Researchers Discover Inadequacies in U.S. Dairy Farm Colostrum

Only 39.4% of Samples Met Industry Standards

By Jean-Paul McDonald, Farms.com

An alarming study conducted by Iowa State University researcher Kim Morrill concluded that over 60 per cent  of colostrum tested at dairy farms in the U.S. were inadequate in terms of immunoglobulin (IgG) and a bacteria measure known as total plate count (TCP).  So what does this mean?

This means that calves are placed at a higher risk of failure of passive transfers and or bacterial infections. The research team collected a total of 827 samples from 67 farms across 12 states. The samples were taken from first-milking colostrum and were collected between the months of June and October of 2010. Researchers looked at the parity of the donor cows and the storage methods used with the samples, including fresh, frozen or refrigerated storage methods.

The research also revealed that about 30 per cent  of the samples had IgG concentrations that were below industry standards, which are set at more than 50 mg of IgG per ml and almost 4 per cent of the samples failed to meet the industry standard for TCP, which is defined as having less than 100,000 colony-forming units per ml.

Here are some research highlights:
• IgG concentration ranged from <1 to 200 mg. per milliliter, with a mean concentration of 68.8 mg. per milliliter.
• IgG concentration increased with parity (42.4, 68.6 and 95.9 mg. per milliliter in first, second and third or later lactations, respectively).
• No significant differences in IgG levels were noted among breeds or storage methods.
• IgG was highest in samples collected in the Midwest (79.7 mg. per milliliter) and lowest in the Southwest (64.3 mg. per milliliter).

The findings were reported in the July 2012 edition of the Journal of Dairy Science