The effect of tube vs. bottle feeding colostrum on IgG absorption, abomasal emptying and plasma hormone concentrations in newborn calves

Abstract

Colostrum management is essential for calf survival and success in the dairy herd, and current practices on farm are to feed colostrum through either an esophageal tube or a nipple bottle. Therefore, the objective of this thesis was to determine if feeding colostrum to newborn calves through an esophageal tube, compared with a nipple bottle, would delay abomasal emptying which would in turn decrease passive transfer of IgG and plasma glucose, insulin, and GLP-1 and 2 concentrations. Twenty newborn Holstein bull calves were fed 3L of colostrum replacer (200 g IgG) through either an esophageal tube or nipple bottle at 2 h after birth. The results from this thesis demonstrated that feeding method did not affect abomasal emptying, and as a result there was no treatment effect on serum IgG concentrations. Feeding with a tube resulted in higher plasma glucose and insulin area under the curve, most likely due to the decreased time to consume the colostrum meal. In addition, tube fed calves drank more milk in their first milk meal. There was no treatment effect on GLP-1 or 2, but both hormones increased after colostrum feeding. Overall findings from this thesis suggest that feeding colostrum at a volume of 3L, through either an esophageal tube or nipple bottle, accomplishes adequate passive transfer of IgG and either feeding method is viable for ensuring successful colostrum management on farm.