Adequate passive immunity transfer through colostrum is the single most important preventive measure for calf respiratory and enteric disease. Failure of passive transfer dramatically increases disease risk.
Failure of passive transfer creates calves that are defenceless against pathogens for their first weeks of life, experiencing much higher rates of septicaemia, pneumonia, and enteric disease. The welfare cost of FPT is enormous: affected calves experience more disease episodes, more severe illness, and higher mortality than those with adequate passive immunity. The intervention is simple, low-cost, and reliable: ensuring adequate high-quality colostrum is delivered within the first six hours of life. Management failures — delayed assistance to slow-born calves, poor colostrum quality from fresh-calved cows, inadequate volumes fed — that result in FPT represent preventable welfare harm. Monitoring serum protein or Brix scores enables identification of FPT calves for targeted early intervention.