Colostrum silage: microbiological risks and characterization of pH as a function of day of collection

Abstract

ABSTRACT. Azevedo R.A., Guimarães F., Viegas C.R., Almeida P.N.M., Geraseev L.C., Pinto M.S., Glória J.R. & Duarte E.R. [Colostrum silage: microbiological risks and characterization of pH as a function of day of collection.] Silagem de colostro: riscos microbiológicos e caracterização do pH em função do dia de coleta. Revista Brasileira de Medicina Veterinária, 36(3):271-276, 2014. Departamento de Zootecnia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Avenida Universitária, n° 1000, Bairro Universitário, Montes Claros, MG 39404-006, Brasil. E-mail: [email protected] We evaluated the losses, pH and microbiological characteristics of silage colostrum and transition milk depending on the sampling period after delivery. Subsequently, the colostrum of the second milking after calving was incubated at 25 ° C for 33 days for analysis of the pH curve and microbiological characterization. In the total of 369 silages, 33.6% had inadequate fermentation, with the presence of pathogenic microorganisms. The silage with good fermentation showed only the presence of Lactobacillus spp. and mean pH values with decreasing linear with respect to collection day. The pH of the silage colostrum second milking after calving was the only outside the optimal range of fermentation, with a greater rate of loss (95%). After 33 days with in vitro fermentation, the average pH was 5.41, which is insufficient to guarantee the conservation of the second milking colostrum and has high microbial contamination. The first day colostrum does not produce silage with adequate fermentation and is not suitable for this technique with anaerobic storage.