Research Articles
Pasteurizing Milk and Colostrum
Professional heifer growers and dairy producers are faced with the challenge of raising healthy calves while still paying close attention to rearing costs and profit. Factors that may be considered in selecting a liquid feeding program may include the number of calves fed, economics and cash flow, nutritional characteristics, calf performance targets, resource availability -- for example, consistent supply of non-saleable milk -- infectious disease control concerns, and personal preferences. Feeding raw non-saleable milk represents one way to gain important economic and nutritional efficiencies but can introduce the risk of infectious diseases to dairy calves. The recent introduction of commercial on-farm pasteurization systems offers producers a method for reducing the risk of pathogen transmission and can be a viable economic strategy for feeding dairy calves. However, to be successful, producers must be committed to properly managing and monitoring a pasteurized, non-saleable milk feeding program. This paper will discuss some of the benefits and limitations of feeding pasteurized non-saleable milk; describe commercially available on-farm pasteurization systems and the results of studies feeding pasteurized non-saleable milk; and outline the important considerations needed to successfully adopt and implement a pasteurized, non-saleable milk feeding program. The paper will also discuss special considerations and early research findings surrounding the heat-treatment of colostrum.
Research shows first-lactation benefit to feeding whole milk to calves
In a recently published study, heifers fed whole milk before weaning produced more milk during their first lactation than those fed milk replacer as calves. Israeli researchers published these results in the June issue of the Journal of Dairy Science.
Forty-six Israeli Holstein calves were allowed to consume as much fresh whole milk or milk replacer as they would drink during two 30-minute feeding periods each day. Free-choice water and starter were also provided. Gradual weaning began at 51 days of age and was completed at 60 days of age. All calves received the same feed from 60 through 150 days of age, at which time half of the heifers were assigned to a growing heifer ration and the other half received the growing heifer ration with an additional 2% protein supplemented. These rations were fed through 320 days of age. From 320 days of age through calving and throughout the first lactation, all heifers received the same ration. Body composition at 60 days and 300 days was measured using an additional 12 heifers that were fed and managed identically to those in the lactation experiment.
Effects of Feeding Heat-Treated Colostrum on Passive Transfer of Immune and Nutritional Parameters in Neonatal Dairy Calves
J. L. Johnson, S. M. Godden,1 T. Molitor, T. Ames, and D. Hagman
Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul 55108
“The most exciting result from this study was that feeding heat-treated colostrum resulted in greater serum IgG concentrations in calves, despite the fact that calves in both treatment groups were fed the same total mass of IgG at the same time after birth and using the same feeding method. The authors hypothesize that greater serum IgG concentrations could have resulted because calves receiving heat-treated colostrum were able to absorb a greater proportion of the total mass of IgG presented to the small intestine.”
Heat-Treatment of Bovine Colostrum. II: Effects of Heating Duration on Pathogen Viability and Immunoglobulin G
S. Godden,*1 S. McMartin,* J. Feirtag,† J. Stabel,‡ R. Bey,§ S. Goyal, § L. Metzger,† J. Fetrow,* S. Wells,* and H. Chester-Jones¦
*Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, and
†Department of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Minnesota
‡USDA, ARS, National Animal Disease Center, Ames, IA 50010
§Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, and
¦Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108
J. Dairy Sci. 89:3476–3483 ©American Dairy Science Association, 2006.
“Large (30-L) batches of moderate- to high-quality bovine colostrum can be heat-treated in a commercial on farm batch pasteurizer at 60°C for at least 120 min without affecting the IgG concentration or sctivity. Mycoplasma bovis, L. monocytogenes, E. coli O157:H7, and S. enteritidis added tocolostrum could not be recovered after colostrum was heat-treated at 60°C for 30 min. Heat-treatment at 60°C for 60 min should be sufficient to eliminate Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map) from colostrum in most situations.”
Calf Diseases and Prevention
Sheila M. McGuirk, DVM, PhD and Pamela Ruegg, DVM, MPVM
University of Wisconsin-Madison
“The productivity of the herd can be negatively impacted by impaired growth of calves, decreased milk production of animals that experienced chronic illness as baby calves, spread of infectious diseases from calves to adult cows, increased veterinary costs and the limited opportunity for genetic selection due to high mortality of replacement animals."
"Efficient replacement programs endeavour to calve Holstein heifers that weight 550 kg at 22.5 to 25 months of age. Healthy calves can achieve growth rates that allow them to be bred at 13-15 months of age and maximize the potential productivity of the overall dairy herd.”
On-Farm Batch Pasteurization Destroys Mycobacterium paratuberculosis in Waste Milk
J. R. Stabel
USDA-ARS,
National Animal Disease Center,
2300 Dayton Rd.,
Ames, IA 5001
J. Dairy Sci. 84:524–527 ©American Dairy Science Association, 2001.
“These results suggest that batch pasteurization of waste milk contaminated with M. paratuberculosis was effective at generating a clean product to feed to young calves.”
Pasteurized Milk and Colostrum for Calves: An Option or Necessity?
Sandra Godden* and Hugh Chester-Jones¦
*Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, and
¦Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108
“Studies have shown that pasteurization, both batch and HTST, is effective in destroying viable bacteria for most of the pathogenic species threatening calves. Two studies to-date have used commercial on-farm pasteurization units; one a batch unit, the other HTST–both demonstrated that the pasteurization unit effectively destroyed the Johne’s organism.”
ON-FARM BATCH PASTEURIZATION DESTROYS MYCOBACTERIUM PARATUBERCULOSIS IN WASTE MILK
J. Dairy Sci 2001;84(2):524-527
“These results suggest that batch pasteurization of waste milk contaminated with M. paratubertculosis was effective at generating a clean product to feed to young calves.”
MYCOBACTERIUM PARATUBERCULOSIS–JOHNE’S DISEASE
J. Dairy Sci 2002;85(12):31228-3205
A total of 18, including 7 regular batch and 11 high temperature short time (HTST) pasteurization experiments were conducted in this study. Milk samples were spiked with escherichia coli and mycobacterium bovis BCG strains...no survivors were detected from any of the slants or broths corresponding to the seven regular batch pasteurization trials. Mptb survivors were detected in two of the HTST experiments.
PASTEURIZATION OF DISCARD MYCOPLASMA MASTITIC MILK
J. Dairy Sci 2000;83(10):2285-8
“...on-the-farm pasteurization of the discard milk...prevented additional illness in the calves.”
MICROBIAL RISK
Calf Notes; Calf Note #35-2001. Dr. Quigley
“Pasteurization can be an effective means for reducing microbial load of waste milk and improving overall milk quality. Calves fed pasteurized colostrum and waste milk were worth $8.13 more in gross margin per calf compared with calves fed non pasteurized milk and colostrum.”
PASTEURIZED WASTE MILK SAFE FOR CALVES
Agri-View 04/16/2003
“It was then pasteurized using two commercial on-farm pasteurizers – a batch model (from DairyTech Inc., Windsor, Colorado) and a high temperature, short-time (HTST) model (from BetterMilk Inc., Winona, Minnesota). Godden says pasteurization with the batch unit destroyed all of the organisms in both milk and colostrum.”