Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

• soheil mirhabibi ¹
• Mohammad Asadi ²
• Mojtaba Haghighat ³
• Hossein Emrani ⁴
• Yagob Soleymani nanadeganiy ⁵

¹ Corresponding Author, Department of animal science, Golpayegan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Golpayegan, Iran. E-mail: s.mirhabibi@yahoo.com; smirhabibi@iau.ac.ir

² Department of Animal Sciences Research, Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center of Gorgan, Gorgan, Iran. E-mail: Mohammadasadiseyed1994@yahoo.com

³ Department of Animal Science, Golpayegan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Golpayegan, Iran. E-mail: Haghighat.mojtaba@yahoo.com; mhaghighat@iau.ac.ir

⁴ Department of Biotechnology Research, Animal Science Research Institute of Iran, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran. E-mail: H.emrani@areeo.ac.ir

⁵ Department of Animal Science, Golpayegan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Golpayegan, Iran. E-mail: Y.soleymani59@gmail.com

Abstract

Objective: The future productivity and success of a dairy farm are fundamentally linked to the proper rearing of suckling calves. Accordingly, careful attention to nutritional management and disease prevention is essential, as these factors significantly influence early-life mortality rates and associated economic losses. Due to the unique structure of the bovine placenta, which prevents the transfer of immunoglobulins from dam to fetus, calves are born without circulating immunoglobulins. As a result, they are entirely dependent on the absorption of immunoglobulins from colostrum to acquire passive immunity and protection against pathogenic organisms until their own immune system matures, typically between 3 to 4 weeks of age. Adequate passive transfer provides both short- and long-term benefits, including reduced morbidity and mortality, improved growth and feed efficiency, and increased future milk yield and survival. Successful IgG transfer depends on the volume and concentration of colostrum consumed. With rising colostrum production, intake volumes have increased in some dairy operations. This study aimed to assess the impact of varying colostrum volumes (as a percentage of body weight) on growth, blood parameters, skeletal development, and passive immunity in suckling calves.
Methods: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of varying colostrum volumes on performance, skeletal growth, blood parameters, and passive immune transfer in suckling calves. A total of 32 newborn calves (4 males and 4 females per group) were randomly assigned to one of four treatment groups in a completely randomized design. The treatments consisted of colostrum feeding at 14%, 16%, 18%, and 20% of body weight. The experimental period lasted for 32 days.
Results: The results indicated no significant differences in daily weight gain, final body weight, wither height, or chest circumference among calves fed different levels of colostrum. Similarly, colostrum volume (as a percentage of body weight) had no effect on serum IgG concentrations at 24 and 48 hours, or 30 days post-birth. No significant effects were observed on serum total protein, glucose, cholesterol, or triglyceride levels at either 24 hours after colostrum administration or on day 30. However, a significant difference in serum albumin concentration was observed among treatment groups on day 30 (P ≤ 0.05).
Conclusion: In conclusion, varying levels of colostrum intake did not produce significant improvements in growth performance, immune status, or blood biochemical parameters in suckling calves. These findings suggest that administering colostrum at 14% of body weight is sufficient to meet the physiological and immunological needs of newborn calves under the conditions of this study. 

Keywords

• Blood Parameter
• Calves
• Colostrum
• Immune Transfer
• Performance