Raising healthy beef calves is essential for the success of any cattle operation. A new study has found that supplementing calves with colostrum in the first few days of life is key for improving their overall health and growth. Colostrum, also known as first milk, is the pre-milk produced by cows during the first few days after giving birth. It is rich in antibodies and other important nutrients that provide protection against disease and help the calf develop a strong immune system. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, found that supplementing calves with colostrum within the first two days of birth, and continuing supplementation for the first week, improved the calves’ health and growth. The calves that were supplemented with colostrum had higher average daily gains, better feed conversions, and healthier body weights compared to calves that did not receive colostrum. The researchers concluded that supplementing calves with colostrum in the first week of life is an important factor in beef calf health and growth.

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source: Phys.org