Health Status Of Calves Research Articles

Association of morbidity, mortality, and average daily gain with transfer of passive immunity in dairy-beef crossbred calves up to 60 days of life

Adequate transfer of passive immunity (TPI) is a cornerstone for a proper health status of calves. In the literature, there is limited information on the prevalence of failure of TPI in dairy-beef crossbred calves and its impact on morbidity, mortality, and average daily gain (ADG) during the preweaning period. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the association between TPI with morbidity, mortality, and ADG in pre-weaned dairy-beef crossbred calves. A total of 1,055 newborn dairy-beef crossbred calves were enrolled upon arrival at a calf-raising facility in California from January to August 2021. Farm of origin, genetic breed group, sex, and body weight were recorded upon arrival. Blood was collected at 24 ± 1 h post-arrival to evaluate serum IgG concentration, serum total protein (TP), and packed cell volume. Morbidity (diarrhea and respiratory treatment records) and mortality were recorded daily until 60 d of life. Calves were grouped into 2 genetic breed groups: Holstein x Beef (Ho x Be, 49.6%) and Jersey × Beef crossbred calves (Je × Be, 50.4%). Descriptive statistics and Cox proportional hazard models were created to evaluate the association of TPI categories for serum IgG (TPI-IgG: poor: < 10.0 g/L, fair: 10.0 - 17.9 g/L, good: 18.0 - 24.9 g/L, and excellent: ≥ 25.0 g/L) and TP (TPI-TP: poor: < 5.1 g/dL, fair: 5.1 - 5.7 g/dL, good: 5.8 - 6.1 g/dL, and excellent: ≥ 6.2 g/dL), sex, and genetic breed group with morbidity and mortality. Additionally, a mixed linear regression was performed to evaluate the association of sex, genetic breed group, and TPI categories with ADG. Overall morbidity and mortality were 84.8% (n = 895) and 2.5% (n = 26). Calves classified as TPI-IgG excellent were associated with the lowest (43.2% less) hazard of being treated compared with TPI-IgG poor calves. For mortality, dairy-beef crossbred calves with TPI-IgG excellent were associated with a reduction of 82.0% in the hazard of dying compared with TPI-IgG poor. The TPI-IgG poor and TPI-IgG fair calves were associated with a decreased ADG of 101.0 and 98.8 g/d, respectively, in comparison with TPI-IgG good calves. Average daily gain of TPI-IgG good and TPI-IgG excellent calves were not different. In our study, dairy-beef crossbred calves enrolled may have endured challenging conditions that increased morbidity. This reinforces the importance of high IgG levels to decrease morbidity and mortality and maximize ADG in dairy-beef crossbred calves raising systems. Further research should evaluate the long-term effects of TPI categories on the health and performance of dairy-beef crossbred calves.

Does vitamin C supplementation in milk improve growth and health of diarrheic calves?

The objective of this study was to investigate how supplementing vitamin C (VC) in milk affects growth, starter intake, blood metabolites, and the health of young calves classified into healthy or diarrheic groups. Calves were classified as diarrheic if they experienced diarrhea for at least 3 days from birth to day 7, otherwise, they were classified as healthy (i.e., days with diarrhea < 3). From day 8 of age, a total of 48 Holstein calves were divided into four groups based on a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement, with calf health status (healthy or diarrheic) and VC supplementation (VC+ or VC–) to pasteurized milk (0 or 2 g/d; 50% purity) being the main experimental factors. Calves were fed equal amounts of milk until weaning (d 60). Calves continued to be monitored until they reached 74 days of age. Calves in the VC+ group were heavier at weaning (74.3 vs. 72.2 kg; P = 0.04) compared to those calves that did not receive VC. Blood total antioxidant capacity (d 53 and 67) and superoxide dismutase activity (d 53) were greater (P < 0.01) in VC+ vs. VC– calves. Calf health status and VC supplementation interacted (P = 0.03) for blood β-hydroxybutyrate on d 53, with the lowest concentration observed in diarrheic/VC– calves. Calves in the diarrheic group had a lower total antioxidant capacity (P = 0.01) but a greater neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio on d 53 and 67 (P < 0.01) than calves in the healthy group. Before weaning (d 53), neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio was greater, but hemoglobin was lower (P = 0.02) in calves classified into the diarrheic group that did not receive supplemental VC. The number of days medicated for diarrhea treatment was lower in VC+ calves than those in VC– group (1.73 vs. 2.47 days; P = 0.05). Overall, VC supplementation in pasteurized milk improved calf growth and health. Calves that experienced elevated episodes of diarrhea within the first week of life benefited more from supplemental VC than those classified into the healthy group.

Preliminary exploration of the health and behavior around the time of transportation of beef × dairy calves and Holstein bull calves 3 days of age or younger in the western United States

In the western United States, it is common practice for dairy and beef × dairy calves to be sold and shipped within the first few days of life, making transportation one of the first challenges that a calf will experience. To date, no published research has examined the effects of calf transport within the western United States. The objectives of this observational study were to describe the health status of calves leaving the source dairy, characterize transportation conditions and calf behavior during transportation, and determine if age at transportation and transportation duration are associated with dehydration, blood glucose and lactate, and behavior. An observational study was performed on 2 source dairies in the western United States. Initial enrollment consisted of dairy bull calves and beef × dairy calves (n = 126 total) across 16 transport cohorts which were sold and transported to separate calf-raising facilities approximately 80 km from the source dairy. Health exams and measurements were performed on all study participants 2 to 3 h before transport and ≤2 h after transport. Two researchers performed health exams using the Wisconsin calf health score, which included clinical respiratory scores, lung ultrasound, and fecal, navel, and joint scores. Hydration status was assessed using skin tent duration. Blood samples were collected and immediately analyzed for blood glucose and lactate using glucose and lactate meters. Accelerometers were attached at the source dairy on ≤10 calves in each of the 16 transport groups to record movement and behavior during transport (n = 90 had accelerometers attached). Results showed that about half of calves (49%) were identified with at least one health abnormality before transport. Researchers found an association between age and dehydration status in which calves <24 h of age were more likely to be dehydrated compared with calves 1 d of age. Additionally over half of the calves (56%) were identified as dehydrated after transport. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first observational study that investigates the effects of transportation on dairy bull and beef × dairy calf health and welfare in the western United States. Our findings support the need for improved management and decision making before transporting calves to reduce the negative effects of transport.

Predictive models for disease detection in group-housed preweaning dairy calves using data collected from automated milk feeders

In the United States, dairy calves are typically housed individually due to the perception of reduced risk of spreading infectious diseases between calves and the ability to monitor health on an individual calf basis. However, automated milk feeders (AMF) can provide individual monitoring of group-housed calves while allowing them to express more natural feeding behaviors and interact with each other. Research has shown that feeding behaviors recorded by AMF can be a helpful screening tool for detecting disease in dairy calves. Altogether, there is an opportunity to use the data from AMF to create a more robust and efficient model to predict disease, reducing the need for visual observation. Therefore, the objective of this observational study was to predict disease in preweaning dairy calves using AMF feeding behavior data and machine learning (ML) algorithms. This study was conducted on a dairy farm located in the Upper Midwest United States and visited weekly from July 2018 to May 2019. During farm visits, AMF data and calves' treatment records were collected, and calves were visually health-scored for attitude, ear position, ocular discharge, nasal discharge, hide dirtiness, and cough score. The final datasets used for the analyses consisted of 740 and 741 calves, with 1,007 (healthy = 594 and sick = 413) and 1,044 (healthy = 560 and sick = 484) observations (health events) for Data 1 and Data 2, respectively. Data 1 included only the weekly calf health scores observed by research personnel, whereas Data 2 included primarily daily calf treatment records by farm staff in addition to weekly health scores. Calf visit-level feeding behaviors from AMF data included milk intake (mL/d), drinking speed (mL/min), visit duration (min), rewarded (with milk being offered) and unrewarded (without milk) visits (number per d), and the interval between visits (min). Three approaches were used to predict health status: generalized linear model, random forest, and gradient boosting machine. A total of 16 models were built using different combinations of behavior parameters, including the number of rewarded visits, number of unrewarded visits, visit duration, the interval between visits, intake, intake divided by rewarded visits, drinking speed, and drinking speed divided by rewarded visits, and also calf age at the sick day as predictor variables. Of all algorithms, random forest and gradient boosting had the best performance predicting the health status of dairy calves. The results indicated that weekly health scores were not enough to predict calf health status. However, daily treatment records and AMF data were sufficient for creating predictive algorithms (e.g., F1-scores of 0.775 and 0.784 for random forest and gradient boosting, Data 2). This study suggests that ML was effective in determining the specific visit-level feeding behaviors that can be used to predict disease in group-housed preweaning dairy calves. Implementing these ML algorithms could reduce the need for visual calf observation on farms, minimizing labor time and improving calf health.

Evaluation of the Metabolic Relationship between Cows and Calves by Monitoring Calf Health and Cow Automatic Milking System and Metabolic Parameters.

With this study, we investigated the relationship between a cow's and calf's metabolic state, and its effect on health status. To achieve this, 20 calves of primiparous and 20 calves of multiparous cows were selected. The calves were monitored for 30 days and scored for signs of disease, as described in McQuirk (2008); according to score, they were divided into healthier calves; the Low calf score group (LCS, 5-8), Medium calf score group (MCS, 9-12) and High calf score group (HCS, 14-17); or calves most prone to disease. Their mothers were monitored for the same period with a Lely Astronaut 3 herd management system (Lely, Maassluis, The Netherlands) for rumination time, milk yield, milk fat, protein, lactose concentrations and milk fat to protein ratio. Both cows and calves were sampled for blood, and concentrations of glucose with β-hydroxybutyrate were registered. The results indicate that primiparous cows had a 16% higher blood glucose concentration (3.03 mmol/L SE = 0.093) compared with multiparous cows (2.61 mmol/L, SE = 0.102) (p < 0.01), but no difference in calf glucose was recorded. Β-hydroxybutyrate levels did not differ significantly between cows and calves by parity group. Rumination time was longest in the HCS group at 550.79 min/d. and was 16% longer compared with the LCS group (461.94 min/d.; p < 0.001) and 8% longer compared with the MCS group (505.56 min/d.; p < 0.001). The MCS group rumination time mean was statistically significantly higher compared with the LCS group by 8% (p < 0.001). Milk yield was also highest in the HCS group (44.8 kg/d.): 19% higher compared with the MCS group (36.31 kg/d., p < 0.001) and 13% higher than the LCS group (38.83 kg/d., p < 0.001). There was also a significant difference between the MCS and LCS groups of 6% (p < 0.001). The HCS group had the highest milk fat concentration (4.47%): it was 4% higher compared with the LCS group (4.28%, p < 0.001) and 5% higher than the MCS group (4.25%, p < 0.001). Milk fat to protein ratio was highest in the HCS group (1.21) and was 7% higher than in the MCS group (1.12, p < 0.001) and 8% higher than in the LCS group (1.11, p < 0.001). The LCS group was determined to have the highest concentration of milk lactose (4.66%). It was 1% higher compared with the MCS group (4.62%, p < 0.001) and 1.07% higher than the HCS group (4.61%, p < 0.001). We can conclude that parity did not affect calf health status and that cows of the HCS group showed symptoms of negative energy balance expressed through higher milk yield, higher milk fat concentration and higher milk fat to protein ratio, with lower milk lactose concentration. Further and more thorough research is needed to evaluate the relationship between pregnant cows and calves.

Evaluation of a Forefront Weight Scale from an Automated Calf Milk Feeder for Holstein and Crossbred Dairy and Dairy-Beef Calves.

Recording of body weights of dairy calves may assist producers in monitoring the health status of calves and making feed-related management decisions. Traditional methods of weighing calves can be time-consuming and labor-intensive. The objective of this study was to evaluate a forefront weight scale on stalls attached to an automated calf milk feeder system to determine the accuracy for measuring the calf body weights of Holstein and crossbred dairy calves. The study was conducted at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center, Morris, MN, dairy. Eighty-eight Holstein and crossbred calves were fed either 8 L/d or ad libitum milk from September 2019 to February 2020 and March 2020 to July 2020. Crossbred calves were Grazecross crossbreds composted of Jersey, Viking Red, and Normande, ProCross crossbreds composed of Holstein, Montbéliarde, and Viking Red, Limousin-sired crossbred dairy × beef bull calves, and Limousin-sired crossbred dairy × beef heifer calves. The Limousin-sired calves were from Holstein or crossbred dams. Calves were introduced to the Holm & Laue Calf Expert and Hygiene Station automatic calf feeder (Holm & Laue GmbH & Co. KG, Westerrönfeld, Germany) at 5 days of age and were weaned at 56 d. Forefront weight scales were attached to four hygiene station feeding stalls on the automated calf milk feeder, and calves were required to place both front hooves on the scale to access milk. The calf weights from the automated milk feeder were compared to the gold standard calibrated electronic scale (Avery Weigh-Tronix LLC, Fairmont, MN scale). Calves were weighed once per week using the electronic scale, and those weights were compared to the most recent weight recorded by the forefront scale. The associations of the weights from the automated milk feeder scale and the electronic scale were determined with Pearson correlations (PROC CORR of SAS) and Bland-Altman plots (PROC SGPLOT of SAS). Furthermore, PROC GLM of SAS was used to regress the electronic scale body weight on the forefront weight scale body weight for each calf. A total of 600 weight observations were used for statistical analysis. The Pearson correlation of the electronic scale compared to the forefront weight scale was high (0.991), and the concordance correlation coefficient was high (0.987). Correlations for individual calves ranged from 0.852 to 0.999 and were classified as high. Correlations of the electronic scale and forefront weight scale for breed groups ranged from 0.990 to 0.994. The slope of the regression line was 0.9153, and the 95% confidence interval was between 0.906 and 0.925. A mean bias of 0.529 kg was observed from the Bland-Altman plots. The results suggest that there is potential for the forefront weight scale to be used on automated calf milk feeders to accurately record the body weights of calves and support management decision-making, identify sick calves, and help producers determine the proper dosage of medications for calves based on body weight.

Effect of Azadirachta indica and Phyllanthus niruri Plant Meal on Performance and Health in Growing Calves

Background: During perinatal period, the immune system of calves is developing, making them vulnerable to infectious diseases that affect their growth or increasing mortality. Phytobiotics have various physiological effects on animals that could improve their performance and health. In this study, the effect of a feed herbal mixture made from Azadirachta indica and Phyllanthus niruri were evaluated in dairy calves. Methods: Forty Holstein calves were assigned into four groups (doses of 0, 2, 3 and 4 g d-1) and productive and health parameters were recorded. Results were analyzed according to a completely randomized design in which linear and quadratic effects of daily feed additive dose were tested. Result: Increasing the dose of herbal mixture linearly reduced final body weight, body weight gain and daily calve starter intake, although it improved feed conversion. Blood tests showed that hematocrit and hemoglobin increased quadratically. The number of segmented neutrophils increased linearly. Finally, the number of pneumonia cases decreased quadratically. These results suggest that supplementation with herbal additives could improve feed efficiency and improve the health status of calves.

Effects of propolis extract on growth performance and health condition of dairy calves

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of propolis ethanol extract, on performance, fecal structure, and general health status of calves during the preweaning phase. For this purpose, 24 Simmental calves that were given colostrum for the first 3days after birth were enrolled in the study. The study started when the calves were 4days old and finished when they were 60days old. These calves were divided into two groups as propolis and control groups according to their weight and gender. Both groups were given the same ration and housed in individual calf huts under the same environmental conditions. Differently from the control group, the calves in the propolis group were given 4mL of propolis extract (300mg/mL) with an oral feeding syringe for 56days after morning feeding. The amounts of feed intake and fecal scores of the calves were recorded daily. Health scores, rectal body temperature, fecal pH, body weight, and body measurements were recorded weekly. For the determination of the counts of Lactobacillus spp. and Bifidobacterium spp., fecal samples were collected at the beginning and at the end of the study. The results indicated that oral administration of propolis had positive effects in terms of some performance parameters, the number of days with diarrhea, and fecal scores. In this study, it was concluded that propolis extract had the potential to positively affect the growth performance and health status of preweaning calves.

Feeding behaviors collected from automated milk feeders were associated with disease in group-housed dairy calves in the Upper Midwest United States

Automated milk feeders (AMF) are an attractive option for producers interested in adopting practices that offer greater behavioral freedom for calves and can potentially improve labor management. These feeders give farmers the opportunity to have a more flexible labor schedule and more efficiently feed group-housed calves. However, housing calves in group systems can pose challenges for monitoring calf health on an individual basis, potentially leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Feeding behavior recorded by AMF software could potentially be used as an indicator of disease. Therefore, the objective of this observational study was to investigate the association between feeding behaviors and disease in preweaning group-housed dairy calves fed with AMF. The study was conducted at a dairy farm located in the Upper Midwest United States and included a final data set of 599 Holstein heifer calves. The farm was visited on a weekly basis from May 2018, to May 2019, when calves were visually health scored and AMF data were collected. Calf health scores included calf attitude, ear position, ocular discharge, nasal discharge, hide dirtiness, cough score, and rectal temperatures. Generalized additive mixed models (GAMM) were used to identify associations between feeding behavior and disease. The final quasibinomial GAMM included the fixed (main and interactions) effects of feeding behavior at calf visit-level including milk intake (mL/d), drinking speed (mL/min), visit duration (min), rewarded (with milk being offered) and unrewarded (without milk) visits (number per day), and interval between visits (min), as well as the random effects of calf age in regard to their relationship with calf health status. Total milk intake (mL/d), drinking speed (mL/min), interval between visits (min) to the AMF, calf age (d), and rewarded visits were significantly associated with dairy calf health status. These results indicate that as total milk intake and drinking speed increased, the risk of calves being sick decreased. In contrast, as the interval between visits and age increased, the risk of calves being sick also increased. This study suggests that AMF data may be a useful screening tool for detecting disease in dairy calves. In addition, GAMM were shown to be a simple and flexible approach to modeling calf health status, as they can cope with non-normal data distribution of the response variable, capture nonlinear relationships between explanatory and response variables and accommodate random effects.

Trace minerals source in calf starters interacts with birth weights to affect growth performance

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of partial replacement of inorganic minerals (IM) with trace minerals in advance chelate components form in starter diets for calves of different birth weights on performance, health, and behavior of Holstein calves. Fifty-two calves were assigned to 1 of 4 treatments in a 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with two mineral sources (IM or advanced chelated minerals (ACMS)) and two birth weights (low or normal birth weight; LBW or NBW). Calves were weaned on d 56 and remained until d 71 of the study. Results showed that NBW calves had higher feed intake, withers and hip height, larger heart girth and lower fecal score than LBW calves throughout the study. Calves receiving ACMS tended to have higher feed intake, larger hip width, lower eye and nose scores, and lower rectal temperature throughout the study than IM calves. In addition, ACMS calves had larger abdominal girths at d 56 of the study compared to IM calves. Interactions between birth weights and mineral sources for preweaning average daily gain (ADG) and weaning and final BW showed that ACMS supplementation improved ADG and BW in LBW calves. Non-nutritive oral behavior was lower in ACMS calves compared to IM calves during all periods. Overall, ACMS feeding decreased non-nutritive oral behavior and improved calf health status during the study. In addition, feeding ACMS to dairy calves with LBW increased their ADG to a similar extent as to NBW calves, suggesting an improvement in their efficiency.

Dietary Chromium Picolinate Supplementation Improves Glucose Utilization in Transition Calf by Ameliorating Insulin Response.

The decrease in insulin sensitivity during the transition of preruminant calves into ruminant animals is the common denominator. Meanwhile, this adaptation predisposes dairy calves towards various health issues and metabolic disorders that occur in later life. Chromium (Cr) has been shown to potentiate insulin functioning and is thereby helpful in reducing the risk of these metabolic disorders. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of Cr supplementation on the insulin sensitivity and health status in Hariana calves during their transition period. A total of 24 preruminant Hariana calves were randomly allocated into four groups (6 calves per group) for a period of 90days. Calves either received a basal diet devoid of supplemental Cr (control; Cr0.0 group) or were supplemented with 0.05mg (Cr0.05 group), 0.10mg (Cr0.10 group), and 0.15mg (Cr0.15 group) of Cr per kg BW0.75 as Cr-picolinate (Cr-Pic). To determine the effect of Cr supplementation on the insulin response, glucose-insulin-non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAs) kinetics was studied during the intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) and oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A rapid glucose disappearance (p < 0.05) with unaltered insulin kinetics during IVGTT and OLTT indicates greater insulin sensitivity in calves supplemented with 0.10 and 0.15mg of Cr per kg BW0.75. Improved insulin sensitivity in the Cr0.10 and Cr0.15 groups was further confirmed by higher (p < 0.05) values of the insulin sensitivity check index (QUICKI), revised quantitative insulin sensitivity check index (RQUICKI), and lower (p < 0.05) values of the homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) during IVGTT. Mean serum non-esterified fatty acids (NEFAm), and insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1) levels were the highest (p < 0.05) and cortisol concentrations were the lowest (p < 0.05) in the Cr0.15 groups. Unlike IVGTT, there was no effect of treatment, period, and treatment × period interaction on mean serum glucose and insulin levels during OGTT. However, Cr-supplemented calves had a higher (p < 0.05) glucose clearance rate (gCR). Serum IRS-1 concentrations during OGTT were also higher (p < 0.05) in the Cr0.10 and Cr0.15 groups than in the other groups. Serum Cr levels increased dose dependently and were the highest (p < 0.05) in calves fed a diet supplemented with 0.15mg Cr per kg BW0.75. There was no effect of treatment on average daily gain (ADG) and body condition score (BCS) while frequency and duration of diarrhea were lower and fecal score was better in Cr-supplemented calves. The current findings show that Cr supplementation improved glucose utilization and health status in calves during their transition period by improving insulin sensitivity.

Comparing gradual debonding strategies after prolonged cow-calf contact: Stress responses, performance, and health of dairy cow and calf

We assessed effects of two-step debonding strategies in calf rearing systems with different types of prolonged cow-calf contact (CCC) on stress responses, health and performance of dairy cows and calves. Forty-eight Holstein Friesian cow-calf pairs had either: 1) full contact including suckling, where contact was reduced before weaning via fence-line separation at day 49 (FC-FS) (n = 10); 2) full contact, where contact was reduced at day 56 by fitting calves with a nose-flap (FC-NF) (n = 10); 3) partial contact (calves were housed in a pen adjacent to the cow area allowing physical contact on initiative of the dam but no suckling), where contact was reduced before weaning by moving the calf box from the wall to prevent physical contact at day 49 (PC-BW) (n = 6); 4) partial contact, where contact was reduced the week after weaning by moving the calf box away from the wall at day 63 (PC-AW) (n = 12); 5) no contact (calves were removed from dam directly after birth and housed in a calf barn), calves were weaned at day 56 (NC) (n = 10). Between weeks 7–10, we assessed physiological stress parameters, weight gain, and the health status of calves, plus general activity patterns based on accelerometer sensor data of cow-calf pairs before, during and after the debonding interventions. Additionally, calves were subjected to four consecutive behavioural tests (i.e. open field, novel object, voluntary human approach and involuntary human approach test) prior to permanent separation at day 70 and their behavioural responses were assessed via video recordings to assess fearfulness. Machine-harvested milk yields of cows were evaluated during weeks 6–12. Data were analyzed with (generalized) linear mixed models. Throughout the debonding period, FC-NF calves had an impaired growth rate (P = 0.02). In weeks 6–9, FC-FS and FC-NF cows had lower machine-harvested milk yields than PC-BW, PC-AW, and NC cows (P ≤ 0.01). We found no differences in responsiveness of calves to behavioural tests, except that NC calves exhibited more solitary play events compared to PC and FC calves in the novel object test (P = 0.002). Overall, our results imply that calves with partial CCC showed low stress responses to debonding, whereas abrupt weaning with a nose-flap during full contact seemed most stressful. Machine-harvested milk yield of FC cows seemed to recover once calves were weaned. More research into strategies to improve the process of debonding is warranted.

Effects of compound probiotics on growth performance, rumen fermentation, blood parameters, and health status of neonatal Holstein calves

This study aimed to investigate the effects of compound probiotics (consisting of 108 cfu/g of Lactobacillus plantarum, 108 cfu/g of Pediococcus acidilactici, 108 cfu/g of Pediococcuspentosaceus, 107 cfu/g of and Bacillus subtilis) on growth performance, rumen fermentation, bacteria community, blood parameters, and health status of Holstein calves at the first 3 mo of age. Forty-eight newborn calves were randomly divided into the following 3 groups: control group (milk replacer with no compound probiotics), low compound probiotics group (milk replacer + 0.12 g of compound probiotics per head per day), and high compound probiotics group (HP; milk replacer + 1.2 g of compound probiotics per head per day). Starter pellets of the low compound probiotics and HP groups were coated with 0.05% compound probiotics. Milk replacer was provided from 2 to 63 d of age (6 L at 2-10 d, 8 L at 11-42 d, 6 L at 43-49 d, 4 L at 50-56 d, and 2 L at 57-63 d), and starter pellets were provided ad libitum from 7 to 90 d of age. Body weight and body size (d 1, 30, 60, and 90), blood (d 40 and 80), and rumen fluid (d 90) were analyzed using the one-way ANOVA procedure; fecal score was recorded daily and analyzed as repeated measures using the mixed model procedure. Results showed that diet supplemented with compound probiotics had no effects on the body weight, average daily gain, dry matter intake, and feed efficiency. At 90 d of age, diet supplemented with compound probiotics decreased the withers height. Immunity activities increased in the HP group, supported by the increased concentrations of serum total protein and immunoglobulins at 40 d of age, and by the increased activity of superoxide dismutase at 80 d of age. Diet supplemented with compound probiotics altered rumen fermentation, indicated by the decreased rumen acetic acid and propionic acid, and the increased butyric acid concentrations. Diet supplemented with compound probiotics improved the health status of calves, indicated by the decreased fecal score at 3 wk of age and the decreased medicine treatments. In summary, although diet supplemented with HP decreased the withers height, this level of probiotics is recommended to improve rumen development and health status of newborn Holstein calves.

Feeding fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) seed as a potential appetite stimulant for Holstein dairy calves: Effects on growth performance and health

This experiment was conducted to determine the effect of increasing dietary doses of fennel seed powder (FSP) on growth performance and health status in calves. Holstein calves (n = 48; 3 d of age; 36.3 ± 1.06 kg BW; mean ± SE) were allocated randomly to diets containing 0 (FSP0), 1.5 (FSP1.5), or 3 g/d (FSP3) FSP in milk (morning feeding; during the first month) and then in the starter feed (top-dressed; from d 31 until weaning on d 71). The calves remained in the trial until d 81. Weight gain and final BW were greater in FSP-supplemented calves compared with control calves. Heart girth and hip width gained more in FSP-supplemented calves compared with control calves. Body weight gain and frame growth were not affected by calf sex. The calves receiving FSP had a lower chance of having elevated rectal temperature (≥39.4°C) and a lower probability of suffering from diarrhea or pneumonia. The chance of having diarrhea, but not pneumonia, was greater in female calves. The chance of medication occurrence for diarrhea and pneumonia was not affected by FSP and calf sex. The FSP3 calves had shorter days with elevated rectal temperature (≥39.4°C) compared with the FSP1.5 (1.2 d; SEM = 0.10) and FSP0 (2.9 d; SEM = 0.10) calves. Days with diarrhea but not its frequency and medication days was shorter (4 d; SEM = 0.10) in the FSP-supplemented calves. Control calves experienced more days with pneumonia compared with calves fed FSP1.5 (3.1 d; SEM = 0.08) and FSP3 (5.4 d; SEM = 0.08). Calves fed FSP3 experienced shorter days (2.3 d; SEM = 0.08) with pneumonia compared with calves fed FSP1.5. Feeding FSP tended to decrease (1.6 d; SEM = 0.10) medication days for pneumonia compared with control group. The duration (2.2 d; SEM = 0.10) and medication days (1.3 d; SEM = 0.15) for diarrhea were higher in female calves compared with the male calves. Compared with the control calves, feeding 3 g/d of FSP may be more beneficial in improving the weight gain and skeletal growth (heart girth and hip width) and in reducing the susceptibility to and duration of diarrhea and pneumonia in dairy calves.

106. Using a multi-state modelling (MSM) approach to predict dairy calf health status using on-farm precision technology data

106. Using a multi-state modelling (MSM) approach to predict dairy calf health status using on-farm precision technology data

Heat treatment of bovine colostrum: effects on colostrum metabolome and serum metabolome of calves

Bovine colostrum is important for neonates' health due to its nutritive and non-nutritive components. Heat treatment of colostrum is a well-established management tool, but it may influence colostrum components and affect the health status of calves. In our previous studies, we had shown that colostrum proteome and serum proteome of calves were altered by heat treatment to different degrees. Our objectives in this study were to investigate the effects of heat treatment on colostrum metabolome and the effect of feeding heat-treated colostrum on the serum metabolome of newborn calves. Further, the changes in serum metabolome from before to after colostrum feeding were characterized. Newborn Holstein female calves (n = 10) were randomized within pairs and fed heat-treated (n = 5; 60 °C, 60 min) or raw (n = 5) colostrum at 8.5% of birth BW by esophageal feeder within 1 h of birth. After a single colostrum feeding, calves were not fed until after the 8 h time point. Blood samples were taken immediately prior to feeding (0 h) and 8 h after feeding. The colostrum and serum metabolome were first analyzed using reverse-phase chromatography and tandem MS, and serum metabolome was then further analyzed using hydrophilic interaction chromatography and tandem MS. In colostrum metabolome, 458 features were identified and 328 were annotated and a trend of separation between raw and heat-treated colostrum could be observed through multivariate analysis. In serum metabolome, 3 360 features were identified and 1 439 were annotated, but no trend of separation was observed between the two groups of calves fed raw colostrum vs. heat-treated colostrum. The serum metabolome presented substantial differences comparing before (0 h) and after colostrum feeding (8 h); in particular, a tripeptide, β-homovaline-β-homoalanine-β-homoleucine, and 1-(2-acetamido-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranosyl)-1D-myo-inositol had higher concentrations after colostrum feeding than before, along with other metabolites that were not fully annotated. Based on a relatively small sample size, our findings point to the effect of heat treatment on the change of colostrum metabolome, but not on the change of serum metabolome of calves fed raw colostrum vs. heat-treated colostrum. Further studies using larger sample size and complementary analytical techniques are warranted to further explore potential heat treatment-induced alterations in colostrum metabolome.

Nucleotide Supplementation to Whole Milk Has Beneficial Effects on Post-Weaning Holstein Calf Performance.

Simple SummaryThe positive effects of nucleotide (NU) supplementation in milk replacer have been elucidated in infants and partly in dairy calves; however, NU addition to whole milk has not been evaluated yet. In this study, a NU-containing supplement was added to whole milk at rate of 0.5 and 1 g/d. Without any effects on pre-weaning performance, post-weaning intake was improved as NU increased and final body weight was greater in NU supplemented calves. Nucleotide supplementation to whole milk linearly decreased days with loose feces in the first month of life. These results show that NU has beneficial effect on calf health status and intake even if it is supplemented to whole milk.The positive effects of nucleotide (NU) supplementation in milk replacer have been elucidated in infants and in dairy calves; however, NU addition to whole milk has not been evaluated previously. This study aimed to assess NU supplementation in the whole milk on calf growth and health. Thirty Holstein calves (body weight: 39.1 ± 1.0 kg; 3 d after birth) were randomly assigned to the following treatments: whole milk without any supplementation (NU0), whole milk + 0.5 g/d added a NU-containing supplement to whole milk (NUCS0.5), and whole milk + 1 g/d added a NU-containing supplement to whole milk (NUCS1). Calves were weaned at d 55 and stayed on study until d 75. Calves had free access to feed and water throughout the study. Dry matter intakes (DMI) were similar among treatments (p > 0.05) during the pre-weaning period; however, increasing NU resulted in a linear (p < 0.05) increase in DMI during the post weaning period (2158, 2432, and 2518 g/d for NU0, NUCS0.5, and NUCS1, respectively). Treatments did not affect body weight (BW) at the first and second month of study, but final BW linearly increased as NU was added (87.1, 90.6, and 95.4 kg for NU0, NUCS0.5, and NUCS1, respectively). Neither pre-weaning average daily gain nor post-weaning average daily gain was affected by treatments; accordingly, feed efficiency was similar among treatment groups. Days with loose fecal score were linearly decreased as NU was added to whole milk during the first month of life, while the fecal score did not differ among treatments until the end of the study. No difference was observed in the skeletal growth of calves in the current study. Therefore, it can be concluded that NU supplementation in the whole milk has some beneficial effects on calf performance in terms of final BW, post-weaning DMI, and less days with loose feces.

Effect of season and temperature before and after calving on the future milk production of born heifers

Effect of season and temperature before and after calving on the future milk production of born heifers

Transport of Young Veal Calves: Effects of Pre-transport Diet, Transport Duration and Type of Vehicle on Health, Behavior, Use of Medicines, and Slaughter Characteristics

The aim of this study was to investigate effects of different early life transport-related factors on health, behavior, use of medicines and slaughter characteristics of veal calves. An experiment was conducted with a 2 × 2 × 2 factorial arrangement with 3 factors: (1) provision of rearing milk or electrolytes before transport, (2) transport duration (6 or 18 h), and (3) type of vehicle (open truck or conditioned truck). The study included male Holstein-Friesian and cross-bred calves (N = 368; 18 ± 4 days; 45.3 ± 3.3 kg). Data on health status of calves were collected at the collection center and at the veal farm until week 27 post-transport. Behavior of calves was recorded during transport and at the veal farm until week 13 post-transport. Use of herd and individual medical treatments was recorded at the veal farm. The prevalence of loose or liquid manure at the veal farm from day 1 until week 3 post-transport was lower in electrolyte-fed calves transported in the conditioned truck compared to electrolytes-fed calves transported in the open truck or milk-fed calves transported in both the conditioned and open truck (Δ = 11% on average; P = 0.02). In comparison with the open truck, calves transported in the conditioned truck had lower prevalence of navel inflammation in the first 3 weeks post-transport (Δ = 3 %; P = 0.05). More milk-fed calves received individual antibiotic treatments compared to electrolyte-fed calves at the veal farm (P = 0.05). In conclusion, the transport-related factors examined in the present study affected health and behavior of calves in the short-term, but there was no evidence for long-term effects. It remains unknown why no long-term effects were found in this study. Perhaps this absence of transport-related effects was due to multiple use of medical treatments in the first weeks at the veal farm. Alternatively, it might be that the collective effects of the transition from the dairy farm to the veal farm, and of the husbandry conditions during the subsequent rearing period, on the adaptive capacity of calves were so large that effects of individual transport-related factors were overruled.

Adding monoglycerides containing short and medium chain fatty acids to milk replacer: effects on health and performance of preweaned calves

The aim of this trial was to investigate the effects of a blend of monoglycerides of short- and medium-chain fatty acids (SMCFA) on health status and growth of preweaned male calves from 16 to 72 days of age. The in vivo study was conducted as a complete randomised block design. Twenty Italian Holstein calves received starter administered ad libitum and 6 L of milk replacer/day (12% powder concentration) and were divided into treated (T) and control (C) groups. A preliminary in vitro antibiotic activity test of SMCFA was performed on several bacterial strains showing a minimum inhibiting concentration ranging from 0.8 to 12.5%. The group T received SMCFA (11 g/day) within the milk replacer while, to obtain isoenergetic liquid diets, the group C received additional 18 g/day of milk replacer powder. Body weight and morphological measurements of the calves were performed weekly. Health scores were checked daily. Faecal and blood samples were collected every two weeks for routine clinical investigations including serum concentration of non-esterified fatty acids and β-Hydroxybutyric acid. At the end of the trial calves were slaughtered and gastrointestinal tract (GIT) organs weighed. The group T reported a better health status and did not require Ab therapy. No differences in biometrical measurements, feed efficiency, blood parameters, and GIT measures were found between the two groups. At 44 days of age, group T showed higher β-Hydroxybutyric acid concentration compared to group C (p < .05). The SMCFA improved the calf health status avoiding the use of antimicrobics. HIGHLIGHTS The monoglycerides of short and medium chain fatty acids improve calf health status. The monoglycerides of short and medium chain fatty acids reduce the need for antibiotic treatment. The monoglycerides of short and medium chain fatty acids reduce the negative impact of enteropathogens.