Measurement of transfer of colostral passive immunity in dairy calves

Submitted 2020-07-03 | Accepted 2020-09-08 | Available 2020-12-01https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.190-196The administration of high quality colostrum reduces preweaning morbidity, mortality and, therefore, economic losses related to replacement animals. It also stimulates and improves calf growth, increasing milk production and longevity of the future dairy cows. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the influence of breed and parity of the dam on colostrum quality, and of breed and gender of the calf, and time from calf birth to the administration of the first colostrum meal on the transfer of passive immunity to the calf by the field test of the Failure of Passive Transfer (FPT) on calf serum. A further objective was to improve the diagnostic accuracy of the field FPT test through a second laboratory phase improving the turbidity evaluation. The amount of IgG fed to calves (IgG concentration multiplied by the volume of colostrum administered) was influenced by dam parity as significant differences (P 50 mg/ml) between 5 and 9 h of life was able to reduce the risk of FPT more effectively than the administration performed within the first 4 h of life. However, further studies on larger sample size is needed to confirm the present findings. The spectrophotometric measurements confirmed the results obtained by the field turbidity test at 14% sodium sulphite dilution. It would be interesting in future to expand the dataset and validate the spectrophometric method.Keywords: Failure of Passive Transfer, colostrum, immunoglobulin, breed, genderReferencesATKISON, D. J., VON KEYSERLINGK, M. A. G. and WEARY, D. M. (2017). Benchmarking passive transfer of immunity and growth in dairy calves. Journal of Dairy Science, 100(5), 3773-3782. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2016-11800BESSER, T. E. and GAY, C. C. (1994). The importance of colostrum to the health of the neonatal calf. The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 10(1), 107-117. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0749-0720(15)30591-0COLEMAN, L. W. et al. (2015). Colostral immunoglobulin G as a predictor for serum immunoglobulin G concentration in dairy calves. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, 75, 3-8.CONNELLY, M. et al. (2013). Factors associated with the concentration of immunoglobulin G in the colostrum of dairy cows. Animal, 7(11), 1824-1832. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731113001444DEWELL, R. D. et al. (2006). Association of neonatal serum immunoglobulin G1 concentration with health and performance in beef calves. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 228(6), 914–921. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.228.6.914DONOVAN, G. A. et al. (1998). Associations between passive immunity and morbidity and mortality in dairy heifers in Florida, USA. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 34(1), 31-46. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0167-5877(97)00060-3GODDEN, S. (2008). Colostrum management for dairy calves. The Veterinary clinics of North America. Food animal practice, 24(1), 19-39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2007.10.005GULLIKSEN, S. M. et al. (2008). Risk factors associated with colostrum quality in Norwegian dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science, 91(2), 704-712. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2007-0450HANG, B. P. T. et al. (2017). Colostrum quality, IgG absorption and daily weight gain of calves in small-scale dairy production systems in Southern Vietnam. Tropical Animal Health and Production, 49(6), 1143-1147. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-017-1308-6HOPKINS, F. M., DEAN, D. F. and GREEN, W. (1984). Failure of passive transfer: comparison of field diagnosis methods. Modern Veterinary Practice, 65, 625-628.JASTER E. H. (2005). Evaluation of quality, quantity and timing of colostrum feeding on immunoglobulin G1 absorption in Jersey calves. Journal of Dairy Science, 88(1), 296-302. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(05)72687-4MALTECCA, C. et al. (2007). Estimation of genetic parameters for perinatal sucking behavior of Italian Brown Swiss calves. Journal of Dairy Science, 90, 4814–4820. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2007-0183MCGRATH, B. A., et al. (2016). Composition and properties of bovine colostrum: a review. Dairy Science & Technology, 96, 133-158. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13594-015-0258-xMCGUIRK, S. M. (2005). Herd-based testing for young stock. Proceedings of 38th Annual Meeting of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners pp. 146-148.MIYAZAKI, T., OKADA, K. and MIYAZAKI, M. (2017). Short communication: Neonatal calves coagulate first-milking colostrum and produce a large curd for efficient absorption of immunoglobulins after first ingestion. Journal of Dairy Science, 100(9), 7262-7270. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2017-12808MOORE, M. et al. (2005). Effect of delayed colostrum collection on colostral IgG concentration in dairy cows. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 226(8), 1375–1377. https://doi.org/10.2460/javma.2005.226.1375MULLER, L. D. and ELLINGER, P. K. (1981). Colostral immunoglobulin concentrations among breeds of dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science, 64(8), 1727-1730. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(81)82754-3NONNECKE, B. J. et al. (2003). Composition and functional capacity of blood mononuclear leukocyte populations from neonatal calves on standard and intensified milk replacer diets. Journal of Dairy Science, 86, 3592-3604. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(03)73965-4PARRISH, D. B. and FOUNTAINE, F. C. (1952). Contents of the alimentary tract of calves at birth. Journal of Dairy Science, 35, 839-845. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(52)93765-XQUIGLEY, J. D. and DREWRY, J. J. (1998). Nutrient and immunity transfer from cow to calf pre and postcalving. Journal of Dairy Science, 81, 2779-2790. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(98)75836-9RABOISSON, D., TRILLAT, P. and CAHUZAC, C. (2016). Failure of passive immune transfer in calves: A meta-analysis on the consequences and assessment of the economic impact. PLoS ONE, 11, e0150452. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0150452ROBISON, J. D., STOTT, G. and DENISE, S. (1988). Effects of passive immunity on growth and survival in the dairy heifer. Journal of Dairy Science, 71, 1283-1287. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(88)79684-8ROGERS, G. M. and CAPUCILLE, D. J. (2004). L’impiego del colostro per mantenere vivi e produttivi i vitelli da carne. Large Animals Review, 106, 19-25.SAVINI, E. (1946). Chimica ed analisi del latte e dei latticini. Edizione Hoepli, Milano.SEDLINSKA, M., KREJCI, J. and VYSKOCIL, M. (2005). Evaluation of field methods for determining immunoglobulins in sucking foals. Acta Veterinaria, 74, 51-58. https://doi.org/10.2754/avb200574010051TURINI, L. et al. (2020). The relationship between colostrum quality, passive transfer of immunity and birth and weaning weight in neonatal calves. Livestock Science, 238, 104033. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2020.104033TYLER, J .W. et al. (1996). Evaluation of 3 assays for failure of passive transfer in calves. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 10(5), 304-307. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.1996.tb02067.xWEAVER, D. M. et al. (2000). Passive transfer of colostral immunoglobulins in calves. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, 14, 569-577. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1939-1676.2000.tb02278.xWOODING, F. B. P. (1992). Current topic: the synepitheliochorial placenta of ruminants: binucleate cell fusion and hormone production. Placenta, 13(2), 101-113. https://doi.org/10.1892/0891-6640(2000)0142.3.co;2ZAREI, S. et al. (2017). The impact of season, parity, and volume of colostrum on Holstein dairy cows colostrum composition. Agricultural Sciences, 8, 572-581. https://doi.org/10.4236/as.2017.8704

Carbapenemase-producing bacteria in food-producing animals, wildlife and environment: a challenge for human health

Antimicrobial resistance is an increasing global health problem and one of the major concerns for economic impacts worldwide. Recently, resistance against carbapenems (doripenem, ertapenem, imipenem, meropenem), which are critically important antimicrobials for human cares, poses a great risk all over the world. Carbapenemases are β-lactamases belonging to different Ambler classes (A, B, D) and encoded by both chromosomal and plasmidic genes. They hydrolyze a broad variety of β-lactams, including carbapenems, cephalosporins, penicillins and aztreonam. Despite several studies in human patients and hospital settings have been performed in European countries, the role of livestock animals, wild animals and the terrestrial and aquatic environment in the maintenance and transmission of carbapenemase-producing bacteria has been poorly investigated. The present review focuses on the carbapenemase-producing bacteria detected in pigs, cattle, poultry, fish, molluscs, wild birds and wild mammals in Europe as well as in non-European countries, investigating the genetic mechanisms for their transmission among food-producing animals and wildlife. To shed light on the important role of the environment in the maintenance and genetic exchange of resistance determinants between environmental and pathogenic bacteria, studies on aquatic sources (rivers, lakes, as well as wastewater treatment plants) are described

Textured vs pelletted feed impact on dairy heifers pre-weaning

Submitted 2020-07-03 | Accepted 2020-08-08 | Available 2020-12-01https://doi.org/10.15414/afz.2020.23.mi-fpap.197-204The first three months of life is the most critical period for the young calf, and nutrition plays an essential role for a successful weaning program. The effects of starter feed physical form have been widely investigated in the last decades, but results are variable and often inconsistent. We compared the impact of texturized and pelleted starters on growth performances during the artificial pre-weaning period on replacement female dairy calves. A total of 16 calves were divided in two independent groups, fed with pelleted or texturized starter and monitored from 2 to 44 days of life. Morphometric traits as well as health status, growth performances, feed intake and efficiency were recorded weekly. An interesting significance (p=0.013) was found for the weight increment, that starting from 5th week showed higher values in animals fed with texturized rather than pelleted feedstuff, although no differences were obtained for the feed efficiency. Despite the lack of significant differences, the trends observed for weight increment and health status, suggest some advantages in the use of texturized feedstuff during the pre-weaning period.Keywords: calves pre-weaning nutrition, texturized feed, growth performancesReferencesBach, A. et al. (2007) Effects of physical form of a starter for dairy replacement calves on feed intake and performance. Journal of Dairy Science. 90, 3028–3033. doi:https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2006-761Baldwin, R. L. VI et al. (2004) Rumen development, intestinal growth and hepatic metabolism in the pre- and post-weaning ruminant. Journal of Dairy Science. 87(E Suppl.): E55–E65. doi: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(04)70061-2Boulton, A. C. et al. (2015) A study of dairy heifer rearing practices from birth to weaning and their associated costs on UK dairy farms. Open Journal of Animal Sciences 5, 185–197.Boulton, A. C. et al. (2017) An empirical analysis of the cost of rearing dairy heifers from birth to first calving and the time taken to repay these costs. Animal. doi: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1751731117000064Drackley, J. K. (2008) Calf nutrition from birth to breeding. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Food Animal Practice Special. 24, 55–86. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvfa.2008.01.001Franklin, S.T. et al. (2003) Health and performance of Holstein calves that suckled or were hand-fed colostrum and were fed one of three physical forms of starter. Journal of Dairy Science. 86, 2145–2153.Greenwood, R. H. et al. (1997) A new method of measuring diet abrasion and its effect on the development of the forestomach. Journal of Dairy Science. 80, 2534–2541. doi: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(97)76207-6Khan, M. A. et al. (2011) Invited Review: Effects of milk ration on solid feed intake, weaning and performance in dairy heifers. Journal of Dairy Science. 94, 1071–1081. doi: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3733Khan et al. (2016) Invited review: Transitioning from milk to solid feed in dairy heifers. Journal of Dairy Science. 9, 885–902. doi: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2015-9975Larson, L. L. et al. (1977) Guidelines toward more uniformity in measuring and reporting calf experimental data. Journal of Dairy Science. 60, 989–991.Lassiter, C.A. et al. (1955) The nutritional merits of pelleting calf starters. Journal of Dairy Science. 38, 1242-1245.Mirzaei, M. et al. (2016) Interactions between the physical form of starter (mashed versus textured) and corn silage provision on performance, rumen fermentation, and structural growth of Holstein calves. Journal of Animal Science. 94(2):678-686. doi: https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2015-9670Newman P.E. and Savage E.S. (1938) Use of Yeast in Calf Meals and Pellets. Journal of Dairy Science. 21: 161-167.Olynk. N. J. and Wolf, C. A.(2008) Economic analysis of reproductive management strategies on US commercial dairy farms. Journal of Dairy Science. 91, 4082–4091. doi: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2007-0858Pazoki, A, et al. (2017) Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, Ruminal Fermentation, and Rumen Development of Calves During Transition From Liquid to Solid Feed: Effects of Physical Form of Starter Feed and Forage Provision. Animal feed science and technology, 234, 173-185. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anifeedsci.2017.06.004Porter, J. C. et al. (2007) Effect of fiber level and physical form of starter on growth and development of dairy calves fed no forage. Professional Animal Scientist. 23, 395–400. doi:https://doi.org/10.15232/S1080-7446(15)30994-3Quigley, J. D., et al. (2018). Effects of feeding milk replacer at 2 rates with pelleted, low-starch or texturized, high-starch starters on calf performance and digestion. Journal of Dairy Science. 101(7), 5937-5948.Ragionieri, L, et al. (2016) Annals of Anatomy Effect of the supplementation with a blend containing short and medium chain fatty acid monoglycerides in milk replacer on rumen papillae development in weaning calves. Annals of Anatomy 207:97–108.Righi, F.et al. (2016). Feeding a free choice energetic mineral-vitamin supplement to dry and transition cows: Effects on health and early lactation performance. Large Animal Review. 22(4), 161–170.Sutton, J. D. et al. (1963) Functional development of rumen mucosa. I. Absorptive ability. Journal of Dairy Science. 46, 426–436.Tamate, H. et al. (1962) Effect of various dietaries on the anatomical development of the stomach in the calf. Journal of Dairy Science, 45, 408–420. doi: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(62)89406-5Terré, M. et al. (2015) Interaction between the physical form of the starter feed and straw provision on growth performance of Holstein calves, Journal of Dairy Science, 98(2), 1101-1109. doi: https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2014-8151von Keyserlingk, M. A. G. et al. (1998) A comparison of textured versus pelleted concentrates on rumen degradability, dry matter intake, milk yield and composition in lactating Holstein cows. Canadian Journal of Animal Science. 78(2), 219-224

Milk and casein nitrogen use efficiency of dairy farms in the Parmigiano Reggiano production area

A study was conducted on 19 Holstein dairy farms in the Parmigiano-Reggiano production area with the aim to evaluate on a herd base the milk nitrogen use efficiency (MNE) and casein nitrogen use efficiency (CNE) of dairy cows fed hay-based total mixed ration (TMR). Dry matter intake was calculated based on the amount of diet offered and refused during 2 days. The diets were analysed to estimate nitrogen (N) content and calculate N intake. Data on total milk yield (MY) and milk composition -including casein concentration- were recorded on a farm basis and; milk N yield (N milk), milk casein nitrogen yield (CNY) were determined to calculate MNE and CNE as N milk/N intake and CNY/N intake, respectively. The farms were then categorised based on the daily average MY/cow as low -L- (MY/cow ≤33 kg/day, 9 farms) and high -H- (MY/cow >33 kg/day, 10 farms). MNE and CNE data were normally distributed and analysed as a function of farm categories through the mixed model, with farm as random effect. MNE and CNE ranged from 0.24 to 0.37 and from 0.19 to 0.29, respectively. The L farms (average size: 213±94 cows; 181±20 DIM; average diet: 15.1% CP, 38.7% NDF and 21.5% starch (DM basis)) had an average MY of 30.86±1.60 kg/cow/day. The H farms (average size: 176±95 cows; 174±20 DIM; average diet: 15.3% CP, 37.9% NDF; 22.0% starch diets (DM basis)) had an average MY of 35.86±2.59 kg/cow/day. The H farms showed a trend for higher MNE (0.30 vs 0.27; P=0.068) and CNE (0.23 vs 0.21; P=0.075) in comparison to L farms. Overall, given similar levels of dietary CP, these results seem to confirm the higher MNE of high yielding herds. The CNE could be a further parameter to evaluate the efficiency of N use when milk is processed for cheese production. This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 777974. We thank the farmers and the volunteer students involved in the study

Plant Feed Additives as Natural Alternatives to the Use of Synthetic Antioxidant Vitamins in Livestock Animal Products Yield, Quality, and Oxidative Status: A Review

The interest for safe and natural foods of animal origin is currently increasing the use of plant feed additives (PFA) as antioxidants in animal nutrition. However, studies with livestock animals dealing with PFA as antioxidants are scarce. The aim of the present review was to evaluate the antioxidant impact of PFA compared with synthetic vitamins on animal food product yield and quality. For this purpose, peer-reviewed studies published between 2000 and 2020 were collected. Most papers were carried out on ruminants (n = 13), but PFA were also tested in swine (n = 6) and rabbits (n = 2). The inclusion of PFA in the diets of pigs, rabbits, and ruminants improved the products' quality (including organoleptic characteristics and fatty acids profile), oxidative stability, and shelf life, with some impacts also on their yields. The effects of PFA are diverse but often comparable to those of the synthetic antioxidant vitamin E, suggesting their potential as an alternative to this vitamin within the diet

Plant Feed Additives as Natural Alternatives to the Use of Synthetic Antioxidant Vitamins on Poultry Performances, Health, and Oxidative Status: A Review of the Literature in the Last 20 Years

Plant feed additives (PFA) such as essential oils, extracts, and by-products from plant processing can be included in poultry diets. A total of 39 peer-reviewed articles were selected from the literature published in the last 20 years (2000–2020) comparing PFA antioxidant effects with synthetic antioxidant vitamins (mainly vitamin E) in poultry nutrition. The PFA can be used as an effective nutritional strategy to face poultry’s oxidative stress with positive impact also on their productivity and efficiency. They can partially or completely replace antioxidant synthetic vitamins (the latter administered at doses between 150 and 500 mg/kg) in animal diets, sometimes affecting important physiological functions or expressing synergistic effect with the synthetic antioxidants. It is crucial to take into consideration the issues related to the absorption and the metabolism of these additives and their interaction with gut microbiota. However, some form- and dose-dependent negative effects on growth performances are observed