“Good colostrum quality starts in the dry period,” is Nicolien’s conviction. “If a calf receives four litres of good colostrum within two hours of birth, it is a huge boost to its health.” Now that probably comes as no surprise to you as a dairy farmer, but how do you ensure that the dry period produces the best colostrum quality? Nicolien knows what to do and gives you five tips:
1. Dry period of at least six to seven weeks
A cow must be dry for at least six weeks. A shorter dry period is detrimental to the quality of the colostrum. The udder tissue must dry out, the cow clears the milk cells and the udder comes to rest. About three weeks before calving, the cow starts producing colostrum again very carefully. “In the case of heat stress, twins or bulls with a short gestation period, the calf can also come earlier. That is why it is really essential to maintain a dry period of seven to eight weeks, so that the cows are really dry for six weeks, even in the case of a premature birth,” Nicolien emphasizes. “This is often underestimated, especially with heifers. If the BSK of the second calf cows is disappointing, there is a good chance that it is due to the dry period length of the heifers.”
2. Feeding appropriate protein
In the ideal dry period, a cow maintains its dry matter intake up to and including the day of calving. This is only possible if the cow has unlimited access to a tasty ration. The crude protein content of the ration and the amount of minerals and vitamins also influence the quality of the colostrum. “Immunoglobulins, the antibodies in colostrum, are proteins. If you want protein in the colostrum, you must also feed sufficient and appropriate protein during the dry period,” says Nicolien.
3. Colostrum feeding of four to eight litres is perfect
In the ideal situation, a cow that has just calved gives four to eight litres of colostrum. Is this lower than four litres? Then take another critical look at the dry period ration and feed intake with your feed advisor. A colostrum feeding of more than eight litres can mean that the dry period ration is too energy-rich. This is at the expense of the colostrum quality. Then also take a close look at the dry period ration with your feed advisor.
4. Use colostrum quality as an indicator
The colostrum quality is a good indicator of the quality of the dry period. Therefore, it is best to measure the first colostrum of each cow. Is the brix value lower than 23%? There are still opportunities for improvement in the dry period, such as the dry period length, ration and feed intake. Colostrum with a lower brix value can be corrected in some cases with ColoCorrect. Read more about the quality and supplementation of colostrum here.
5. Vaccination as a last option
You can vaccinate your dry cows against E-coli, the rota and coronavirus and cryptosporidium. “The cow produces antibodies that end up in the colostrum. The calf then receives these via the colostrum. So it is still important that the colostrum ends up in the calf, because only then will the calf receive these antibodies,” explains Nicolien. However, vaccination is the last option for Nicolien. “You first have to be sure that there are problems with Rota, Corona, Coli or cryptosporidium. In addition, colostrum management remains very important. My advice is therefore to first focus on colostrum management before you move on to vaccination. It is not a miracle cure.”