Colostrum

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Colostrum is of huge importance to the health and wellbeing of calves, both as newborn and for many months after, if not their entire lives. It is very imp-ortant for nutrition and especially for immunity, as much of the large amount of antibodies contained can be absorbed whole despite being very large protein molecules. Within the first 24 hours the lining of the intestine closes and any protein is digested into component parts before being absorbed. In ideal circumstances every calf should receive colostrum from its dam, preferably by direct suckling, but if not by bucket feeding or indeed by stomach tube if not able to suckle or drink. If the dam's colostrum is not obtainable, it may be possible to use colostrum stored from another member of the herd, or even from other herds. Breeders should beware of the implications of feeding a calf colostrum from any cow other than its own mother, and in certain circumstances even the colostrum from a calf's mother may be a risk.
Disease present in a neighbour or friend's herd but not in yours may be passed on in colostrum, both viral and bacterial eg BVD, IBR, Johnes, Salmonella - so do take care if sourcing (what a horrible term for "Getting") colostrum outwith your own herd. Even if disease is not passed on antibodies may be, and this can happen with commercially available colostrum products too. Many of these are imported from North America, and a letter in this weeks Veterinary Record highlights the dangers. I quote--

"Positive enzootic bovine leucosis serology results in calves from feeding a colostrum substitute- We would like to report on the findings of our investigations of a number of cases where feeding young calves a colostrum substitute imported from Canada resulted in positive enzootic bovine leukosis (EBL) serology results in these animals.
Bovine leukosis virus (BVL) is the cause of EBL in cattle. EBL is a notifiable disease and the UK is currently classified as officially EBL free by the European Union.
Routine serological screening of calves on three different UK farms, destined for artificial insemination centres or export, revealed the presence of antibodies to BLV. Our investigations indicated that these antibodies were not the result of infection with BLV but that they were passively acquired from an imported colostrum substitute with the trade name Calf's Choice Total, which has been marketed in the UK as a supplimentary source of colostrum for neonatal calves. Calf's Shoice Total is manufactured in Canada (where EBL is endemic) by the Sakatoon Colostrum Company and is distributed in the UK by Alta UK. An information sheet provided with the product states that it is made from natural bovine colostrum and contains antibodies to a wide variety of common infectious organisms, including BLV. The information sheet also states that calves fed the product on day 1 of age may show a positive result if their blood is tested for these antibodies.
We have not identified any direct animal health risk associated with the use of this product. The product has been imported using a health certificate under the Animal By-Products Regulations, which requires the colostrum to be heat-treated in a way that will readily inactivate BLV. There is no evidence that the product contains viable BLV and therefore our current investigations indicate there is not an infection risk. However, the use of this product, or equivalent products from countries where EBL is endemic, does have implications for surveillance for EBL and for individual farms, because any positive results to a serological test for EBL triggers disease control restrictions and investigations under the relevant legistaltion. Thorough investigation of herd status in these cases is essential to allow us to continue to demonstrate national freedom from EBL. Although every effort is taken to ensure that disease control restrictions are proportionate, they are likely to prove inconvenient for the affected premises, with the possibility of consequential financial loss. Initially the whole herd will be placed under movement restrictions, although this may subsequently be reduced to the epidemiological groups containing the seropositive animals. Such restrictions may however continue for several months while antibodiy levels are monitored.
We request that colleagues in cattle practice bring this matter to the attention of their clients, particularly those calves likely to be subjected to routine serological screening for EBL, such as calves destined for an artificial insemination centre or export.
Ruth Lysons, Deputy Director, Food & Farming Group, Public Health Protection, Livestock Demographics and Surveillance Team, Defra...."etc

I apologise for the length of this but thought it best to put in the whole letter. I am also aware of concerns amongst members of the SAC Veterinary Investigation Service regarding such products and Johnes disease.

Johnes disease in a herd is also a special situation where sharing of colostrum amongst dams and calves may be seriously damaging. If any of you have had Johnes positive results then you should get detailed advice from your vet on limiting or eriadicating it.

Duncan

[Mark Bowles]

Thanks Duncan, it tends to be taken for granted that such products are safe or sterile in some way, so the reminder serves as a caution to us all. I wonder if problems could occurr with the milk replacer ( item on another thread), although it would be given at a less vulnerable time in a calfs life, ie after the colostrom?.

[carole]

Hi Duncan
Based on the above would you say that if you cannot get colostrum from your own herd is a powdered formula better than getting it from another herd? (Assuming that more stringent checks are in place for these products)



Edited By carole on 1263669790

[Duncan MacIntyre]

A tricky question Carole, it probably depends on how well you know your friends and neighbours' veterinary problems, or even how well they know their own. The imported stuff is difficult to evaluate and I certainly would not call it all rubbish on an internet forum. At least some attempt is made to sterilise it, but what the letter in the Vet Record was saying really was remember that antibodies may exist in imported stuff which can cause a lot of trouble if you have any reason to have your calves blood tested and they turn out positive for a disease not supposed to be in the UK. We did have a brief brush with EBL in UK some years ago, I think some of it came in with an imported Canadian Holstein bull which was at an AI station here. There were a few clinical cases in the years after that, but very few - I think low 20's in the whole UK, though believe it or not one turned up on the little Isle of Bute and was spotted by my assistant at the time. We never managed to explain where the cow which produced the positive calf had come from, but then movement records were not so good in those days.

The real answer to the colostrum question is that mum's own is best, an auntie may be less risk than a friend or neighbour, and other stuff may be less than the 100% safe you would expect from a commercial product.

What we all should really do is draw off some extra colostrum from a milky cow in good health and keep it in our freezer just in case we need it.

Duncan

[Tim Watson]

As usual, more questions to answer please, as follows:-

1) How do you identify colostrum? As I am sure it doesn't come out a helpful bright promary colour ( :D ) is it a different consistency, small, taste etc.
2) If the cow is producing colostrum for her calf how do you know when it is safe to take some of that for the freezer?
3) Is the amount of colostrum she produces not needed by her calf?
4) Are there brands of Colostrum replacer that are made in the uK that are 'clean' and don't carry the antibodies?
Thanks

[Saffy]

Hello Tim,

1) Colostrum is actually quite obviously yellow, thick and sticky. It is the first thing that the mother produces and the milk followes as a gradual change a few days later.

2) As long as the calf is getting plenty and is filling itself, often obviously egg shaped belly and one empty quarter and three very full quarters on Mums udder, tells a tale! Then I will take the whole of the opposite quarter to the one the calf has had for a couple of days, or the one next to it. I wouldn't take all of the rest as the calfs appetite will increase as time goes on.

3)Most well fed Dexters produce so much colostrum and milk that the udder doesn't actually become empty at all for several weeks!!!

4) Sorry I know very little about the colostrum replacer I don't use it - the main point of colostrum from your own cow is that it carries useful antibodies from her to protect the calf from illness. Her antibodies will protect it from illness it is most likely to come across in the environment it has been born into.

Stephanie



Edited By Saffy on 1263721973

[Saffy]

Just wanted to add to my above post - but it won't let me.

That is my rustic "farmers" opinion - I expect Duncan will give you a much more scientific answer and will know the answer to your last question! :;):

Stephanie

[Issy]

This is really interesting. Just one question, how long will it last for in the freezer?

[Duncan MacIntyre]

Home saved colostrum will keep for years in a domestic freezer, the main thing is to thaw it carefully avoiding overheating, watch especially if it is being heated on a hotplate that no hot spots cause areas of damage on the bottom of the container.

Much of the value of colostrum is the presence of antibodies, the difficulty with imported stuff is that some of the antibodies may not be those we would want and may causes difficulties. They will not in themselves harm the calves. My other reservation about ANY shared colostrum is that in preserving the antibodies it may not be possible to totally eliminate all infection , the main one in my mind is Johnes Disease, the causal bacteria of which is particularly difficult to kill without damaging the antibodies.

Duncan

[Issy]

Thanks for the reply, next calf I will collect some.