Passive immunity transfer through colostrum in the first hours of life is the most critical determinant of calf health and welfare, with failure having severe lifetime consequences.
Calves with FPT suffer multiple disease episodes that could have been prevented with adequate colostrum management. The welfare impact of FPT extends throughout the calf's life: more disease, more painful treatments, higher mortality. Good colostrum management - testing quality with a refractometer, feeding promptly in adequate volumes, and supplementing with stored colostrum when natural supply is inadequate - prevents enormous suffering at negligible cost.