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Colostrum for calves

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We’ve created a variety of tools to help you learn more about colostrum, calves and SCCL. Our goal is to equip you with the the best resources to feel confident when feeding colostrum and making decisions in raising your calves.

The Colostrum Counsel

The publication delivering expert advice for colostrum management practices.

Is Day One Colostrum Management the Key to Improving Beef on Dairy Health at the Feedlot?

Preweaning Health Is a Lifetime Profitability Issue

Not all Colostrum is Created Equal: Why Fat Matters More Than You Think for Calves

The Colostrum Counsel – More than an Antibody Bolus: The Benefits of Colostrum Beyond IgGs

The Colostrum Counsel – Maternal Colostrum Quality Varies, Calf Health Shouldn’t

The Colostrum Counsel – Maximizing the Most Important Meal in the Life of a Cow

The Colostrum Counsel – Dealing with Diarrhea: A 4-step Approach

The Colostrum Counsel – The Importance of A Holistic Approach to Colostrum Management: Enrichment and Extended Feeding

Collaborative Studies

Collaborative published studies proving the efficacy and safety of products manufactured by SCCL and the applications for feeding colostrum in calves.

Effects of enriching IgG concentration in low- and medium-quality colostrum with colostrum replacer on IgG absorption in newborn Holstein calves

A.J. Lopez, J.Echeverry-Munera, H.McCarthy, A.C. Welboren, A.Pineda, M.Nagorske, D.L.Renaud, M.A.Steele

J Dairy Sci. 2023 May; 106(8):3680-3691

Feeding colostrum or a 1:1 colostrum:milk mixture for 3 days postnatal increases small intestinal development and minimally influences plasma glucagon-like peptide-2 and serum insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations in Holstein bull calves Describes how gut development is influenced by PD1; Persistency of IgG in serum also described;

Pyo J, Hare K, Pletts S, Inabu Y, Haines D, Sugino T, Guan LL, Steele M.

J Dairy Sci. 2020 May;103(5):4236-4251. doi: 10.3168/jds.2019-17219. Epub 2020 Mar 12. PMID: 32171512.

Timing of colostrum and impacts on gut microflora

Ma T, O’Hara E, Song Y, Fischer AJ, He Z, Steele MA, Guan LL.

J Dairy Sci. 2019 Aug;102(8):7073-7086. doi: 10.3168/jds.2018-16130. Epub 2019 Jun 13. PMID: 31202657.

Mixing and Feeding Tips

SCCL’s colostrum products are a easy and convenient solution to get your newborns off to a strong, healthy start. Check out these simple tips to easily mix and feed our products.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why use a colostrum supplement or replacer?

Herd colostrum may be unsafe because of the presence of infectious diseases such as Johnes, BVD, BLV, Salmonella, and others.
Quantity or quality of available colostrum may be highly variable.
Not enough labour to properly collect, test, store, and feed herd colostrum.
In high value or high-risk calves with circumstances such as dystocia or cold temperature, calves need extra, good quality colostrum fast that’s high in immunoglobulins and natural colostral fat.
To assure every calf receives their first feed as soon as possible after birth to cover energy and immunity needs.

What should you look for in a colostrum replacer?

Colostrum products should be made from actual whole bovine colostrum. Many products on the market are a combination of many ingredients that attempt to mimic maternal colostrum. There should be a single ingredient on the label: bovine colostrum. The product should also contain true colostral fat. Fats and oils from other sources do not provide the same benefits to the calf. In one study, calves fed defatted colostrum replacer had a 50% increase in respiratory disease in the first 90 days of life and a 6% increase in mortality. They also had lower rectal temperatures and spent less time standing and more time in a lying position.

I know that calves can only absorb colostral immunity from the intestines into the blood for the first 24 hours after birth. Is there any benefit to feeding colostrum after day one?

Yes, there can be benefits from feeding smaller amounts of colostrum after day one. Colostrum can be fed after the first day of life to improve gastrointestinal health to create a healthier, more productive calf. Naturally, cows continue producing smaller amounts of colostrum after a calf is born, so this application mimics that transition milk by adding colostrum powder to the calf’s whole milk or milk replacer diet for the first two weeks of life. In situations where diarrhea is a problem, the immunoglobulins will provide local immunity in the intestines to restore gut health.

Which risk factors contribute to the dam producing poor quality colostrum and ultimately lead to failure of passive transfer in calves?

First calf heifers
Heat stress, cold stress
Poor teat or udder confirmation
Leaked colostrum from the udder before calving
Produces a very small volume of colostrum
Nervous, poor mothering instinct, or rejects calf
Slow recovery from calving, or ill
Genetic differences in colostrum quality
Poor nutrition

How long can you store your own colostrum?

After collecting and testing your own colostrum with a Brix refractometer or hydrometer, colostrum that is not going to be used for immediate feeding can be stored in two different ways; cooled in the refrigerator or frozen in a freezer.
If the colostrum is going to be fed later in the day or within 24 hours, it can be refrigerated between 1 to 1.5°C (33 to 35°F).
If the colostrum is not going to be used before 24 hours, it can be frozen within the first hour of collection at -20 to -21°C (-5°F). This colostrum could be used safely for about 6 months, and some would argue that it can be used for up to a year.
It is important to remember that repeated freeze thaw cycles dramatically damage and affect the functional antibodies in colostrum and therefore life span of the frozen colostrum is reduced.

Meet Headstart Dairy

They understand that a successful dairy herd starts with healthy calves. Learn more about how SCCL has helped them achieve their herd’s goals through colostrum.

Beyond Colostrum Podcasts

It’s more important than ever to dial in your newborn calf management and find solutions to advance your operation.
Welcome to the Beyond Colostrum podcast, where we discuss research-proven ways to improve your newborn calf health, while optimizing performance and maximizing your genetic potential and profitability.
Now Let’s go Beyond Colostrum!

Listen on

Highlighted Episodes

Beyond Colostrum: Managing Heat Stress

Beyond Colostrum: Preventing the need for antibiotics in calves

Beyond Colostrum: The Value of Colostrum for Beef Calves

Beyond Colostrum: Beef Producers Commonly Asked Questions

Video Library

To learn more about how to use and feed colostrum check out our YouTube Channel to view our full video library.

Where to Buy

We offer our products in many countries across North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

SCCL Disclaimer for Continuing Education Courses & Related Content

Learning Center

The Colostrum Counsel

Is Day One Colostrum Management the Key to Improving Beef on Dairy Health at the Feedlot?

Preweaning Health Is a Lifetime Profitability Issue

Not all Colostrum is Created Equal: Why Fat Matters More Than You Think for Calves

The Colostrum Counsel – More than an Antibody Bolus: The Benefits of Colostrum Beyond IgGs

The Colostrum Counsel – Maternal Colostrum Quality Varies, Calf Health Shouldn’t

The Colostrum Counsel – Maximizing the Most Important Meal in the Life of a Cow

The Colostrum Counsel – Dealing with Diarrhea: A 4-step Approach

The Colostrum Counsel – The Importance of A Holistic Approach to Colostrum Management: Enrichment and Extended Feeding

Collaborative Studies

Effects of enriching IgG concentration in low- and medium-quality colostrum with colostrum replacer on IgG absorption in newborn Holstein calves

Timing of colostrum and impacts on gut microflora

Mixing and Feeding Tips

Frequently Asked Questions

Meet Headstart Dairy

Beyond Colostrum Podcasts

Video Library

Where to Buy

JOIN US!

Cooling the calf: Colostrum and transition milk solutions for heat stress

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