11/13/2020

Life Cycle of a Dairy Cow

Management of Dairy Calf

Breeding calving
M Q Shahid
Department of Livestock Management
Weaning

Birth

From Birth to Weaning

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From Birth to Weaning
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Targets Two Phases

Healthy Calves
Low mortality (<5%) Day 1st ( First 24 hours)
Early Weaning (within 60 d) Day 2nd to Weaning
Twice weight as that of birth

Day one (First 24 hours)

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Day one (First 24 hours)
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At Birth Important areas

Check breathing Colostrum Feeding
Dry Housing
Separate from the dam
Dip the navel cord
Weighing
Identification

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Colostrum Feeding IgG level post-parturition

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Composition of Bovine colostrum

Colostrum Transition Milk
(1st milking) Milk (2nd )
Total Solids, % 23.9 17.9 12.98
Protein, % 14 8.4 3.1
(IgG g/L) 48 25 0.6
Fat, % 6.7 5.4 3.5
Lactose, % 2.7 3.9 5.0
Specific gravity 1.056 1.040 1.032

Foley and Otterby, 1978, J. of Dairy Sci. 61:1033

Colostrum Feeding
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Colostrum Feeding
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Objectives
Transfer of Passive Immunity
Target 10g/L of serum after 24
hours

IgG Level in Calf Serum

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Ig Types
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IgG (70-80%)
IgA (10-15)
IgM (10-15)
1811 farm,2177 heifer calves were sampled, 28 states,
Representing 78 % of all milking cows.

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Colostrum Feeding
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Colostrum Feeding
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Factors affecting transfer of IgG Quality of Colostrum

Amount of IgG (50 g/L )
Quality of colostrum Breed
Quantity Age of dam
Time of 1st feeding Season of calving
Method of feeding Volume of colostrum

Colostrum Feeding
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Colostrum Quality
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Quality of Colostrum
Vaccination of dry cows
Dry period length and nutrition
Mastitis

Colostrum Quality
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Effect of Parity and time
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Effect of colostrum quantity

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Effect of milking time
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IgG in Colostrum VS time of Milking

120

100

80

60

40

20

0
2 hours 6 hours 10 Category 4

Moor et al. 2005, J Am Vet Med Assoc. 15;226(8):1375-7.

Effect of milking time

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Absorptive Efficiency of IgG
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IgG in Colostrum VS time of Milking

100

95
Highest at birth
90

85
Zero at 24 hours
80 50 % decrease at 6 hours
75
Average 30-35%
70
< 6 hours 6/ 11 hours >11

Moor et al. 2005, J Am Vet Med Assoc. 15;226(8):1375-7.

Absorptive Efficiency of IgG

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Absorptive Efficiency of IgG
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Absorptive Efficiency of IgG

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Quantity of Colostrum Intake
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Reasons of decreasing efficiency Target IgG 10g/L

Loss of binding sites
Activation of digestive juices
Bacterial colonization

Quantity of Colostrum Intake

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Quantity of Colostrum feeding
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2 L in 1st feeding, 2 L at 12
hours
4 L and 2 liters
3 L and 3 L

Method of colostrum feeding Method, volume, and birth type

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Direct suckling
Bottle feeding
Esophageal tube

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Summary
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Need of colostrum
Target of IgG
Factors affecting Ig absorption