Should dairy farmers feed smaller volumes of higher quality colostrum?

Feeding colostrum with a higher concentration of immunoglobulins at lower volumes is advised to reduce damage to calf gut health

Katie Fallon
Livestock Specialist
clock • 3 min read
Ms Petersen advises feeding between 6% and 8% of a calf's body weight within the first 24 hours, with a Brix value of 25%.
Image:

Ms Petersen advises feeding between 6% and 8% of a calf's body weight within the first 24 hours, with a Brix value of 25%.

Speaking on a recent Hoards Dairyman webinar, vet Barb Petersen of the Sunrise Veterinary Service in Amarillo, Texas, discussed some of the latest advice on colostrum feeding, as a result of new research...

To continue reading...

Already a member? Login for full access.

Login

New to Farmers Guardian? Register for 1 free article per week or become a member for unlimited access to essential farming news and insights.

article-img-580x358

 

More on Dairy

Dairy Talk: Robert Reed - "We haven't been this long bTB-free for nearly 15 years"

Dairy Talk: Robert Reed - "We haven't been this long bTB-free for nearly 15 years"

Farming 405 hectares (1,000 acres), a mix of tenanted and owned land at Gatcombe Farm, near Seaton, Devon, Robert Reed and his family milk 350 all-year-round calving Holstein cows via five robots and are achieving average yields of 12,000 litres

clock 16 July 2026 • 4 min read
How nutritional stress can impact fertility in dairy cows

How nutritional stress can impact fertility in dairy cows

Rising productivity in modern dairy herds can come at a cost, with nutritional stress now a key driver of poor fertility in high yielding herds

clock 15 July 2026 • 4 min read
How milking heifer sales drive breeding decisions on Lincolnshire dairy farm

How milking heifer sales drive breeding decisions on Lincolnshire dairy farm

Income from the sale of milking heifers influences sire selection on a Lincolnshire dairy where functional, medium-sized cows suit the system at Bassingthorpe Holsteins

clock 08 July 2026 • 7 min read