In calves, the first months of life are critical for future production. Nutrition management is key to limiting the impact of early stresses on the digestive system and ensuring optimal rumen development. In addition to good management practices, producers can include beneficial nutritional tools to help maintain calf health, support starter intake and reinforce rumen papillae development for optimal adult performance.
Global Ruminant Marketing Manager
Lallemand Animal Nutrition
Calf health management is crucial and will influence the performance of the adult cow. In pre-ruminants, particular attention should be drawn to the establishment of the digestive system and its inhabitants, the microbiota. The colonization of gastrointestinal is important at different levels, particularly for the maturation of the mucosal immune system.
The gut plays an important role in the immune defense system as innate and acquired immunity are concentrated within the gastrointestinal lymphoid tissue (GALT). For the young calf, the objective is to strengthen gut immunity to help secure the fragile digestive system and limit diarrhea and respiratory diseases. Feeding and balancing the microbiota with probiotics and postbiotics during this delicate time can help ensure future health and performance.
Calf management is crucial and will influence the performance of the adult cow (Figure 1). Research (Abuelo et al., 2021) shows heifers affected by diarrhea as calves showed lower average daily gain at weaning and a lower first lactation performance with -325 kg of milk when looking at the 305-day mature equivalent (ME) milk production standardized value. In addition, heifers diagnosed with diarrhea and bovine respiratory disease (BRD) tend to have increased difficulty at insemination and during calving.
LOWER GUT MICROBIOTA, A KEY PARTNER IN HELPING TO MAINTAIN SYSTEMIC GUT HEALTH
The colonization of gastrointestinal microbiota is a complex process, and the stable establishment of beneficial microbiota is important at different levels, particularly for the maturation of the mucosal immune system (Chase et al., 2019, Zened et al., 2020).
For the young calf, the objective is to strengthen gut immunity to help secure the fragile digestive system and limit diarrhea and respiratory diseases. The gut plays an important role in the immune defense system as innate and acquired immunity are concentrated within the gastrointestinal lymphoid tissue (GALT). GALT gathers up to 70% of the body’s white blood cells. Using nutritional additives to support a balanced immune response can be a winning strategy to support calves during challenges from birth through the post-weaning period (Figure 2).
In addition, nutritionists should take into account the young calf digestive system. This is the period when the digestive tract of calves undergoes significant and extensive changes as it evolves from its initial monogastric function towards a ruminant function with two main parts: the rumen and the lower gut.
WEANING: A STRESSFUL EVENT FOR THE CALF AND ITS DIGESTIVE TRACT
During early life, while immunity is still weak (Figure 3), calves experience a lot of external stressors (Figure 2) (transportation, transition from liquid to solid feed, dehorning, etc.). All these stressors increase the risk of morbidity and mortality by making the immune system more vulnerable. This can lead to digestive and respiratory diseases. The major causes of mortality and morbidity are digestive challenges (32% and 51%, respectively) (Urie et al., 2018).
HOW TO SUPPORT LOWER GUT DEVELOPMENT IN CALVES THROUGH NUTRITIONAL STRATEGIES
Using post and prebiotics (such as yeast derivatives) — and a live microorganism probiotic such as a specific live yeast dedicated to gut health — can be applied to focus on calf gut health.
The most important consideration is to choose the right ingredient or additive with proven effect to the specific calf challenge.
A new generation feed ingredient, YANG — which includes specifically selected yeast fractions (postbiotics) — has been proven to help maintain the health of calves and other young ruminants.
YANG is a multi-strain yeast derivative formulated to strengthen animals’ natural defenses with a patented, synergistic effect on the immune response. Observations and samples made through endoscopy show that (Figure 4) calves fed YANG during the pre-weaning period show a pro-anti-inflammatory ratio that is more driven by anti-inflammation with YANG supplementation versus the control group.
Depending on your region, you also can use an innovative probiotic, PROTERNATIVE, to help calves become more resilient in the face of stress, which helps them reach their highest potential, maintain performance and help support well-being.
The probiotic effects of PROTERNATIVE are derived from the live yeast, and it helps balance the calf gut microbiota, interacting with the gut epithelium and promoting the gut immune system production of immunoglobulin. The effects were observed in a study where the IgA production was followed into ileum and colon during supplementation with the live yeast.
CONCLUSION
In calves, the first months of life are critical for future production. Nutrition management is key to limiting the impact of early stresses on the digestive system and ensuring optimal rumen development. In addition to good management practices, producers can include beneficial nutritional tools to help maintain calf health, support starter intake and reinforce rumen papillae development for optimal adult performance. Well-researched tools include probiotic live yeast such as LEVUCELL SC and innovative yeast fractions such as YANG.
References
1. Abuelo A., C. Faith, A. Hanes, J. L. Brester. 2021. Impact of 2 Versus 1 Colostrum Meals on Failure of Transfer of Passive Immunity, Pre-Weaning Morbidity and Mortality, and Performance of Dairy Calves in a Large Dairy Herd Animals11(3), 782.
2. Bach A. and Ahedo J. 2008. Record Keeping and Economics of Dairy Heifers. Vet Clin Food Anim 24: 117–138
3. Bittar C.M. and Ferreria L. 2007. Avaliação da suplementação com culturas de levedura (Saccharomyces cerevisae) para bezerros leiteiros: crescimento do trato digestório e desenvolvimento do rúmen . Annual Meeting of the Brazilian Society of Animal Science (poster)
4. Chaucheyras-Durand F. and G. Fonty. 2001. Establishment of cellulolytic bacteria and development of fermentative activities in the rumen of gnotobiotically-reared lambs receiving the microbial additive Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077. Reprod. Nutr. Dev. 41: 57-68
5. Chaucheyras-Durand F. and G. Fonty. 2002. Influence of a probiotic yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae CNCM I-1077) on microbial colonization and fermentations in the rumen of newborn lambs. Microb. Ecol. Health Dis. 14:30-36.
6. Dairy Calf and Heifer Association (DCHA) Gold Standards, Second edition (2016)
7. Urie N.J., E. Lombard, C.B. Shivley, C.A. Kopral, A.E. Adams, T.J. Earleywine, J.D. Olson, F.B. Garry. 2018. Preweaned heifer management on US dairy operations: Part V. Factors associated with morbidity and mortality in preweaned dairy heifer calves. Journal of Dairy Science 101(10):9229-9244.
About Marie-Valentine Glica
Marie-Valentine Glica is agronomist working for Lallemand Animal Nutrition since 2 years as global ruminant marketing manager. Marie-Valentine is in charge of marketing and communication for the feed additives range (trial valorization, on-farm services and training tools development,). She has previous experience in technico-marketing in healthcare for large and young ruminants.
