Intestinal and immune effects of bioactive colostrum factors in newborn calves under production conditions

Materials for research were obtained in the conditions of the dairy complex of the Chapaevskoye joint venture, specializing in the pedigree Polish black-and-white Holstein-Friesian breed, located in the village Kazinka, Shpakovsky District, Stavropol Region. The materials used were colostrum from clinically healthy cows, as well as fresh fecal samples obtained from newborn calves. For immunobiochemical studies, blood obtained from newborns using monovettes was used. The study found that the primary feeding of colostrum to a newborn within 4 hours after calving with a higher density, according to the developed production system, has the best effect on the primary colonization of the gastrointestinal tract by microorga¬nisms, forming stable intestinal immunity in newborns. Based on the results of immunological studies, it was established that the inclusion of colostrum in the feeding diet, according to the feeding technology adopted at the production level, in group C tended to achieve stable immunobiochemical homeostasis. In addition, the inclusion of colostrum of the 1st and 2nd classes of colostrum in the feeding of newborns helps to obtain the most optimal values of the main indicators of natural resistance and plasma cells of the immune system. The study showed that total protein concentration in the blood is associated with the uptake of immunoglobulin by the newborn calf, which directly affects intestinal immunity. High levels of microbiocenosis were recorded in group B calves that were fed colostrum with a density of more than 1.070 g/cm3. The calf's ability to absorb immunoglobulins is significantly reduced 6 hours after birth. Therefore, it is extremely important to provide colostrum during the first few hours of life.