Calf Mortality Flashcards by Madeleine Gauthier

what is colostrum made of?

mostly antibodies (IgG), some immune cells, fat, minerals, vitamins, antimicrobial peptides

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when do we vaccinate cows to get antibodies into colostrum? why?

5-6 weeks before parturition!
- start making colostrum 3 weeks before calf born
- takes 2 weeks to make antibodies to put into colostrum

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what does transfer of passive immunity depend on?

how much is available (immunization and nutrition of cow)
how much calves get (5 Q’s of colostrum)
how much they absorb (efficiency of absorption)

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how much colostrum a calf gets depends on… what?

Ie, what factors determine the vol of colostrum a calf needs?

IgG in colostrum
how old calf is/time since birth
efficiency of absorption

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what are the 5 Q’s of colostrum

Quality
Quickness
Quantity
sQueaky clean
Quantify

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what is the quality of colostrum?

the IgG concentration

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how do yield and IgC concentration correlate?

as yield goes down, IgG conc goes up

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what is the yield and average IgG conc in dairy?

yield: 6.7L
IgG: 65-74g/L

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what is the yield and average IgG conc in beef?

yield: 2.7L
IgG: 100-150g/L

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how do you measure IgG concentration in colostrum?

reference test (radial immunodiffusion/RID)
estimate: Brix refractometer, colostrometer

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you measure a dairy cow’s colostrum for IgG concentration using a Brix refractometer and colostrometer. what are you looking for?

we need ≥50 g/L IgG

Brix: 23%
colostrometer: 80mg/ml

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you measure a beef cow’s colostrum for IgG concentration using a Brix refractometer and colostrometer. what are you looking for?

we need 100-150g/L (colostrometer)

Brix: <24% and ≥30%

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why do we even measure colostrum?

if you have a calf that needs a supplement, if you’re storing for orphans, or if your cow is having lots of health issues

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tell me about the quality of supplemental products of colostrum

variable in quality

don’t have enough IgG in them to be useful to calves

for beef AND dairy, need ≥100g IgG

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what is quickness? (2nd Q of colostrum)

the time since birth of getting colostrum and the efficiency of absorption

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why is the time since birth of getting colostrum important?

gut only absorbed antibodies for first 24h (best is 4-6 hrs)

quality of colostrum decreases with time

calves typically absorb. _____ of what they’re fed.

20-30%

tell me the difference b/t dairy and beef cattle in terms of quickness of colotrsum

dairy needs to be fed ASAP!!!!!

beef is more complicated

when do we know when to intervene for beef calves who aren’t drinking colostrum? since quickness is more complicated.

calving ease (the easier, the better)
suckle reflex (the stronger, the better)

this predicts if they will do on their own or if they need help (probability of failing to consume colostrum <4h)

what is the quantity of colostrum? (3rd Q of colostrum)

the volume
colostrum mass of IgG

what is the goal of colostrum mass of IgG??

200-400g, even 500g

what is the quantity of colostrum you’re looking for in dairy?

5-10L within the first 24h

should get >4L within 4hrs of birth
then another >2L within 12 hours of birth

what is the quantity of colostrum you’re looking for in beef?

3-5L

what is the best route of administration when giving colostrum to calves? bottle feeding vs tube feeding

why?

bottle feeding

encourages closure of esophageal groove, bottle feeding better esp at smaller vols (2L)

tube feeding faster and ensures consumption for calves that won’t suckle a bottle

what does sQueaky clean mean in terms of colostrum?

contamination! obviously want to be free of any creepy crawlies

how can you store colostrum if you can't use it right away?

freeze at high surface area (spread thin) good frozen for 1 year

what is quantify in terms of colostrum?

idk lol measure by sending to lab or refractometer (serum TP)

what are the cutoffs for FTPI in beef?

failed TPI: IgG <10g/L inadequate TPI: IgG <24 g/L

how can you asses TPI?

- reference test (RID) - Total solids on refractometer

what are the impacts of failed TPI?

mortality, bovine resp dz, diarrhea, overall morbidity, increase cost per calf

tell me the serum TP and total solids numbers you'd get if you measured beef colostrum of A) <10g/L B) <24g/L

A) STP = 5.1g/dL, TS = 7.9% B) STP = 5.8g/dL, TS = 8.7%

what is bio containment? what factors are part of it?

biosecurity focused on reducing the spread of disease within a herd. space + time + protocols

for beef, it's important to ensure that most calves are born ____ in the calving season

early 60% of herd should be ≥60 days post calving at start of breeding season

what is the impact of having a short calving season?

uniformity of calves, reproduction, minimize exhaustion of environment, decreasing exposure of etiologic agents, labour

calves from what type of beef cow are most at risk for getting disease? why? what is the solution?

heifers heifers more likely to have low quantities of colostrum, have assisted calving, have problems mismothering calve heifers first = their calves are exposed to less and get more attention

what are the two main systems of pasture mgmt in terms of bio containment of beef cattle? briefly explain them

**Sandhills system**: all preggers in Pasture 1 (largest pasture), after 2-3 weeks of calving, cows yet to calve move to pasture 2 = new clean pasture, repeat. after 4-6 weeks, can combine pairs from first few pastures **Foothiils system**: large pasture for all preggos, move cow-calf pairs to nursery pen every 24hr, after 1-3 weeks, shut Pen 1 and start putting pairs in Pen 2, repeat

what is the space needed per dairy calf?

32 square feet per calf

tell me what's important about bedding in terms of preventing disease. how can you measure it?

drainage, dry nesting score 1-3 - 1: summer time, less bedding - 3: calf's legs not visible when lying down = winter