In managing calves, our best defense against FPT is good colastrum management, making certain that every newborn calf receives an adequate amount of colostrum soon after birth. Colostrum quality varies tremendously between animals. The quality of colostrum almost always refers to its concentration of immunoglobulin. Therefore, the concentration of colstral IgG is used as the primary indicator of colostrum quality. The variation in colostral IgG has been shown to directly impact the incidence of FPT in newborn calves.
Many factors contribute to the amount of IgG found in colostrum.
Some of these include breed, age, health status, pre-partum nutrition, and dystocia. In many cases, the concentration of IgG in heifer colostrum is similar to cows, but the overall volume of colostrum available to the calf may be lower. To offset low IgG concentrations in colostrum, some producers utilize colstrum supplements to fortify existing levels. Typically, these commercial supplements are derived from dried whey or colostrum, which is rehydrated in water prior to administration. Research into the efficacy of whey and colostrum based products has not been promising.