Liquid Gold - quality colostrums provide seamless solution

With Bianca Theeruth - Ruminant Technology Application Specialist

New colostrum products that are a very close match with maternal colostrum are now available and proving highly successful in trials, as Cargill’s youngstock specialist Bianca Theeruth explains.

“Mum’s colostrum is best, but on occasions, where there’s none available or not enough to meet the newborn calf’s requirement, a replacement or supplement is needed,” says Bianca. “The better this product matches maternal colostrum in constituent values and mode of action, the better the calf will perform in these crucial early days.&r

Colostrum is a complex and finely tuned product, and it plays a crucial part in successful passive immunity by providing calves with immunoglobulin.

“It also contains protein, lipids and carbohydrates and micronutrients, such as vitamins and minerals, and a range of bioactive compounds that have been shown to aid calf gut development and promote gut maturation, immunity and nutrient absorption,” she adds.

“These compounds help to reduce the incidence of diarrhoea and other digestive disorders by promoting a healthy microbiome.”

Colostrum is the calf’s first food supply. “And it’s the most vital one - so when supplies are short, or quality is poor, the best possible alternative should be to hand.

“Colostrum quality should be routinely checked using a Brix refractometer or a colostrometer, and a minimum reading of 22% or ‘floating in the green zone’ which indicates the maternal colostrum contains 50mg IgG/ml.

“Some units have increased this minimum threshold to 25% Brix as the standard for using or storing maternal colostrum.”

Quality Alternatives

Where maternal colostrum supplies fall short an alternative is required. “There are very good options,” adds Ms Theeruth. “There’s no reason for calf performance being compromised.”

The immunoglobulins in commercially produced colostrum products can be derived from milk, whey or colostrum from cows, or egg sources.

“These will vary in nutrient composition. It is important that products with a proven track record are selected, and that they’re checked to make sure the correct amount of IgG is passed on to the calf, as a replacement or a supplement to maternal colostrum.”

Producing a quality and highly effective replacement or supplementary colostrum calls for a great understanding of the maternal colostrum composition,

It’s been a key area of research for Cargill, and with more detailed knowledge and a better understanding of maternal colostrum, improved products have been developed.

The company is now able to offer UK dairy and beef calf rearers two new colostrum products - a colostrum replacer and a colostrum supplement and enhancer - as part of its NeoMilk calf milk range.

Both products are made from 100% naturally derived bovine colostrum proteins and bovine fats; the latter being the key energy source. They are produced under strict quality assurance standards to ensure a safe and consistent product and are easy to mix and highly palatable.

“Both products very closely mimic maternal colostrum and perform on par with ‘the real thing’,” adds Bianca.

Neo Complete Gold is a colostrum replacer where maternal colostrum is unavailable. Neo Golden Supplement and Enhancer, provides a high-spec additional colostrum feed where extra volume or quality is required, alongside maternal colostrum.

Trial Success

Neo colostrum products are proven in field trials to meet the calf’s nutritional requirements and achieve successful passive immunity.

Neo Complete Gold has been tested in a trial in Portugal with 27 crossbred calves who were fed with 1kg of this Cargill colostrum replacer which contains 150g of IgG/kg, in two feeds of 500g each, with the first fed, on average, 51 minutes after birth.

Blood samples were taken 24 hours after birth and serum analyses determined that 93% of the calves achieved successful passive immunity.

Key Facts

High-quality, low-pathogen maternal colostrum remains the gold standard for newborn calves. It should be tested and IgG levels logged.

Successful passive immunity depends on colostrum quality, the feeding programme and the calf’s ability to absorb vital nutrients.

Colostrum supplements and colostrum replacers are essential for increasing calf immunity when supplies are limited, inadequate or disease eradication is desired.

A proven, high quality and consistent colostrum product that contains maternal colostrum should be used. Note that IgG content, and trial data should be requested – it won’t be listed on the label

Cargill’s Neo Colostrum Replacer and Neo Colostrum Supplement and Enhancer are proven products where newborn calves need nutritional support.

Passive immunity should be checked by blood testing a group of calves every quarter at the vet’s routine visit. This costs about £10 per test.

As with maternal colostrum, Cargill’s Neo colostrum can also be added to calf milk replacer in the first few weeks to provide added protection in the gut and mitigate challenges.

Replace or Supplement

Colostrum products containing more than 100g of IgG per dose are considered to be colostrum replacements. They’re formulated to be fed as a substitute to maternal colostrum and to provide the essential immunity and nutrients that newborn calves require.

If ‘extra’ is needed, a colostrum supplement, which will have less than 100g of IgG per dose, can be fed alongside maternal colostrum to increase IgG concentration and provide other valuable nutrients found in maternal colostrum.

Cargill has produced a guide that helps producers determine whether a replacement or supplement colostrum product is required (see Figure 1).

This is available from the web site https://provimi.com/en/NAVIGATION/neo-gold-range

PREVIOUS NEXT