Adequate colostrum intake in the first hours of life is the single most important factor in dairy calf survival and welfare, yet failures in colostrum management are common across dairy farming systems.
Colostrum management represents one of the most welfare-consequential decisions in dairy calf management, yet failures remain common. Calves that do not receive adequate high-quality colostrum within the first hours of life face months of increased vulnerability to infectious disease, with suffering from septicemia, pneumonia, and scours that are difficult to manage once established. The management challenge is real — calves separated from mothers at or before 24 hours do not have the opportunity to nurse naturally, requiring staff to actively feed colostrum in a timely manner. This simple intervention, when properly executed, prevents enormous amounts of calf suffering. Farms with robust colostrum protocols demonstrate that the knowledge and tools to prevent passive transfer failure are readily available.