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calf health plan - Coggle Diagram

- - - - stored at 4'C, regular checks, use 1-2L sanitised storage containers, keep for one day if no preservatives
    - - store between -18- -20'C > can be kept in frozen storage for up to a year if multiple freeze-thaw cycles do not occur and temperature is checked regularly (CLEARLY LABEL)
    - - avoid pooling colostrum samples between cows, poorer quality colostrum will dilute the good quality > also increased risk to bacterial contamination & risk transmission of Johnes disease to calf
    - - reduces bacterial load, eliminates certain pathogens - if not used straight away needs to be frozen
      - there is evidence that use of pasteurised colostrum improves efficiency of passive transfer as bacteria in the colostrum can bind to antibodies before they are absorbed by the gut - reducing number of bacteria leaving more IgG available for absorption
    - - refrigerating may increase bacterial load, but preservatives dilute the colostrum, combining 4'C colostrum with potassium sorbate is able to reduce bacterial growth for 6 days
    - - dont use colostrum from diseased cows
      - udder cleanliness > remove any teat sealent & adopt effective disinfectant
      - clean hands & wear gloves to avoid colostrum contamination
      - sanitise pipes after each use
      - transfer clean colostrum to sanitised bucket
  - - - Quantity
        
        calves require sufficient amount of IgG, should be fed 10-12% of body weight as colostrum in first feeding
      - quality
        
        quality of colostrum may vary - recommended they're fed 50mg/ml of IgG
        
        refractometer testing: >50mg/ml good quality /or/ 23%
      - quickly
        
        calves may experience gut closure after birth - decreasing ability to absorb intact protein macromolecules including IgG - give colostrum ASAP after birth (4-6hour window *practicality wise)
    - - suckling from dam
        
        most natural solution, but carries increased risk of failure of passive transfer (FPT) > weak calves unable to get up and suckle > quality of colostrum not measured > insufficient colostrum intake > faecal matter on teats may transfer other pathogens (johne's disease)
      - teat/ nipple bottle
        
        snatch away and bottle feed > less stressful > promotes closure of the oesophageal groove, allowing colostrum to enter the abomasum "true stomach" > ingest largest volumes > promotes suckling behaviour still
      - oesophageal tube
        
        typically done when had a difficult calving > reliable method > does not stimulate reflex to closure oesophageal groove = colostrum enters rumen rather than abomasum, increasing transit time to small intestine by 2-4hrs > does not have large impact on passive transfer > requires skill or risk injuring calf
    - - record calf details > record colostrum details > calf health records > SOPs for colostrum collection, storage etc > staff training > data review