Farm Animals

Dairy Calf Welfare: Improving Colostrum Management Protocols

Ensuring every dairy calf receives adequate colostrum in the first hours of life is foundational to welfare and health.

Key Facts

Failure of passive transfer affects up to 40% of dairy calves globally
Calves need 3-4 litres of colostrum within 6 hours of birth
Inadequate colostrum leads to greater disease susceptibility and mortality
Frozen colostrum banks allow farms to ensure supply at all births

Welfare Considerations

A calf that fails to absorb maternal antibodies from colostrum faces a compromised immune system and increased suffering from disease. Simple management improvements dramatically reduce this preventable welfare failure.

What You Can Do

Support dairy welfare programmes that audit colostrum management
Encourage farms to adopt colostrum quality testing (Brix refractometer)
Advocate for mandatory colostrum protocols in national dairy standards