SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULIN CONCENTRATIONS AND HEALTH OF DAIRY CALVES IN 2 MANAGEMENT-SYSTEMS FROM BIRTH TO 12 WEEKS OF AGE

Fifteen dairy calves were kept with their dams for 5 d after birth and there-after were fed milk from a nipple pail in individual pens (nurs ed calves). Another 15 calves were separated from their dams immediate ly after birth, placed in individual pens, and fed from an open pail ( weaned calves). These calves received colostrum for the first three fe edings. Serum Ig concentrations and the health of the calves were moni tored from birth to 12 wk of age. The serum Ig concentrations develope d identically for calves in both groups. A 30-min delay in intake of f irst colostrum decreased total Ig concentrations in serum by about 2 m g/ml. Occurrence of diarrhea was three times greater for the weaned ca lves than for the nursed calves. Serum Ig concentrations did not expla in the differences in the diarrhea occurrence between the groups. In c onclusion, the newborn calves in both management systems acquired equa l passive immunity, although the time of first colostrum consumption p layed an important role. Open pail feeding may increase the incidence of prolonged diarrhea compared with that from nipple feeding.