Important Tips for
Feeding Colostrum Provided by SCCL
The single, most important meal a calf will consume in its lifetime is the first feeding of colostrum. Knowing when and how to intervene are the first steps for ensuring a productive calf. How does good colostrum feeding practices impact long-term productivity?
Under what circumstances do calves need a colostrum supplement or replacement?
The impact of good colostrum feeding practices is often overlooked. Good colostrum feeding practices and feeding more colostrum can lead to improved average daily gain, reduced treatment costs and better feed conversion efficiency. Improvement in these three areas offers financial benefits to any dairy.
There are many instances where calves should be fed a colostrum product. For instance, calves born in very cold weather, twin births and calves born to first-calf heifers. However, calves born with difficulty (also known as dystocia) are at the greatest risk for failure of passive transfer of immunity, since they are often slow to get
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up and suckle. Additionally, these calves’ ability to absorb antibodies may be compromised due to the delay of nursing and altered metabolic parameters. Whenever calves are born with intervention or assistance, the calf should be given at least a supplement dose of colostrum, if not a full replacement dose. Consider supplementing any calf that has not suckled within 1-2 hours of birth.
