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Fermented Bovine Colostrum for Holstein Replacement Calf Rearing

Department of Animal and Poultry Science, and Department of Clinical Studies University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1

ABSTRACT

Colostrum (composite of the first six milkings) from 85 Holstein cows was stored individually for 7 days at room temperature and then pooled for storage of 35 days. Analyses of composition for 20 cows gave means of percent acidity, pH, total solids, lactose, protein, nonprotein nitrogen as a percent of total nitrogen, and fat contents of the initial and 7-day old fermented colostrum as .534, 1.049%; 5.91, 4.74%; 20.06, 15.52%; 3.16, 3.25%; 10.56, 6.47%;4.46, 7.16%; and 5.38, 5.01%. Contents of lactose, total solids, and protein reduced slightly further for colostrum stored longer than 7 days (8 to 35). Forty Holstein female calves were fed either 1) 1.64 kg whole milk, or 2) .9 kg fermented colostrum plus .9 kg water twice daily from birth until weaning at 5 wk during autumn, winter, and spring. A 20% crude protein starter was available to calves during the experimental period. Growth was not different between treatments. Calves of group 1 consumed comparable total dry matter but less amount of crude protein than calves of group 2 (23.5 versus 22.5 kg for dry matter and 2.91 versus 3.53 kg for crude protein). Starter consumption was consistently greater for calves of group 2 than calves of group 1 (13.3 versus 10.6 kg/35 days). Number of calves treated for diarrhea was six for group 1 and two for group 2. Feed cost was reduced by 90% with fermented colostrum feeding program as compared to the whole milk feeding program.