and nurse within a short amount of time, or risk not having adequate immune protection from diseases. Here is a graph that demonstrates how rapidly the calf's intestines lose their ability to absorb immunoglobulins after birth:
A calf that does not absorb enough immunoglobulins is considered immunocompromised. This means that small otherwise insignificant challenges by bacteria and viruses can quickly become life threatening. When the calf's immune cells have no "red flags" to help them find pathogens, they cannot stop infections as well. Calves that did not receive enough colostrum early enough can suffer from pneumonia, joint infections, meningitis, liver infections and bone infections, to name a few. If these calves do manage to survive the first few weeks without a good immunity, they go on to not be as healthy or produce as much milk as adults (http://www.thedairysite.com/articles/1917/early-life-management-and-longterm-productivity-of-dairy-calves).
As you can see, getting enough colostrum into a calf in good time not only makes that calf more productive later in life, it also ensures the calf is happy and healthy.
"Barcode" and "Baldy", two healthy and happy calves at Double D Dairy
At Double D's, we recognize the importance of getting calves off to a great start. We do this by milking all cows within six hours of calving and feeding a gallon of colostrum to their calves immediately. We also give newborn calves a pill that is packed with immunoglobulins to give them an extra boost of immunity. We also give the cows vaccines against common calf diseases before calving. When we vaccinate the mother, she makes antibodies against the pathogen in the vaccine and then puts the antibodies into her colostrum, making it that much more valuable to her newborn calf. Sneaky, huh?
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