Expert advice on colostrum management and newborn best practices.
Our bimonthly publications will inform you about colostrum management practices, newborn care, industry trends, and more.
May 2025
Respiratory disease is one of the most common and economically significant health challenges affecting preweaned dairy calves. It accounts for a substantial proportion of antibiotic treatments, veterinary costs, and calf losses on farms, and it remains a persistent barrier to achieving optimal calf health and productivity.
April 2025
With calving in full swing and Mother Nature throwing some curve balls, ensuring newborn calves receive high-quality colostrum is more critical than ever. Colostrum, the first milk produced by the dam, is rich in immunoglobulins (antibodies), essential nutrients, and bioactive components that are vital for the health and survival of neonatal calves. The timely intake of adequate colostrum is crucial for passive immunity transfer, protecting calves from diseases and setting the foundation for robust growth and development.
March 2025
For colostrum to be considered high quality, it must have an IgG concentration greater than 50 g/L (McGuirk and Collins, 2004). A practical, quick, and cost-effective way to measure colostrum quality on the farm is through the use of a refractometer (Bielmann et al., 2010). Instead of directly measuring IgG concentration, the refractometer assesses the total protein content of colostrum, providing results expressed in % Brix.
February 2025
Colostrum, rich in nutrients and antibodies, is essential for providing passive immunity to newborn calves. The concentration of Immunoglobulin G (IgG) in colostrum is a key factor in determining its quality, and Brix refractometry is commonly used on farms as an indirect measure of IgG concentration in colostrum. Feeding calves with high-quality colostrum during the first hours of life is crucial for ensuring adequate IgG transfer, as calves strictly rely on it to develop disease resistance.
January 2025
Proper colostrum management is crucial for the health and survival of dairy goat kids. Colostrum provides essential nutrients and immune protection, which are vital for newborns, who are born without the natural immunity required to defend against environmental pathogens.
On farms across America, it is common practice to hand-deliver colostrum to newborn dairy calves. Although it varies amongst each operation if they choose to feed maternal colostrum or a colostrum product, each calf is getting a measured feeding of colostrum.
-June 25th, 2025 | 5:00 pm CST
