Colostrum and Drinking Water:
Essential Elements for Your Calf
A healthy growth of your livestock starts with a proper and balanced diet from a young age.
In the early stages of an animal’s life, the calf is not immune-competent, making timely administration of colostrum crucial for its immunity.
It is the only way to provide immunoglobulins to the calf, as the bovine placenta does not allow their transfer to the fetus.
To improve the quality of colostrum, it is important to vaccinate the cow in the 9th month of pregnancy against Rota Corona Virus and Colibacillosis.
How is the quality of colostrum measured?
Using a colostrometer, we can check the concentration of immunoglobulins.
High-quality colostrum should have a Brix degree greater than 22 degrees. The higher the concentration of immunoglobulins, the higher the quality of the colostrum.
To ensure that the calf receives the right amount of nutrients, it is useful to have a colostrum bank where it can be frozen and administered.
It should be divided into small quantities for better storage.
Proper storage is achieved at -20°C.
The temperature for administering to the calf is crucial and should not be lower than 40°C or higher than 50°C.
Discover Tecnozoo products dedicated to calf weaning
Another important element for a healthy and correct calf diet is drinking water.
Often considered less important, it is actually where bacterial multiplication of the rumen occurs, as it remains intact until water and feed are consumed. Therefore, milk, which only passes through the calf’s abomasum, is not sufficient for the development of protozoan fauna and bacterial flora.
Availability of water during calf weaning translates into a significant increase in feed intake with improved growth performance during the first 4 weeks of life.
Discover the entire Tecnozoo Milk Bar line, dedicated to calf feeding
