Displaying items by tag: COLOSTRUM

Colostrum is produced only in the first milking after calving, it is higher in protein and fat than milk, contains a wide array of other beneficial bioactive molecules, specific nutrients, hormones and growth factors, and has a distinctive yellow colour.

Providing a newbown calf with colostrum within 12 hours of birth is vital, we know that. And if maternal colostrum is unavailable or poor quality, a colostrum replacer can provide an essential alternative.

Taking the NZ Launch Innovation award for their colostrum management system in the 2020 Fieldays Competition, Antahi Innovations were building on their previous winner the Trusti Tuber.

A Cambridge company has unveiled another innovation that helps farmers set calves up for a lifetime of good health, fertility and production.

Mastitis is the most common disease of dairy cattle and is a significant cause of losses on the dairy farm, explains Dr Sean Daly, vet and technical adviser at MSD Animal Health.

All calves, including bobbies, must get adequate fresh colostrum in their first 24 hours of life.

A new-born calf’s immune system is immature, so calves rely on antibodies in colostrum for protection while their own immune system matures.

Handheld digital or optical Brix refractometers offer a low cost, practical way to assess colostrum quality onfarm, and can help encourage famers to seek advice if colostrum is inadequate.

Get your colostrum feeding right and you'll go a long way towards raising healthy replacement calves.

It's a long way to Methven, particularly if you come from Devon in the UK or Wairarapa, as have Andrew Furzeland and Rebecca Langley.