Grant: Alliance Grants

The Canadian dairy industry generates more than $6 billion in cash receipts, with sales increasing by 26% over the past decade. However, amongst all animals on farm dairy calves suffer from the highest rates of morbidity and mortality, with digestive disorders accounting for over half of illnesses and one-third of deaths during early life. Therefore, digestive disorders during early life represent a significant economic loss to dairy producers and pose a serious threat to animal health and welfare, and thus the profitability of the Canadian dairy industry. Colostrum, the first secretion produced after calving, contains a wide array of bioactive molecules that have an unrealized potential to promote optimal gut function and development in young calves and in-turn reduce the rates of digestive morbidity. The specific goal of this research project is to uncover the unexplored bioactivity of colostrum and to maximize strategic colostrum use to stimulate development and health in dairy calves during early life. The research objectives will focus on determining how prepartum cow factors influence the profile of colostrum bioactive compounds, how specific colostrum bioactive compounds impact calf development and metabolism, and strategies to optimize colostrum use after the first day of life to maximize long-term health and productivity. These objectives will result in maximizing the production value of dry cattle and colostrum, and will deliver knowledge to industry stakeholders that will improve calf health and development and reduce the current high rates of morbidity, mortality and antimicrobial use in production animals. As such, this project will increase both consumer trust in the Canadian dairy industry and economic efficiency of dairy farms, thereby ensuring the future sustainability and profitability of the Canadian dairy industry.