Incidence of Inadequate Transfer of Passive Immunity in Dairy Heifer Calves in South Australia
Files
(Published version)
Date
2022
Authors
Skirving, R.
Bottema, C.D.K.
Laven, R.
Hue, D.T.
Petrovski, K.R.
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Animals, 2022; 12(21):2912-1-2912-10
Statement of Responsibility
Rebel Skirving, Cynthia D. K. Bottema, Richard Laven, Do T. Hue, and Kiro R. Petrovski
Conference Name
Abstract
The objective of this observational study was to estimate the incidence of inadequate transfer of passive immunity (ITPI) on five pasture-based dairy farms in South Australia. Heifer calf uptake of colostrum was evaluated within the first 1–7 days of age (n = 2638) using a digital refractometer to estimate each calf’s serum total protein concentration, as an indicator of colostrum uptake. Results of <51 g/L indicated inadequate transfer of passive immunity (ITPI). The data showed that the incidence of ITPI on the farms was 6.5%, 31.3%, 48.8%, 49.7% and 52.4%. The incidence of ITPI was calculated in relation to the age of the calf at testing and the breed of calf, and no significant differences were found. A significant difference was found in the incidence of ITPI when comparing the calf’s first feed after separation from the dam (colostrum versus a colostrum-transition milk mixture). The farm with the lowest incidence of ITPI collected calves twice a day, measured colostrum quality on farm with a Brix refractometer and ensured that each calf received an appropriate amount of high-quality colostrum soon after collection. Further studies are required to establish the risk factors of ITPI in South Australian dairy heifers.
School/Discipline
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
Access Status
Rights
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).