Where did this old wise tale come from

[TheBullLady]

I've never paid much attention to that philosophy.. but I bet it started by the old practice of using a Jersey or a Longhorn on first calf heifers for calving ease.

We use a low birth weight bull on heifers, but I've got a lot of first calf heifers in the herd now. If they're good heifers, it doesn't make any difference to us if they were first born or not.

 

[Bullbuyer]

"Are they out of old cows?" That is a good Question, because if someone wants a proven line or wants to increase the longevity in a cow, then keep replacements from older proven cows that have done it over the years.

I think the other question it answers (which is not on those precious EPD sheets that everyone reads) :Is the mother of the heifer a "keeper" ? In other words, when the guy asked me if the cows were old and I said yes - he knows they must be good because I would have culled them long before now -I don't tolerate fence jumpin', poor calves, or bad attitudes.

 

[jnowack]

THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT FIRST CALF HEIFERS DO NOT HAVE AS MANY ANITBODIES IN THEIR CHOLOSTRUM AND THEIR CALVES ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISEASE. THIS IS THE SAME REASON THAT MANY DAIRIES SAVE AND FREEZE THE CHOLOSTRUM FROM THEIR OLDEST COWS AND GIVE IT TO ALL OF THEIR NEWBORNS.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

THE REASON FOR THIS IS THAT FIRST CALF HEIFERS DO NOT HAVE AS MANY ANITBODIES IN THEIR CHOLOSTRUM AND THEIR CALVES ARE MORE SUSCEPTIBLE TO DISEASE. THIS IS THE SAME REASON THAT MANY DAIRIES SAVE AND FREEZE THE CHOLOSTRUM FROM THEIR OLDEST COWS AND GIVE IT TO ALL OF THEIR NEWBORNS.

Ill have too say this is a new one on me havent heard . i can understand them maybe not milking as much but the antibodie deal aint made it past first base.

 

[Ned Jr.]

I like to keep replacment heifers from my heifers. The calving ease bulls I use tend to be more maternal than the higher growth bulls I put on my cows.

 

[milkmaid]

I've heard the colostrum theory...honestly don't know if it's accurate or not, but I do know the reasoning is that older cows have been exposed to more bugs than first calvers, and so their colostrum contains more antibodies against more things.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

I've heard the colostrum theory...honestly don't know if it's accurate or not, but I do know the reasoning is that older cows have been exposed to more bugs than first calvers, and so their colostrum contains more antibodies against more things.

my problem with it is say i have a heifer thats out of a 8-10 year old cow. that heifer should have the antibodies in her system that the cow had along with all the vaccinations that ive given that i would have given the grandmother of the babie againts most all the disease's they should encounter on my farm say like black leg for instance im thinking that most heifer calves woulding make it past a 3 months of age if they were that weak in there ammune system. just thinking out loud i guess ;-)

 

[milkmaid]

LOL. I would think, at least theoretically, that IF all the heifers and all the mature cows are on a good solid vaccination program, that both groups would have "equal" colostrum.

Sounds like a vet question though.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

maybe not exactly equal in volume but close in strength. maybe too some degree better because the heifer will have the antibodies from calfhood vac. that the cow got years ago. all this thinking is making my head hurt :cboy:

 

[jnowack]

FOUND A RECENT STUDY THAT CONTRADICTS THE OLD SCHOOL OF THOUGHT.
Studies indicate that a dairy cow that provides a large volume of first-milk colostrum will generally have a lower concentration of Ig per milliliter of milk than cows giving smaller amounts of colostrum. In the past, it has been generally accepted that the colostrum of a first-calf heifer was lower in quality than that of second-calf lactations. Recent studies conclude the opposite is true. While first-calf heifers will tend to give lower volumes of colostrum, the Ig concentration is greater than that of second lactation cows. It has been common practice to pool colostrum on dairy farms and freeze to for future use. Dr. Corbett discourages pooling because dairies tend to have high concentrations of cows that are second lactation or greater. This will tend to dilute the Ig concentration of pooled colostrum. Further, the practice increases the possibility of one cow shedding Salmonella bacteria contaminating the colostrum pool and spreading bacteria to a large number of cows.

MORE CONFUSION

 

[ALACOWMAN]

i knew in my gut that this one had too stop and be analyzed. heck who knows what i could have been if i had got past the 9th grade :lol:

 

[msscamp]

my problem with it is say i have a heifer thats out of a 8-10 year old cow. that heifer should have the antibodies in her system that the cow had along with all the vaccinations that ive given that i would have given the grandmother of the babie againts most all the disease's they should encounter on my farm say like black leg for instance im thinking that most heifer calves woulding make it past a 3 months of age if they were that weak in there ammune system. just thinking out loud i guess ;-)

If I've understood what you're saying, and as I understand it (but, as per usual, I could have misunderstood and I could be wrong), the purpose of the antibodies in the colostrum is to protect the calves until they reach the age that their immune system is mature enough to utilize vaccinations and be able to fight off illness and that's it. Antibodies are not a life-long thing, if they were we wouldn't have to keep vaccinating upcoming heifers. Just my thoughts.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

my problem with it is say i have a heifer thats out of a 8-10 year old cow. that heifer should have the antibodies in her system that the cow had along with all the vaccinations that ive given that i would have given the grandmother of the babie againts most all the disease's they should encounter on my farm say like black leg for instance im thinking that most heifer calves woulding make it past a 3 months of age if they were that weak in there ammune system. just thinking out loud i guess ;-)

If I've understood what you're saying, and as I understand it (but, as per usual, I could have misunderstood and I could be wrong), the purpose of the antibodies in the colostrum is to protect the calves until they reach the age that their immune system is mature enough to utilize vaccinations and be able to fight off illness and that's it. Antibodies are not a life-long thing, if they were we wouldn't have to keep vaccinating upcoming heifers. Just my thoughts.

thats just what i was saying msscamp you answered the question yourself ;-)