Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Canadian Veterinary Journal logoLink to The Canadian Veterinary Journal
. 1984 Jul;25(7):273–279.

The Yield of Colostrum and Colostral Gammaglobulins in Beef Cows and the Absorption of Colostral Gammaglobulins by Beef Calves

L Petrie, S D Acres, D H McCartney
PMCID: PMC1790615  PMID: 17422425

Abstract

The details of a small study on the volume of colostrum and colostral gammaglobulins produced by beef cows at the first milking immediately after calving and the serum concentrations of passively acquired colostral gammaglobulins attained by beef calves are reported. The mean volume of colostrum and colostral gammaglobulins produced were 2990 ± 2100 (SD) mL and 314.75 ± 211.8 (SD) g respectively. The mean serum concentrations of passively acquired colostral gammaglobulins were 29.9 ± 10.1 (SD) ZST units (n = 40, Ranch A) and 19.2 ± 7.5 (SD) ZST units (n = 42, Ranch B). The main reason for this difference appeared to be nutritional; the cows on ranch B being in much poorer condition and almost certainly producing less colostrum than those on ranch A.

Full text

PDF
273

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Acres S. D., Isaacson R. E., Babiuk L. A., Kapitany R. A. Immunization of calves against enterotoxigenic colibacillosis by vaccinating dams with purified K99 antigen and whole cell bacterins. Infect Immun. 1979 Jul;25(1):121–126. doi: 10.1128/iai.25.1.121-126.1979. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Boyd J. W., Baker J. R., Leyland A. Neonatal diarrhoea in calves. Vet Rec. 1974 Oct 5;95(14):310–313. doi: 10.1136/vr.95.14.310. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bradley J. A., Niilo L., Dorward W. J. Some observations on serum gammaglobulin concentrations in suckled beef calves. Can Vet J. 1979 Sep;20(9):227–232. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brignole T. J., Stott G. H. Effect of suckling followed by bottle feeding colostrum on immunoglobulin absorption and calf survival. J Dairy Sci. 1980 Mar;63(3):451–456. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(80)82952-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Carroll E. J., Jacobsen M. S., Kassouny M., Smith N. E., Armstrong D. T. An inhibitory effect of oxytocin on the milk-ejection reflex. Endocrinology. 1968 Jan;82(1):179–182. doi: 10.1210/endo-82-1-179. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Logan E. F. Colostral immunity to colibacillosis in the neonatal calf. Br Vet J. 1974 Sep-Oct;130(5):405–412. doi: 10.1016/s0007-1935(17)35781-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Logan E. F., Gibson T. Serum immunoglobulin levels in suckled beef calves. Vet Rec. 1975 Sep 20;97(12):229–230. doi: 10.1136/vr.97.12.229. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Logan E. F., McBeath D. G., Lowman B. G. Quantitative studies on serum immunoglobulin levels in suckled calves from birth to five weeks. Vet Rec. 1974 Apr 20;94(16):367–370. doi: 10.1136/vr.94.16.367. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Logan E. F. The influence of husbandry on colostrum yield and immunoglobulin concentration in beef cows. Br Vet J. 1977 Mar-Apr;133(2):120–125. doi: 10.1016/s0007-1935(17)34133-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McEwan A. D., Fisher E. W., Selman I. E. Observations on the immune globulin levels of neonatal calves and their relationship to disease. J Comp Pathol. 1970 Apr;80(2):259–265. doi: 10.1016/0021-9975(70)90093-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. McEwan A. D., Fisher E. W., Selman I. E., Penhale W. J. A turbidity test for the estimation of immune globulin levels in neonatal calf serum. Clin Chim Acta. 1970 Jan;27(1):155–163. doi: 10.1016/0009-8981(70)90390-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. McGuire T. C., Pfeiffer N. E., Weikel J. M., Bartsch R. C. Failure of colostral immunoglobulin transfer in calves dying from infectious disease. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1976 Oct 1;169(7):713–718. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Myers L. L. Vaccination of cows with an Escherichia coli bacterin for the prevention of naturally occurring diarrheal disease in their calves. Am J Vet Res. 1976 Jul;37(7):831–834. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Naylor J. M., Kronfeld D. S., Bech-Nielsen S., Bartholomew R. C. Plasma total protein measurement for prediction of disease and mortality in calves. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 1977 Oct 1;171(7):635–638. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Petrie L. Maximising the absorption of colostral immunoglobulins in the newborn dairy calf. Vet Rec. 1984 Feb 18;114(7):157–163. doi: 10.1136/vr.114.7.157. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. ROY J. H., PALMER J., SHILLAM K. W., INGRAM P. L., WOOD P. C. The nutritive value of colostrum for the calf. 10. The relationship between the period of time that a calfhouse has been occupied and the incidence of scouring and mortality in young calves. Br J Nutr. 1955;9(1):11–20. doi: 10.1079/bjn19550005. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Radostits O. M., Acres S. D. Diseases of calves admitted to a large animal clinic in Saskatchewan. Can Vet J. 1974 Mar;15(3):82–87. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Radostits O. M., Acres S. D. The prevention and control of epidemics of acute indifferentiated diarrhea of beef calves in Western Canada. Can Vet J. 1980 Sep;21(9):243–249. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Radostits O. M., Rhodes C. S., Mitchell M. E., Spotswood T. P., Wenkoff M. S. A clinical evaluation of antimicrobial agents and temporary starvation in the treatment of acute undifferentiated diarrhea in newborn calves. Can Vet J. 1975 Aug;16(8):219–227. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Roesti R., Fey H. Messung der Serum-Immunoglobulinklassen IgG, IgM und IgA des Simmentaler Rindes. Schweiz Arch Tierheilkd. 1975 Feb;117(2):65–84. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Selman I. E., McEwan A. D., Fisher E. W. Studies on dairy calves allowed to suckle their dams at fixed times Post partum. Res Vet Sci. 1971 Jan;12(1):1–6. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Selman I. E., McEwan A. D., Fisher E. W. Studies on natural suckling in cattle during the first eight hours post partum. II. Behavioural studies (calves). Anim Behav. 1970 May;18(2):284–289. doi: 10.1016/s0003-3472(70)80039-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Snodgrass D. R., Fahey K. J., Wells P. W., Campbell I., Whitelaw A. Passive immunity in calf rotavirus infections: maternal vaccination increases and prolongs immunoglobulin G1 antibody secretion in milk. Infect Immun. 1980 May;28(2):344–349. doi: 10.1128/iai.28.2.344-349.1980. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Snodgrass D. R., Nagy L. K., Sherwood D., Campbell I. Passive immunity in calf diarrhea: vaccination with K99 antigen of enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli and rotavirus. Infect Immun. 1982 Aug;37(2):586–591. doi: 10.1128/iai.37.2.586-591.1982. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Stott G. H., Marx D. B., Menefee B. E., Nightengale G. T. Colostral immunoglobulin transfer in calves I. Period of absorption. J Dairy Sci. 1979 Oct;62(10):1632–1638. doi: 10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(79)83472-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Tennant B., Harrold D., Reina-Guerra M., Laben R. C. Neonatal alterations in serum gamma globulin levels of Jersey and Holstein-Friesian calves. Am J Vet Res. 1969 Mar;30(3):345–354. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Canadian Veterinary Journal are provided here courtesy of Canadian Veterinary Medical Association

RESOURCES