Veterinary RecordVolume 192, Issue 6 p. 249-251 Research Comment Optimising colostrum management has long-term health and productivity benefits in beef herds Virginia Sherwin, Corresponding Author Virginia Sherwin [email protected] School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UKSearch for more papers by this author Virginia Sherwin, Corresponding Author Virginia Sherwin [email protected] School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UKSearch for more papers by this author First published: 17 March 2023 https://doi.org/10.1002/vetr.2863Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL No abstract is available for this article. References 1 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. #ColostrumIsGold. https://ahdb.org.uk/knowledge-library/colostrum-is-gold-feeding-colostrum-to-calves-lambs-and-piglets (accessed 1 March 2023) 2Hyde RM, Green MJ, Sherwin VE, et al. Quantitative analysis of calf mortality in Great Britain. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103: 2615– 23 3Raboisson D, Trillat P, Cahuzac C. Failure of passive immune transfer in calves: a meta-analysis on the consequences and assessment of the economic impact. PLoS One 2016; doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0150452 4MacFarlane JA, Grove-White DH, Royal MD, et al. Identification and quantification of factors affecting neonatal immunological transfer in dairy calves in the UK. Vet Rec 2015; doi: 10.1136/vr.102852 5Haggerty A, Mason C, Ellis K, et al. Risk factors for poor colostrum quality and failure of passive transfer in Scottish dairy calves. J Dairy Res 2021; 88: 337– 42 6Bragg R, Macrae A, Lycett S, et al. Prevalence and risk factors associated with failure of transfer of passive immunity in spring-born beef suckler calves in Great Britain. Prev Vet Med 2020; doi: 10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.105059 7Husband A J, Lascelles AK. Antibody responses to neonatal immunisation in calves. Res Vet Sci 1975; 18: 201– 7 8Faber SN, Faber NE, Mccauley TC, et al. Effects of colostrum ingestion on lactational performance. Prof Anim Sci 2005; 21: 420– 5 9Kargar S, Roshan M, Ghoreishi SM, et al. Extended colostrum feeding for 2 weeks improves growth performance and reduces the susceptibility to diarrhea and pneumonia in neonatal Holstein dairy calves. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103: 8130– 42 10Bragg R, Corbishley A, Lycett S, et al. Effect of neonatal immunoglobulin status on the outcomes of spring-born suckler calves. Vet Rec 2023; doi: 10.1002/vetr.2587 11 Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. Beef and lamb stocktake report 2016. https://projectblue.blob.core.windows.net/media/Default/Market%20Intelligence/COP/Beef%20%20Lamb%20Stocktake%20Report%202016%20final.pdf (accessed 1 March 2023) 12Godden S. Colostrum management for dairy calves. Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract 2008; 24: 19– 39 13McGee M, Earley B. Passive immunity in beef-suckler calves. Animal 2019; 13: 810– 25 14Lombard J, Urie N, Garry F, et al. Consensus recommendations on calf- and herd-level passive immunity in dairy calves in the United States. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103: 7611– 24 Volume192, Issue618/25 March 2023Pages 249-251 ReferencesRelatedInformation

Streptococcus uberis (S. uberis) is a mastitis pathogen with an environmental reservoir. Management factors related to housing design and bedding are associated with the risk of S. uberis mastitis. This study aimed to investigate the ability of five distinct strains of S. uberis to survive and replicate on three common bedding materials (sand, wheat straw and kiln dried pine sawdust). Sterilized bedding substrates were inoculated with S. uberis and incubated at room temperature. Bacterial recovery from these media over time indicated that S. uberis numbers increased on used bedding materials, suggesting the addition of faeces and urine promoted replication. The bacterium was recovered for at least 35 days on straw and sand bedding, but could not be recovered beyond 7 days on clean or used sawdust. This study demonstrates the importance of bedding type and management on the environmental survival of S. uberis.

Abstract Background Heart girth tapes (HGTs) are often used as an alternative to weight scales for calves. This study investigated the accuracy of HGT in estimating bodyweight and daily liveweight gain (DWLG) of pre‐weaned calves, and the impact of inter‐observer variation. Method In Study 1, 119 calves were weighed using HGT and electronic scales on multiple occasions. Mixed‐effects models for both bodyweight and DLWG were used to determine the accuracy of HGT compared to the electronic scales. Simulation data were used to further analyse the accuracy of DLWG estimation including for factors such as the effect of group size on group DLWG estimates. In Study 2, 10 observers weighed 20 pre‐weaned calves, using HGT and electronic scales. Mixed‐effect model was used to investigate the impact of different observers on the accuracy of HGT on measuring bodyweights. Results Mixed‐effects model results suggest HGT provides a relatively accurate estimation of weight (MAE: 2.66 kg) and relatively inaccurate estimation of DLWG (MAE 0.10 kg/d). Simulated data identified associations between time between weight dates and error in DLWG estimation, with MAE of individual DLWG estimation decreasing from 0.43 kg/d when 14 days apart to 0.08 kg/d when 70 days apart. Increased calf numbers reduced error rates of group DLWG estimation, with <0.05 kg/d error achieved in >90% of simulations when 12 calves were weighed 70 days apart. Conclusions HGTs are relatively accurate at estimating individual bodyweights but are unreliable methods for measuring DLWG in individual calves, particularly weighed within a short‐time period. Estimates at group level however are relatively accurate, providing there is a suitable period of time between weigh dates and an appropriate number of calves per group.

Streptococcus uberis is a major causative agent of bovine mastitis worldwide, negatively affecting both milk production and animal welfare. Mammary infections result from environmental reservoirs, with cattle themselves required to propagate the infection cycle. Two longitudinal studies were performed to investigate the prevalence of Streptococcus uberis within feces and to evaluate factors which may affect gastrointestinal carriage. Bacterial detection was confirmed using a PCR-based method directed against sub0888 that detected S. uberis at an analytical sensitivity of 12 cfu/g of bovine feces. The first study sampled an entire herd at 8-wk intervals, over a 10-mo period and identified that maintenance of S. uberis within the dairy cow environment was due to a high proportion of animals shedding S. uberis and not due to a low number of "super-shedding" cows within the herd. Seasonality influenced detection rates, with detection levels significantly higher for housed cattle compared with those at pasture. Multilevel logistic regression was used to identify significant factors that affected S. uberis detection; these included parity, stage of lactation, and body condition score. An additional study involved screening a smaller cohort of cows housed over a 4-wk period and identified an increased probability of detection if cows were housed in loose straw yards, compared those in straw cubicles. This study highlighted several cow and management related factors that affect both detection of S. uberis and future infection risks.

Streptococcus uberis is one of the leading causes worldwide of mastitis in the dairy industry, with the most likely sources of infection attributed to environmental reservoirs such as contaminated bedding materials. Early detection of those cases most likely to progress to clinical disease would lead to improved animal welfare, a critical component of overall health and productivity. A multiplex PCR-based diagnostic test was developed for detection of S. uberis directly from milk and targeting two genes previously identified as important for intramammary colonisation and persistence in dairy cattle. Results indicated the threshold for detection directly from milk was 20,000 CFU/ml and this was achieved without the need for preenrichment. In addition, S. uberis could be identified from milk samples collected during intramammary challenge studies, prior to clinical signs of infection and at much lower detection limits. The PCR test developed for confirmation of the presence of S. uberis directly from infected milk has potential value as a diagnostic test to identify early infection and/or to confirm that antibiotic therapy has been successful.

National bodies in Great Britain (GB) have expressed concern over young stock health and welfare and identified calf survival as a priority; however, no national data have been available to quantify mortality rates. The aim of this study was to quantify the temporal incidence rate, distributional features, and factors affecting variation in mortality rates in calves in GB since 2011. The purpose was to provide information to national stakeholder groups to inform resource allocation both for knowledge exchange and future research. Cattle birth and death registrations from the national British Cattle Movement Service were analyzed to determine rates of both slaughter and on-farm mortality. The number of births and deaths registered between 2011 and 2018 within GB were 21.2 and 21.6 million, respectively. Of the 3.3 million on-farm deaths, 1.8 million occurred before 24 mo of age (54%) and 818,845 (25%) happened within the first 3 mo of age. The on-farm mortality rate was 3.87% by 3 mo of age, remained relatively stable over time, and was higher for male calves (4.32%) than female calves (3.45%). Dairy calves experience higher on farm mortality rates than nondairy (beef) calves in the first 3 mo of life, with 6.00 and 2.86% mortality rates, respectively. The 0- to 3-mo death rate at slaughterhouse for male dairy calves has increased from 17.40% in 2011 to 26.16% in 2018, and has remained low (<0.5%) for female dairy calves and beef calves of both sexes. Multivariate adaptive regression spline models were able to explain a large degree of the variation in mortality rates (coefficient of determination = 96%). Mean monthly environmental temperature and month of birth appeared to play an important role in neonatal on-farm mortality rates, with increased temperatures significantly reducing mortality rates. Taking the optimal month of birth and environmental temperature as indicators of the best possible environmental conditions, maintaining these conditions throughout the year would be expected to result in a reduction in annual 0- to 3-mo mortality of 37,571 deaths per year, with an estimated economic saving of around £11.6 million (USD $15.3 million) per annum. National cattle registers have great potential for monitoring trends in calf mortality and can provide valuable insights to the cattle industry. Environmental conditions play a significant role in calf mortality rates and further research is needed to explore how to optimize conditions to reduce calf mortality rates in GB.

Heifer rearing represents approximately 20 per cent of a dairy farm's total cost, but it is often an area with many potential inefficiencies. There is a lot of scope for veterinarians to be involved in the management of postweaning heifers to help drive performance improvement on dairy farms. This article discusses preparing for weaning, the weaning process and postweaning management of the replacement dairy heifer.

The main aim of calf rearing is to produce a healthy calf that is achieving the target growth rate. Calf mortality rate and daily liveweight gain represent appropriate bottom-line ‘output’ measures for evaluating the success of a calf-rearing programme, and they are affected by various ‘inputs’ or aspects of the calf-rearing process. This article summarises how these outputs can be monitored, and highlights how some key input areas can be assessed when output targets are not met.

The dry period is very important for mammary gland health, with the aim not only to cure existing intramammary infections (IMI) but also to prevent new IMI. Although it is known that the dry period is an important time for optimizing udder health, the probability that individual cows will succumb to a new IMI or, if infected, will fail to cure an IMI is not well established. The aim of this study was to investigate whether lifetime cow data, available through routine on-farm milk recording, could be used to predict changes in IMI status across the dry period for individual cows that were (1) deemed high somatic cell count (SCC; >199,000 cells/mL) or (2) low SCC (<200,000 cells/mL) at the last test day before drying off. Milk recording data collected between September 1994 and July 2014 from 114 herds in the United Kingdom were used. Two 2-level random effects models were built and both cure and new IMI were used as outcome variables in separate models. Cows with a smaller proportion of test days with a high SCC in the lactation before drying off, a smaller proportion of test days recording a high SCC in the lactation before the current lactation, of lower parity, producing less milk before drying off, of lower days in milk at drying off, and of lower SCC just before drying off were more likely to cure across the dry period. Dry period length had no effect on the likelihood of cure. Individual cows with a smaller proportion of test days recording a high SCC in the lactation before the current, of lower parity, of lower milk production at drying off, and fewer days in milk at drying off were less likely to develop a new IMI. Dry period length was found to have no effect on the probability of new IMI. Model predictions showed that a high level of discrimination was possible between cows with a high and low risk of both cures and new infections across the dry period.

The clinical and pathological findings in a nine-year-old cow with a pre-existing ventricular septal defect and clinical signs of an increased tendency of haemorrhage and lameness, developing into recumbency, are described. On clinical examination, primary and secondary haemostasis defects were evident, along with hindlimb lameness with no indication of an underlying musculoskeletal or neurological cause. There was pyrexia of unknown origin. Clinical haematology revealed a thrombocytopenia. Because of worsening of clinical signs, the cow was euthanased. On postmortem examination, a subaortal perimembranous ventricular septal defect with a prolapsed right aortic cusp and a vegetative endocarditis were found, along with histological evidence of systemic microthrombi. The bacteraemia associated with the endocarditis along with the microthrombi resulted most likely in disseminated intra vascular coagulopathy. The lameness is thought to have been due to arterial thromboembolism in the distal limb following the release of a microthrombus from the endocarditis lesion.