Immunoglobulin in colostrum and health of newborn Calves

Abstract

Cow’s colostrum contains the basic alimentary constituents; fat, protein, carbohydrate, minerals and vitamins, in addition to immunoglobulin, biological factors, hormones and other biological particles. These constituents play an important role in immunity and health of the newborn calves, as they are born with weak immunity and acquire their immunity after birth within three weeks continuously after being fed the colostrums. Feeding colostrums immediately after birth is found to protect the calves from the pathological factors which are around them at birth and at the beginning of breath. The synthesis of the colostrum takes place at the end of pregnancy during the dry period after increasing the hormones receptors on the epithelial cells in the udder. Colostrum production continues after birth for five days and it is the source of immunoglobulin G (IgG) and a part of IgA, IgM, in colostrums is the blood, whereas the plasma of the epithelial cells in udder synthesizes 50% of IgA and IgM. IgG forms the greatest part in colostrum approximately 85-90% and the remaining parts are IgM at rate 7% and IgA at rate 5%. Controlling udder within the dry period is basic to prevent inflammation especially subclinical mastitis, because it will lead to retard the colostrum quantity after birth and decrease its concentration of Ig especially IgG. It is important to determine immunoglobulin level produced after birth using different methods especially the field ones, which are simple and available. These methods will help to categorize and freeze the good quality surplus colostrum to feed the newborn of low quality colostrum producing cows.