Intestinal microbiosis in hypotrophic milk-fed calves

A lot of pathologies in the newborn calves occur due to lack of their adaptability to the environment. This is more evident in the animals with an inborn morphofunctional hypogenesis, therefore they should be identified as a risk group and cared in accordance with their metabolic and immune specificity. The risk of pathology is the highest in hypotrophic calves, but in fact the natural formation of their intestinal microbiosis, which is known to have the multiple defensive functions, has been little studied. In our investigations, conducted at a commercial dairy farm in the Voronezh region in 2012-2013, the microbiological analysis was carried out to test the bacterial patterns in the feces from calves of the first-calf German Holstein-Frisian cows, in the mother-cow’s utero-vaginal excretions during first few minutes after the removal of fetus, in the colostrum and milk 1, 3, and 7 days after the delivery, and also in the washings from walls and feeders, and in air samples. The intestinal microbiosis of the newborn calves was found to be mainly determined by the microbial patterns of the mother-cow genital tract, by the microflora of colostrum and milk, and also by the environment. In hypothrophic calves, when compared to their good developed peers, the number of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli was relatively low, Staphylococcus auerus was identified, and Proteus, Citrobacter, Enterobacter and Enterococcus bacteria predominated, indicating the imbalance and disturbances in the intestinal microbiosis.