CAL ▶▶▶VES
Diarrhoea? Egg powder to the rescue
Another tool to reduce the use of antibiotics is the use of immunoglobulins from eggs. Trials showed that this product is effective to support a calf’s start into life and also to offer support when challenged by various forms of diarrhoea.
BY FRANZISKA STEMMER AND DR INGE HEINZL, EW NUTRITION, GERMANY T
he main cause of calf loss during the first two weeks of life is diarrhoea. In general diarrhoea is character- ised by more liquid being secreted than that being resorbed. However, diarrhoea is not a disease, but
actually only a symptom. Having diarrhoea has a protective function for the animal, because the higher liquid volume in the gut increases motility and pathogens and toxins are ex- creted faster. Diarrhoea can occur for several reasons. It can be caused by incorrect nutrition, but also by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses and protozoa.
Bacteria and viruses E. coli belong to the normal gut flora of humans and animals and can mainly be found in the colon. Only a fraction of the serotypes causes diseases. The pathogenicity of E. coli is linked to virulence factors. Decisive virulence factors are for example the fimbria used for the attachment to the gut wall and the bacteria’s ability to produce toxins. Salmonella in general plays a secondary role in calf diarrhoea, however, sal- monellosis in cattle is a notifiable disease. Disease due to Clostridia is amongst the most expensive one in cattle farm- ing globally. In herbivores, clostridia are part of the normal gastro-intestinal flora, only a few types can cause serious dis- ease. In calves, Clostridium perfringens occurs with the differ- ent types A, C, and D. Rotaviruses are the most common viral pathogens causing diarrhoea in calves and lambs. They are mainly found at the age of 5 to 14 days. Coronaviruses nor- mally attack calves at the age of 5 to 21 days. Cryptosporidi- um parvum is a protozoa and presumed to be the most com- mon pathogen causing diarrhoea (prevalence up to more than 60%) in calves.
Undigested feed and incorrect us of antibiotics Plant raw materials (mainly soy products) are partly used in milk replacers as protein sources. These products contain car- bohydrates, that cannot be digested by calves which can lead to diarrhoea. The transition from milk to milk replacer can also be a reason. An early application of tetracyclines and ne- omycin to young calves can lead to a change in the villi, mal- absorption and therefore to slight diarrhoea. Longer thera- pies using high dosages of antibiotics can also lead to a bacterial superinfection of the gut. The problem is that in a disease situation, antibiotics are often used incorrectly. The use of antibiotics only makes sense when there is a bacterial diarrhoea and not due to viruses, protozoa or poor feed man- agement. To keep the use of antibiotics as low as possible, alternatives need to be considered.
Egg powder to add immunoglobulins In order to achieve optimal results in calf rearing, two ap- proaches are possible. Firstly, the prophylaxis approach. This is the method of choice as diarrhoea can mostly be prevent- ed. Therefore, it is necessary to supply the calf with the best possible equipment. As antibodies are one crucial but limit- ing factor in the colostrum of the “modern” cow, this gap needs to be minimised. A study conducted in Germany in 2015 demonstrated that more than 50% of the newborn
Figure 1 - Effect of an egg powder product on weaning weight (kg).
120 Control 100 93.45
40 60 80
38.35 20 0 Birth weight *p≤0.001 ▶DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 5, No. 4, 2018 11 Weaning weight Globigen* Colostrum *
105.74 (+13 %)
40.79
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