A STUDY ON THE INVESTIGATION OF DIFFERENT COLOSTRUM MANAGEMENT PRACTICES IN TERMS OF PASSIVE IMMUNITY TRANSFER AND HEALTH AND GROWTH PERFORMANCE OF CALVES BY USING BRIX REFRACTOMETER DEVICE AND RADIAL IMMUNODIFFUSION METHOD IN CALVES RAISED IN MENEMEN RESEARCH, PRACTICE AND PRODUCTION FARM OF AGRICULTURAL FACULTY OF EGE UNIVERSITY

Project no. 23069 · Status: Kapanmış (Yayın bekleniyor) · 2021

Summary

The aim of this study was to determine the quality of colostrum obtained from cows of 3 different breeds (25 Holstein, 12 Simmental, 6 Brown Swiss) raised at Menemen Research Practice and Production Farm of Ege University Faculty of Agriculture and to evaluate the effect of different colostrum management practices on transfer of passive immunity (TPI) in calves using Brix refractometer device and Radial Immunodiffusion (RID) methods. In addition, it was aimed to reveal the effectiveness of Brix Refractometer in determining the immunological quality of colostrum and the level of TPI in calves. Besides that, In a second phase study carried out within the scope of the project, It was aimed to examine the relationship between TPI in calves and growth performance and health problems in the pre-weaning period. A total of 86 animals including 43 freshly calved cows and their 43 healthy calves were involved in the study.As immunological quality criteria of colostrum, dry matter (DM) and total protein (TP) content, % Brix value, and immunoglobulin G (IgG) content (g/L) by RID method were examined. In the study, Estimated Marginal Means (EMM) of colostrum DM, TP, % Brix value, and IgG were 25.1±0.6%, 15.6±0.4%, 25.1±0.7%, and 78.2±4.7 g/L, respectively, according to the results of GLM-Univariate by multi-factor analysis. The effects of breed, lactation number, season and length of dry period on DM, TP, % Brix value and IgG content were not significant (P>0.05), except for significant effect of season (P<0.01) on TP. The correlations of colostrum IgG content with DM, TP and % Brix value were found to be 0.195 (ns), 0.522 and 0.652 (P<0.01), respectively. In the ROC (Receiver Operating Curve) analysis to discriminate colostrum with <50 g/L IgG level by RID, the most suitable % Brix threshold value for distinguishing high-quality and low-quality colostrum was determined as 24.8 (Area Under Curve (AUC) = 0.748).For the detection of TPI in calves, 2 criteria were used as % Brix value and IgG level (g/L) in blood serum. The % Brix value was measured in two different ways, in the serum obtained as a result of natural separation from the blood in the farm (Blood % Brix-Farm) and in the serum that was separated precisely by centrifugation in the laboratory (Blood % Brix-Lab.). According to the results of GLM-Univariate by multi-factor analysis, overall EMM of % Brix-Lab and IgG content in blood serum were 8.6% and 19.8 g/L, respectively, and the effects of genotype, season and calf sex on these measures were not significant (P>0.05). A highly significant relationship was found between colostrum IgG level and blood % Brix-Lab value as well as blood IgG content (b=0.023 and 0.339, respectively) (P<0.001). The effect of the amount of colostrum in the first meal on the blood IgG level was also significant (b=4.481; P<0.05). On the other hand, a statistically significant (P<0.001) correlation was found between the blood IgG level and the Blood % Brix-Farm and Blood % Brix-Lab. at the level of 0.652 and 0.685, respectively. When considering <10 g/L IgG determined by RID method as the cut-off value for failure of passive transfer (FPT), the most appropriate % Brix threshold values for distinguishing FPT in terms of Blood % Brix-Lab and % Brix-Farm were found to be 8.3 and 8.8, respectively (AUC = 0.901).In the study, 4 colostrum management groups in which the first meal colostrum consumption time and amounts were different (D1: 0-2 hours, 8% of BW; D2: 0-2 hours, 2.5 kg; D3: 5-6 hours, 8% of BW; D4: 5-6 hours, 2.5 kg) was formed. In GLM-Univariate analysis, the group with the best status in terms of the level of TPI according to EMM values was D1 with a blood IgG level of 22.4 g/L. There were no calves with FPT in this group. The effect of trial group (treatment) on the level of TPI was not significant (P>0.05).No significant relationship could be found between TPI level (blood IgG content (g/L) after parturition) and body weight gains in the period from birth to 28th day of age and from 28th day of age to 56th day of age. In calves with a poor and fair level of TPI, EMM values for body weight gains in the period from birth to 28th day of age were 8,5 kg and 7,9 kg respectively. In calves with a good and very good level of TPI, the corresponding EMM value was found to be 9,5 kg for both TPI classes. In calves with a poor and fair level of TPI, EMM values for body weight gains in the period from 28th day of age to 56th day of age were 27,9 kg ve 27,6 kg, respectively. In calves with a good and very good level of TPI, the corresponding EMM values were found to be 29,1 kg and 28,7 kg, respectively. In calves with a poor and fair level of TPI, incidence of diarrhea were 85,7% and 92,9%, respectively. In calves with a good and very good level of TPI, incidence of diarrhea were found to be 83,3% and 80,0%, respectively. In calves with a poor and fair level of TPI, EMM values for days with treatment were 6,7 and 8,2 days. In calves with a good and very good level of TPI, the corresponding value was found to be 7,5 days for both TPI classes.The experimental farm was found to produce high-quality colostrum. High IgG content of colostrum was determined as the most important factor followed by the amount of colostrum fed in providing a good level of TPI in calves. The digital Brix refractometer device is a suitable instrument for determining the immunological quality of colostrum and calves with FPT in a farm, considering its ease of application and low cost.Keywords: Calf, Colostrum Management, Transfer of Passive Immunity, Failure of Passive Transfer, Immunoglobulin G, Radial Immunodiffusion, Brix Refractometer, Health Problems, Growth Performance.

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