Associations between passive immunity and morbidity and mortality in dairy heifers in Florida, USA

Abstract

A prospective cohort study was undertaken to determine calf-level factors that affected calf health status between birth and 6 months of age. A convenience sample of approximately 3300 female Holstein calves born in 1991 on two large Florida dairy farms was used for the study. Data collected on each calf at birth included farm of origin, weight, height at the pelvis, birth date, and serum total protein (a measure of colostral immunoglobulin absorption). Birth season was dichotomized into summer and winter using meteorological data collected by University of Florida Agricultural Research Stations. Health data including date of initial treatment and number of treatments were collected for the diseases diarrhea, omphalitis, septicemia and pneumonia. All calves were followed for 6 months. Cumulative incidences of mortality and occurrence of diarrhea, omphalitis, septicemia and pneumonia were 0.12, 0.35, 0.11, 0.24 and 0.21, respectively. Serum total protein (TP) was a significant risk factor for mortality. The association of TP and mortality was quadratic and showed a dramatic decrease in mortality as TP increased from 4.0 to 5.0 g/dl, a small improvement from 5.0 to 6.0 g/dl and virtually no improvement in mortality rates as TP increased over 6.0 g/dl. The hazard mortality ratio was constant from birth to six months, indicating that the increased risk of mortality associated with low levels of TP was evident through six months of age. No interactions between TP, farm, season, or birth weight were found in these analyses. Serum total protein concentration was a significant risk factor for the occurrences, age of onset and severity of septicemia and pneumonia. The association between TP and septicemia was linear and an interaction with birth season was found. The association between TP and pneumonia was quadratic, and in contrast to the TP-and-septicemia relationship, the morbidity hazard ratio for pneumonia was not constant over the time measured; that is, colostral immunity protected the calf from developing pneumonia early in life, but this effect disappeared as the calf got older. Total protein was not a significant risk factor for diarrhea or omphalitis.

Electronic feeding behavioural data as indicators of health status in dairy calves

“…Net energy consumption was different between calves on the H, M and L planes of nutrition during the pre-BRD period (P < concentrate does not appear to augment immune function in dairy calves. Passive transfer of maternal immunoglobulin is important in determining the subsequent health and level of morbidity in the pre-weaned calf (Donovan et al, 1998;Dewell et al, 2006;Godden, 2008;Berge et al, 2009;Furman-Fratczak et al, 2011;Lorenz et al, 2011;Murray et al, 2014). However, consistent with other studies (Sivula et al, 1996b;Virtala et al, 1996), the level of maternally derived serum immunoglobulin (measured by the ZST test) did not affect the likelihood of a calf developing BRD during the pre-weaning period in this study.…”

Nutritional and microbiological quality of bovine colostrum samples in Brazil

“…The industry recommendation is that colostrum concentrations that are lower than 50 mg IgG/mL should not be offered to newborns as their first feeding, as this increases the risk of failure of passive immunity transfer in calves (Donovan et al, 1998;Godden, 2008;Weaver, 2000). The average colostrum concentration in properties with milk yields between 201 and 700 L/d is below the industry recommendation (<50 mg/mL).…”

“…The serum concentration of immunoglobulin G (IgG) that is desired for calves within the first 24 h of life is greater than 10 g/L (Godden, 2008), which is determined by colostrum IgG concentration, the time of intake, and the volume of consumed colostrum. Adequate transfer of passive immunity has a positive correlation with a reduction in morbidity and mortality during the pre-and post-weaning periods (Wells et al, 1996), an improvement in weight gain and feed efficiency (Donovan et al, 1998), a reduction in the age at first calving, and an increase in the milk yield during the first and second lactations (DeNise et al, 1989;Faber et al, 2005).…”

Quantification of bovine immunoglobulin G using transmission and attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy

“…17 There is a recognized association between FTPI and calf morbidity, mortality, and reduced daily gain in the first few months of life. 12,34,50 Moreover, FTPI reduces long-term productivity, decreases milk yield, and increases culling rates during the first lactation of dairy heifers. 10,19 As a consequence of FTPI in affected calves, dairy producers experience increased production costs and reduced profitability.…”