Influence of total immunoglobulin level in the colostrum and serum of cows on the passive immunity level in calves.

摘要

The aim of the study was to estimate the total immunoglobulin level in cows' serum and colostrum and in calves' serum obtained just after birth and after suckling in the second day of life. The investigations were conducted in a large commercial dairy farm for 5 months which included 24 dams and their calves. The specific mass of the colostrum and its total immunoglobulin level in the cows' and calves' serum before and after suckling were estimated using the RI test. The specific gravity of the investigated colostrum was 1.030-1.074 and the total immunoglobulin level was 18.9-97.3 g/litre. In 21% of the calves, the total immunoglobulin level before suckling was >0.5 g/litre. On the second day of the calves' lives, the colostrum contained 2.3-31.7 g/litre Ig, while for 25% of the calves, it was <5.0 g/litre. However, it was >15.1 g/litre in 19% of the calves. The calves that were fed with colostrum containing higher levels of total immunoglobulins had higher levels of immunoglobulin in their serum (in the second day of life)..