Monitoramento da colostragem de bezerros leiteiros mestiços

Abstract

Still in the present times the creation of young animals in dairy farms is described as a limitation for the development of production systems. The objective of this study was to monitor the factors that affect the quality of colostrum and to evaluate its effects on the transfer of passive immunity in crossbred dairy calves. The experiment was carried out at the Experimental Farm of Glória, Federal University of Uberlândia, in the city of Uberlândia - MG, and colostrum samples were collected from 142 crossbred dairy cows. The quality of the colostrum was measured using a colostrometer and a Brix refractometer. Transfer of passive immunity was monitored by total serum protein dosage in the laboratory and by using a serum refractometer at 0, 24, 48 and 72 hours of calf life. A high correlation was observed between the values of the refractometer (R2 = 0.8086). At each 10 mg / mL increase in colostrum density by colostrometer evaluation, there is an increase of 1.3% of Brix by refractometer evaluation. The mean data obtained for quality of colostrum in the present study were 75.24 ± 34.63 by the evaluation of the colostrometer and 24.12 ± 5.19 by the Brix refractometer evaluation. Those animals that were submitted to a good colostragem, had greater amounts of total proteins where of 108 calves, when collected blood in the first 24 hours of life, 75% of the calves had a good transference of passive immunity and when collected in the first 48 hours of Life, 72% had a good passive immunity transfer. It was also observed that, in relation to the quality of colostrum, cows that were in the dry season or that gave birth in the summer, represented better quality of the colostrum in relation to the other seasons.