Effects of Quality, Quantity, and Timing of Colostrum Feeding and Addition of a Dried Colostrum Supplement on Immunoglobulin G₁ Absorption in Holstein Bull Calves

¹ Department of Veterinary Clinical Medicine, University of Illinois, Urbana 61802
² Department of Animal Sciences, University of Illinois, Urbana 61802

Three experiments were conducted to examine the effects of quality, quantity, and timing of colostrum feeding and the administration of a dried colostrum supplement on serum Ig in Holstein bull calves. In Experiment 1, calves were fed colostrum that had low concentrations of immunoglobulin (Ig; 23.9 mg of IgG₁/ml) as follows: group 1-1 (n = 6), 2 L at birth and 2 L at 12 h; group 1-2 (n = 6), 4 L at birth and 2 L at 12 h; and group 1-3 (n = 6), 2 L at birth, 2 L at 6 h, and 2 L at 12 h. Doubling the volume of colostrum administered at birth did not result in higher serum Ig at 48 h, but additional colostrum at 6 h did increase serum Ig. In Experiment 2, calves received 2 L of colostrum that had low concentrations of Ig (25.7 mg of IgG₁/ml) at birth and 2 L at 12 h. Calves in group 2-1 (n = 6) received colostrum only. Calves in groups 2-2 (n = 5) and 2-3 (n = 5) were fed additional dried colostrum supplement (136 and 272 g, respectively) at each meal. Addition of the supplement reduced efficiency of IgG₁ absorption and did not result in higher serum Ig at 48 h. In Experiment 3, calves were fed as follows: group 3-1 (n = 6), 2 L of colostrum containing 32.9 mg of IgG₁/ml (low Ig) at birth and 2 L at 12 h; group 3-2 (n = 6), 2 L of colostrum containing 60.1 mg of IgG₁/ml (high Ig) at birth and 2 L at 12 h, and group 3-3 (n = 5), 4 L of colostrum containing 60.1 mg of IgG₁/ml at birth and 2 L at 12 h. Colostrum high in Ig resulted in higher serum Ig concentrations at 48 h; the concentrations were highest when 4 L of colostrum high in Ig were fed to calves at birth.

Key Words: calf • colostrum • dried colostrum supplement • immunoglobulin G₁

Submitted on November 10, 1995
Accepted on August 7, 1996

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