Feeding of sour colostrum to dairy calves
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Date
1977
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Department of Dairy Science, College of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Mannuthy
Abstract
A study was undertaken to compare the physiological status and performance of the calves fed fermented colostrum for a period of 30 days with those reared on whole milk and also to find out the changes in the properties and composition of bovine colostrum stored at room temperature for 10 days. The colostrum required for feeding the calves was obtained by collecting the first 10 milkings of individual cows after calving and stored at room temperature for 10 days to undergo natural fermentation.
A total of 16 crossbred calves of the University Livestock Farm, Mannuthy, weaned at birth formed the animals for the study. The experimental group consisting of four males and four females received sour colostrum and a similar number in the control group was reared on whole milk. On the first day all the calves received the fresh colostrum of their dams at 10 per cent of their body weights. From the second day onwards the calves in the experimental group received sour colostrum (diluted 1: 1with lukewarm water) and the control group whole milk at the rate of 10 per cent of their body weights, fed twice daily. The calves were weighed at birth and subsequently everyday. Samples of blood were collected once in five days from all the calves for studying the blood values.
The statistical analysis of the data collected recealed that the growth rate of calves fed sour colostrum was significantly higher than that of the calves on whole milk. The calves in the experimental group gained a total of 45.7 kg in their body weights as against 28.6 kg for the control group during the period of four weeks. The physiological status of both the groups of animals were satisfactory as revealed by the blood values.
The main changes that occurred when colostrum was allowed to ferment naturally were lowering of pH from 6.2 to 4.2, reduction of protein percentage from 8.2 to 6.2 and a slight drop in the percentage of milk fat from 4.6 to 4.1. The microbial changes that occurred in the store bovine colostrum at room temperature for 10 days were as follows: the various micro-organisms such as total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, gram-negative bacteria, lactics, streptococci and yeast and molds generally increased in number during the first four days and thereafter tended to decrease and stabilized at the end, No undesirable effects were noticed in the stored colostrum.
The feeding of sour colostrum to young calves was found to be beneficial in terms of health and performance. Storing colostrum at room temperature for 10 days to bring about natural fermentation was found to preserve the same for use in calf feeding.
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