Survey flags colostrum as vital in rearing healthy calves

Communicate

Feedback from those surveyed suggested more needed to be done to communicate the importance of ‘sQueaky clean’ and ‘Quantification’ as part of the 5Qs of colostrum management.

This suggested ‘a lack of focus on colostrum hygiene and measurement of successful antibody transfer’.

Dr Robinson says: “It’s like having a car and putting the wrong fuel into it; you’re not going to get the performance you want.

Colostrum is the fuel to get them started and allows them to achieve their potential.” Time and labour constraints were identified as some of the main reasons for not following advice.

However, Dr Robinson says it is an area well worth making time for.

“The research helps to contextualise the environment farmers are operating in.

They’ve got a lot going on. They’re busy people,” he says. “It is a challenge, but that care and attention pays dividends.

They’ll achieve target daily liveweight gains and age at first calving.

If you don’t get it right you’ll have higher disease and calf mortality. It fits with the ‘Colostrum is Gold’ campaign,” he says.