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Table 1 Descriptive results of serum Immunglobulin G (IgG; n = 156, g/L), prevalence of failure of passive transfer (FPT, serum IgG levels < 10 g/L at 24–48 h of age) (%) and colostrum IgG (n = 141, g/L) for cow-calf pairs included in the study

From: A cross-sectional study of suckling calves’ passive immunity and associations with management routines to ensure colostrum intake on organic dairy farms

 

Item

Class

Serum IgG, n

Serum IgG, g/L (SEM)

FPT,  %

(n)

Colostrum IgG, g/L (SEM)

Factors related to method of ensuring colostrum intake evaluated in the serum IgG and FPT models

Method of ensuring colostrum intake (Routine or non-routine)

Visual assessment

61

17.9 (1.45)

31% (19)

33.9 (3.33)

Bottle

82

15.2 (0.93)

31% (25)

45.1 (3.37)

Assistance

13

12.9 (3.44)

54% (7)

27.9 (4.51)

Routine method of ensuring colostrum intake?

Yes (routinely managed)

108

15.8 (1.01)

32% (35)

38.3 (2.60)

No (non-routinely managed)

46

16.2 (1.75)

33% (15)

53.7 (6.04)

Changed method of ensuring colostrum intake from routine?

Routine bottle

54

13.8 (1.04)

32% (17)

41.2 (3.79)

Routine visual assessment

54

17.9 (1.56)

33% (18)

35.1 (3.5)

Routine bottle → non-routine visual assessment

7

17.8 (4.20)

29% (2)

25.8 (8.31)

Routine visual assessment → non-routine bottle

28

17.8 (1.75)

25% (7)

52.7 (6.04)

Routine visual assessment → non-routine assisted

13

12.9 (3.44)

54% (7)

27.9 (4.51)

Additional predictors evaluated in the colostrum IgG model

Country

Norway

121

16.1 (0.89)

31% (38)

43.8 (2.79)

Sweden

35

15.8 (1.85)

37% (13)

24.8 (2.37)

Season

Winter

62

15.3 (1.35)

40% (25)

29.6 (1.93)

Spring

52

15.7 (1.35)

31% (16)

50.7 (4.6)

Summer

23

17.0 (2.21)

26% (6)

41.1 (4.01)

Fall

19

18.1 (2.18)

21% (4)

36.2 (8.84)

Breed

Norwegian Red

121

16.1 (0.89)

31% (38)

43.8 (2.79)

SRB/SLB

35

15.8 (1.85)

30% (3)

24.8 (2.27)

Calving difficulty

Unassisted calving

141

15.6 (0.82)

35% (49)

39.3 (2.56)

Easy pull

5

20.4 (8.71)

40% (2)

40.5 (4.77)

Twins

10

20.3 (2.10)

0% (0)

40.2 (3.47)

Cow parity

1

39

15.5 (1.31)

31% (12)

43.6 (4.67)

2

40

16.5 (1.74)

40% (16)

30.4 (3.13)

3

36

16.2 (1.89)

31% (11)

38.3 (3.1)

> 3

41

16.0 (1.62)

29% (12)

44.4 (5.6)

Herd size (years cows)

15–30

62

17.7 (1.50)

27% (17)

47.2 (4.47)

31–55

48

17.3 (1.53)

29% (14)

34.0 (3.64)

56–65

46

12.6 (1.02)

44% (20)

35.8 (2.54)

Additional predictors evaluated in the FPT and Serum IgG models

Calf age at blood sampling (h)

24–31

52

14.2 (1.32)

37% (19)

37.6 (3.3)

32–37

50

15.5 (1.30)

38% (19)

41.0 (4.95)

38–55

49

18.6 (1.54)

22% (11)

37.4 (3.00)

Missing entries

5

Calf girth measurement (cm)

60–77

43

15.2 (1.45)

33% (14)

38.8 (4.04)

78–81

40

17.6 (1.57)

25% (10)

47.5 (5.03)

82–89

38

16.5 (1.85)

36% (14)

35.7 (3.9)

Missing entries

35

Calf age at colostrum feeding (h)

1–2

48

16.0 (1.34)

31% (15)

40.0 (3.12)

3–4

43

15.9 (1.67)

35% (15)

42.2 (4.6)

5–15

35

16.1 (1.65)

34% (12)

28.0 (3.04)

Missing entries

30

Colostrum quantity, (L, bottle only)

Low (≤ 2.0)

75

15.0 (0.98)

32% (24)

43.5 (3.39)

High (> 2.0)

4

20.0 (2.56)

0% (0)

64.5 (15.20)

 

Missing entries

3

  1. The results are given relative to different factors evaluated as possible contributions in the statistical models. There were 141 colostrum samples analysed for IgG
  2. SRB Swedish Red and White, SLB Swedish Holstein