Colostrum tips, tricks

As we move into winter, I like to review colostrum practices on farms to help producers prepare for cold weather challenges that can exacerbate neonatal calf health challenges. Thanks to Dr. Sandra Godden’s research at the University of Minnesota, we can rely on the “5 basic Q’s” of colostrum: quickness, quality, quantity, squeaky clean and quantify.

Quickness

Best practice is to feed colostrum within two hours of birth, though four hours could be used on farms. I would say quickness also applies to colostrum collection of the dam. Research suggests the best immunoglobulin G concentrations are attained when the fresh cow is milked within 30 minutes of calving. However, within the first two hours of calving can also perform well. The downside to waiting longer for colostrum collection is that, as the cow produces more milk volume, she will dilute IgG concentrations to some degree.

One tip I recently read: consider using 2 milliliters of oxytocin in fresh heifers to improve colostrum yield. Recent research by Cornell University and the University of Bern, Switzerland, evaluated the routine use of oxytocin on colostrum yield on a commercial dairy farm. All animals included in the study were Holsteins and experienced normal calving. Fresh heifers and mature cows were included in the study. Cows in the treatment group were given either 1 or 2 mL of oxytocin about 45 seconds prior to milking unit attachment. Cows in the control group were not given any oxytocin or other injection (placebo) before unit attachment. The volume of colostrum and IgG concentrations were then measured.

Results showed that treating primiparous cows (fresh heifers) with 2 mL of oxytocin statistically improved the colostrum yield. There was no increase in volume for mature cows given oxytocin. There was no effect on the concentration of IgG in any group when oxytocin was used. There was also no benefit to giving 1 mL of oxytocin to either mature cows or fresh heifers. This data suggest the new experience of calving and colostrum collection for heifers may be sufficiently stressful to limit milk let-down and colostrum yield.

Quality 

Historically, we have recommended using 22% on a Brix refractometer for a cutoff. Research shows that this correlates to approximately 50 gram/liter IgG. If you feed four quarts of 22%, it should be approximately 200 g IgG total. However, recent research has suggested that feeding levels higher than 22% are beneficial both short-term and long-term. I now recommend feeding a Brix of 24% or higher to all replacement heifers. However, there is research suggesting that there are no significant benefits to feeding more than 300 g total of IgG. If the number is under 24%, I often use an app to calculate the amount of colostrum replacer needed to raise the number to 24%. Both Alta and the Saskatoon Colostrum Company have free apps that are easy to use on a cellphone or tablet.

Quantity

Feed 1 gallon for first feeding — consider less for really small calves or Jersey breeds, as 10% of body weight is another recommendation. The Dairy Calf and Heifer Association recommends 3 quarts of colostrum for every 60 pounds of body weight. Some farms I work with also feed a second feeding of colostrum 8-12 hours after the first feeding. Feeding by bottle or tube feeder both work well as long as the calf consumes the entire volume. Also, make sure those tube feeders are not so rough that they will dam-age the calf’s esophagus.

Squeaky clean

This measurement depends on whether you pasteurize colostrum or not. I do recommend the use of a colostrum pasteurizer to reduce contamination and human errors in colostrum collection. DCHA recommends a standard plate count of less than 50,000 cfu/mL for fresh colostrum and less than 20,000 cfu/mL for pasteurized colostrum. They also recommend that coliform levels (think E. coli-type bacteria) be less than 5,000 cfu/mL for fresh colostrum and less than 100 cfu/mL for pasteurized colostrum. Re-member, bacteria colonies essentially bind the antibodies in the colostrum and can prevent absorption of antibodies. Common areas of contamination include poor udder hygiene of fresh cows, dirty bottles or colostrum tube feeders, and dirty colostrum collection buckets, especially if those buckets sit filled in the parlor for more than 20 minutes.

Quantify 

Measure serum total protein in calves 24 hours to 7 days old, ideally 12 or more a month. I would recommend using a different test if you are feeding a lot of colostrum replacer, as the serum total protein test will not be accurate for calves fed colostrum replacer. Typically, I recommend an IgG radial immunodiffusion test, which we can run on the same blood sample type. I have included the newest serum total protein goals from DCHA below for reference.

I mentioned the short-term and long-term effects of colostrum above. Those benefits are really significant. One study followed animals from 3-450 days of life and collected reproduction data and milk performance as a first lactation animal. Higher initial serum total protein concentrations (think 6.0 g/dL and higher) were associated with the following factors:

— Reduced age at first estrus, A.I., time to pregnancy, and calving by 16, 18, 25, and 25 days, respectively. That is up to 25 days less on feed.

— Positively correlated with milk production and increased total milk yield and yield of energy-corrected milk by about 708 lbs (1,558 kg) and 522 lbs (1,149 kg) during first lactation. Specifically, increased preweaning average daily gain was correlated with increased energy-corrected milk at 305 days in milk by 342 lbs (754 kg) in the first lactation.

If you have more colostrum questions or would like references, please contact me. Happy colostrum harvesting.

Megan Weisenbeck is one of six veterinarians at Northern Valley Livestock Services in Plainview, MN. She practices primarily dairy production medicine in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Megan can be reached at [email protected].