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Colostrum IgG Absorption: What Slowing the Gut Did
Slowing the gut before a calf’s first drink changed colostrum IgG absorption more than most people would guess. Calves given 0.4 mg/kg hyoscine N-butylbromide 15 to 30 minutes before colostrum reached 48 h serum IgG of 3,243 +/- 794 mg/dL, against 2,175 +/- 1,150 mg/dL in controls that got nothing, at p = 0.034. Serum Brix shifted the same direction at p = 0.002. Total protein, GGT and glucose did not separate. One farm, 18 calves, and no direct measurement of gut transit, so read the effect size as a first estimate. Why newborn calves start with no antibodies A cow’s placenta is synepitheliochorial, and six tissue layers stand between…
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Meloxicam for Newborn Calves: What a 2026 Trial Found
Meloxicam for newborn calves: a 2026 placebo-controlled trial in 151 Holstein-Friesian calves found that a single subcutaneous injection of 0.5 mg/kg meloxicam given immediately after birth raised vitality scores at 24 and 48 hours. The benefit showed up mainly in calves born from difficult calvings. Meloxicam did not correct the acidosis that comes with birth, and heart rate variability proved too weak to predict which calves would struggle. The practical takeaway: target meloxicam to assisted calvings rather than dosing the whole herd. Why newborn calf vitality matters more than it looks The first 48 hours of a calf’s life decide a large share of its future. Calves that stand slowly,…
