17 September 2024

Three Reasons to Give Your Newborn Calf Colostrum Within Two Hours

Is it really necessary to give a calf colostrum immediately after birth? “Yes,” says Nicolien Spinhoven firmly, even though she understands that it’s not always convenient to feed a newborn calf between regular feeding times. Nicolien knows this well, as she is not only a young livestock specialist at Agrifirm but also a dairy farmer herself. This means she finds herself in the barn at night to give a newborn calf colostrum. Why? She explains it here!

“By giving all your newborn calves colostrum within two hours, you’re essentially buying yourself more time, money, and enjoyment,” says Nicolien Spinhoven. “Anyone who feeds calves knows the frustration when a calf refuses to drink. The time you invest now will pay off later with fewer issues during rearing.” This is mainly due to three key reasons: the calf’s strong sucking reflex, absorption through the intestinal wall, and optimal immunity building.

1. Sucking Reflex at Its Strongest

“Within two hours after birth, a calf’s sucking reflex is at its peak. As the calf gets older, the sucking reflex decreases, and it becomes harder to get the calf to drink,” Nicolien observes in her own practice. Therefore, her advice is to give the calf four liters of colostrum with a Brix value of at least 23 within two hours of birth.

2. Intestinal Wall Still Absorbs Antibodies

“At birth, the ‘fingers’ of the calf’s intestinal wall are open, which allows immunoglobulins—the antibodies from colostrum—to pass through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream,” explains Nicolien. Immediately after feeding colostrum, the intestinal wall begins to close. “That’s why it’s so important to give the calf four liters of colostrum with a Brix value of at least 23 as soon as possible. By six hours after birth, the absorption capacity has significantly decreased. After 24 hours, the intestinal wall is fully closed, and the calf can no longer directly absorb the necessary immunoglobulins from the colostrum into its bloodstream.”

Intestinal Wall Immediately After Birth

Kalvolac Colostrum – Intestinal Wall 24 Hours After Birth

3. Optimal Immunity Building

“A calf is born without any immunity. By giving high-quality colostrum as quickly as possible, you’re providing the calf with significant resistance,” Nicolien explains. Colostrum helps build passive immunity. The calf also begins to develop active immunity from birth, but this takes more time. “As shown in the graph, passive immunity declines while the calf develops active immunity. This transition is a crucial point in the first 14 days of life, as this is when a calf is most susceptible to scours or pneumonia. The higher the Brix value at the start, the less prone the calf is to diseases.”

Tip: Use Freezer Bags

Nicolien suggests using freezer bags instead of bottles to freeze colostrum. “Bags are easier to stack in the freezer and thaw much faster.” Be sure to label the bag with the cow’s number, the Brix value, and the date, and use the colostrum within three months. For more practical tips on calf rearing, visit Colostrum.

Tip: Keep Colocorrect on Hand

Ideal colostrum should have a Brix value of at least 23%. If the Brix value is between 20 and 22, you can correct it by adding Colocorrect, freeze-dried colostrum. Do not use colostrum with a Brix value below 20, as it can no longer be corrected with Colocorrect. In that case, use fully Colocorrect or colostrum with a higher Brix value from the freezer.

Article by

Nicolien Spinhoven
Young Livestock Specialist at Agrifirm