The effects of longterm colostrum feeding on dairy calf performances

The present study was carried out to investigate the effect of long term colostrums feeding during 10 days on calf health and performance of Holstein calves. Female and male calves born from November 2007 to March 2008 in Agricultural Faculty Farm, University of Çukurova, Adana, Turkey were used in the experiment. All calves were kept together with their mothers for the first 3 days after calving and then were housed in individual calf hutches. Calves were also received a commercial calf grower from second week of the trial to the weaning. Fresh water were supplied to the calves ad libitum in pail after consuming their liquid feeds. The results showed that the daily average weaning age was 70 days and the amount of the concantre feed consumed during this period were 355 gr, 327 gr, 332 gr and 325 gr. Amount of serum immunoglobilins were found between experiment groups in first 3 days IgM, 5,78 ml/dl, 4,92 ml/dl, 5,21 ml/dl and 5,97 ml/dl, weaning age 5,21 ml/dl, 6,20 ml/dl, 5,89 ml/dl and 7,38, IgA first 3 days 11,42 ml/dl, 11,45 ml/dl, 11,83 ml/dl, 11,51 ml/dl, weaning age 10,74 ml/dl, 10,06 ml/dl, 10,97 ml/dl, 11,85 ml/dl IgG first 3 days 141,69 ml/dl, 134,61 ml/dl, 144,04 ml/dl, 150,09 ml/dl, weaning age 129,83 ml/dl, 124,67 ml/dl, 132,55 ml/dl, 135,90 ml/dl. The results obtained in the experiment showed that there were no differences in daily gain, roughage, concentrate or total solid feed intake, feed conversion and weaning weight (P>0.05). Two calves from colostrums group and 4 calves from whole milk group were suffered from scour. In addition, calves fed with colostrums was more healthy than the calves fed with whole milk.