Colostrum feeding routines - Passive immunity and welfare in dairy - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Colostrum feeding routines - Passive immunity and welfare in dairy calves Carlos E. Hernandez, MVZ, MSc, PhD

Outline Background Current projects at the Department of Animal Nutrition and Management at SLU “Effects of colostrum feeding routines ( Oesophageal Tube (OT), suckling 1) or bottle) o n: A. Calf performance and welfare in dairy calves Project Leader: Kerstin Svennersten Sjaunja and Carlos E. Hernandez B. The establishment of the digestive and respiratory tract microbiota in dairy calves” Project Leader: Bengt-Ove Rustas “ Comparison of the use of refractometer (%Brix) and colostrometer as 2) estimators of IgG content in milk ”. PhD student: Lisa Andree O ´ Hara, Supervisor: Kjell Holtenius ”Improved calf performance in small -scale dairy production in Southern 3) Vietnam”. PhD student: Bui Phan Thu Hang, Supervisors: Kerstin Svennersten, Ewa Wredle, Johan Dicksved and Duong Nguyen Khang

Background Colostrum feeding routines- passive transfer of immunity and welfare in dairy calves

Background • Calves are born with insufficient immunity to fight disease • Calf survival depends on the transfer of passive immunity of maternal immunoglobulins via the colostrum • Factors affecting the transfer of passive immunity include: 1) The timing of first colostrum feeding 2) The quality of the colostrum (i.e. amount of immunoglobulins and bacterial contamination) 3) The volume of colostrum consumed Photo: SLU bildbank

Background Level of control Colostrum feeding Timing Quality Volume method 1) Bottle or bucket feeding 2) Suckling the dam 3) Oesophageal Tube feeder

Background Oesophageal Tube (OT) feeder Pros: • Allows greater control of quality, quantity and timing of colostrum feeding • Higher levels of serum IgG than bottle or suckled calves • Saves time - faster than bottle feeding Cons: • Invasive procedure that requires trained personnel • Does not stimulate oesophageal groove reflex • Risk of injury • Unnecessary discomfort and stress to the calves? • Possible to feed large volumes in a short period of time exceeding abomasal capacity and voluntary intake • Does not satisfy the calf’s natural need for suckling

Background Bottle or bucket feeding Pros: • Allows good control of quality and timing of colostrum feeding • Higher levels of serum IgGs than suckled calves • Allows the calf to express and fulfil its high motivation for suckling • Allows the calf to control the volume of colostrum ingested Cons: • There is limited control over the volume consumed by the calf • Time consuming, especially in calves with low motivation to feed • Reduced levels of serum IgG compared to OT

Background Suckling the dam Pros: • Allows the calf to express the full range of neonatal behaviours and allows contact between mother and young (Suckling and grooming) • Allows the calf to control the volume and frequency of colostrum ingested • Improved rate of immunoglobulin absorption • Reduction in labour costs for feeding calves Cons: • There is no control over the timing and volume consumed by the calf • Difficult to achieve consistent and adequate passive transfer of immunity

Background To date, most studies have focused on the effects of OT feeding on transfer of passive immunity, health outcomes and mortality rates There are currently no studies evaluating the consequences of OT colostrum feeding on the behaviour and welfare of dairy calves

Photo: SLU bildbank Current Cur ent pr project ojects a s at t the the Depar Department of tment of Animal Animal Nutrition and Nutrition and Mana Management gement Colostrum feeding routines and management in dairy calves

1) PR 1) PROJECT OJECT TITLE: TITLE: “ EF EFFE FECTS CTS OF C OF COL OLOSTR OSTRUM UM FE FEEDIN EDING G ROU OUTINES TINES ON ON PE PERFOR RFORMAN MANCE CE AND AND WEL WELFAR ARE IN E IN D DAIR AIRY Y CALVES” Research group: Carlos E. Hernandez, Bengt-Ove Rustas, Lena Lidfors, Lotta Berg, Helena Röcklinsberg, Stefan Alenius, Kerstin Svennersten Sjaunja

Aim To investigate the effects of oesophageal tube vs suckling vs bottle feeding on the transfer of passive immunity, growth, health, physiological, endocrine and behavioural response to the treatments and sleep patterns in dairy calves. Another aim is to study the development of gut microbiota, over the first 14 days of calf life, in relation to the feeding treatments

Specific objectives A) To investigate the effects of oesophageal tube vs suckling vs bottle colostrum feeding of new born dairy calves on: 1) The transfer of passive immunity, growth and health (birth to weaning) 2) The sleep patterns (birth to 5 days old) 3) Physiological and endocrine response to the three feeding methods (MSc student: Caroline Laestander) 4) The behavioural response to the treatments (MSc student: Ida Lundmark) B) The public’s perception of oesophageal tube feeding as a routine management for colostrum feeding in dairy calves (MSc student: Anna Johansson)

2) PR 2) PROJECT OJECT TITLE: TITLE: “ EF EFFE FECTS CTS OF C OF COL OLOSTR OSTRUM UM FE FEEDIN EDING G ROU OUTINES TINES ON ON THE THE DEVEL DEVELOPMENT OPMENT OF GUT MIC OF GUT MICROB OBIO IOTA A IN IN DAIRY CALVES” Research group: Bengt-Ove Rustas, Johan Dicksved, Carlos E. Hernandez, Kerstin Svennersten Sjaunja

Aim To investigate the effects of oesophageal tube vs suckling vs bottle feeding on the development of gut microbiota, over the first 14 days of calf life

3) PR ) PROJECT OJECT TITLE: TITLE: Photo: Lisa Andree O´Hara “ CO COMP MPAR ARISON ISON OF THE U OF THE USE SE OF OF REFRA REFRACT CTOM OMET ETER ( ER (%BR %BRIX) IX) AN AND D CO COLOSTR OSTROM OMET ETER ER AS EST AS ESTIMA IMATOR ORS S OF OF IG IG CO CONTENT IN NTENT IN MILK MILK ” Doctoral student: Lisa Andree O´Hara Supervisors: Kjell Holtenius

Objective To evaluate the potential of the colostrometer and Brix method to predict plasma IgG and to investigate (management) factors that increases the risk of being a failed-transfer-of-passive-immunity calf Photo: Lisa Andree O´Hara

Photo: Bui Phan Thu Hang 4) PR ) PROJECT OJECT TITLE: TITLE: “ IMPR IMPROVED VED CA CALF LF P PERFORMA ERFORMANC NCE E IN IN SMA SMALL LL- SCALE D SCALE DAIR AIRY Y PR PRODU ODUCTION CTION IN S IN SOUTHERN OUTHERN AM ” VIETNAM VIETN Doctoral student: Bui Phan Thu Hang Supervisors: Ewa Wredle Kerstin Svennersten Sjaunja Johan Dicksved Duong Nguyen Khang

Background • Dairy production in Vietnam is rather new (50 years) • Demand for dairy products in Vietnam is increasing • Dairy cattle population has increased from 11,000 in 1990 to Photo: Bui Phan Thu Hang approx.167,000 heads of cattle in 2012 • Local production contributes approx. 20% of national milk consumption.

Objective To identify calf management routines in small-holder commercial dairy farms that can be improved to reach a sustainable dairy production, considering both female and male calves Photo: Bui Phan Thu Hang

Thank you! Any questions? carlos.hernandez@slu.se Photo: Mårten Svensson, SLU bildbank