The effect of colostrum period management on BW and immune system in lambs: from birth to weaning

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate the BW and immune status of lambs reared under natural conditions or under artificial conditions fed two different colostrum amounts. In this study, 60 lambs were randomly divided into groups according to treatment. Twenty lambs remained with their dams (natural rearing (NR) group). Forty lambs were removed from their dams at birth. Lambs were bottle-fed with a pool of sheep colostrum, receiving either 4 g of IgG/kg of BW at birth (C4 group) or 8 g of IgG/kg of BW at birth (C8 group). The total colostrum amount was equally divided into three meals at 2, 14 and 24 h after birth. After this period, lambs were bottle-fed a commercial milk replacer. Blood plasma sample analysis and BW recordings were carried out before feeding at birth and then at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 20 days after birth. Another blood sample analysis and BW recording was carried out when animals reached 10 kg of BW. During weaning (30 days), sampling was carried out every 5 days. Blood plasma was used to determine the concentrations of IgG and IgM and the complement system activity -total and alternative pathways. The NR group showed greater BW than the C4 and C8 groups during milk feeding period, whereas the C4 and C8 groups had greater BW than the NR group at the end of weaning period. The C8 and NR groups had greater plasma IgG and IgM concentrations than the C4 group during milk feeding period. In addition, C4 and C8 groups showed similar IgG concentrations and greater IgM concentrations than the NR group at the end of the weaning period. Complement system activity was greater in the NR group than in the C4 and C8 groups during the first 3 days after birth. In conclusion, lambs fed amounts of colostrum equivalent to 8 g of IgG/kg of BW showed similar immune variables compared to lambs reared under natural conditions, obtaining a greater BW at the end of the weaning period. Nevertheless, this study shows that not only the colostrum amount but also the management during the milk feeding and weaning period, such as stress produced by dam separation, milk quality and suckling frequency, can affect the final immune status of lambs.Keywords: immune, lamb, colostrum, weaning, artificial rearing ImplicationsColostrum plays a fundamental role in the immunization of newborn ruminants. Artificial rearing is a common method used in dairy farms, increasing the amount of milk for processing. The aim of this study was to feed newborn lambs colostrum with two different IgG concentrations and to compare these animals to natural dam fed lambs. This study showed that administration of 8 g of immunoglobulin g/kg BW at birth, equally divided into three colostrum meals (2, 14 and 26 h), achieved higher circulating immunoglobulin G concentration when compared to the natural rearing treatment, although both artificial rearing groups decreased BW after birth. IntroductionThe relationship between colostrum and the survival of newborn ruminants has been long characterized (Argüello et al., 2004;Castro et al., 2011;Abdou et al., 2014)...

A proteomics study of colostrum and milk from the two major small ruminant dairy breeds from the Canary Islands: a bovine milk comparison perspective

“…Similarly, no differences were detected regarding IgM concentration in milk from the different studied species, although sheep colostrum showed higher values (5·23 mg/ml) than cows and goats, being the goat colostrum the one that obtained the lowest IgM concentration in this study (0·72 mg/ml). Similar IgM concentration was described by Hernández-Castellano et al (2015d) in colostrum from the same breed of sheep (5·61 mg/ml).…”

Milk Replacer Supplementation with Docosahexaenoic Acid from Microalgae Does Not Affect Growth and Immune Status in Goat Kids

“…Nowadays, there is an increasing number of high production dairy farms, in which artificial rearing is chosen as a way to increase the amount of milk available for processing [ 30 , 31 ] and simplify animal management [ 32 ]. Consequently, it is important to supplement balanced and optimal milk replacers in order to avoid negative consequences on animal health and performance [ 33 ]. Docosahexaenoic acid is widely recognized for its central role in the development of cognitive functions as well as in the development of the immune system in humans and animals [ 10 , 34 ].…”

Growth performance and health of nursing lambs supplemented with inulin and Lactobacillus casei

“…Regarding this last cause, transmission of antibodies in ruminants is blocked because of the histological nature of the placenta, and lambs are born without immunological protection [2]. Therefore, it is important that they ingest colostrum during the first hours of their lives [3] because later the passage of immunoglobulins through the intestinal villi is reduced and this limits the development of passive immunity [4]. Deficient immunological protection during lactation favors respiratory infections and diarrhea-related digestive infections [5] and lambs fed colostrum without specific antibodies might become sick [2].…”