Contribution to knowledge of colostral immunoglobulin absorption in intensively bred calves

Abstract

A whole series of factors affect the degree of absorption of colostral immunolobulins. One of the most important factors is the time of feeding of newborn calves with colostrums in the first hours following birth. The objective of these investigations was to determine the effect of immunoglobulin concentration in colostrum on the process of immunoglobulin absorption during the first day of life of calves. A farm of Holstein-Friesian cows was selected for these investigations. The examinations covered 35 cows. For the examination of total immunoglobulin concentration, colostrum was taken two hours after calving. The immunoglobulin concentration was determined using the method of paper electrophoresis and RID-partigen immunodiffusion plates (INEP, Zemun). The amount of immunoglobulin in blood serum of calves was determined using the method of the zinc sulphate turbidity test (ZST). The average concentration of immunoglobulin in colostrum two hours after calving was 65.95±15.80 g/l. The biggest reached average concentration of immunoglobulin in blood serum of calves was determined following the absorption of immunoglobulin during the first day, and it amounted to 27.18±10.2 g/l, which presents 1.91± 0.72 g/kg of the body mass of calves. The straight-line linear equation is _ =0.595+0.25xi. The correlation coefficient between taken and resorbed immunoglobulins amounts to r=0.80. It can be concluded on the grounds of the obtained results that the amount of immunoglobulin in colostrum in the first drinking is of primary importance for the health status of the calves and that resorption is increased by 0.25 grams with every gram of immunoglobulin taken with colostrum.

Keywords

• calf
• immunoglobulins
• colostrums