The first colostrum feeding can influence a calf’s health for months, but the value of colostrum feeding may extend beyond the first day of life. Along with antibodies, colostrum provides nutrients and compounds that support intestinal development and defense against infection. Recent research suggests that continued feeding may help reduce diarrhea risk and support recovery when calves become sick. For producers, the priority remains a strong newborn colostrum program, with additional feeding considered as part of a broader calf health plan.
Can colostrum help prevent diarrhea in preweaned calves?
Evidence supports feeding colostrum beyond the first day of life as a strategy to reduce diarrhea in preweaned calves. McCarthy et al. [1] evaluated 200 Holstein heifer calves assigned to milk replacer alone or three colostrum replacer feeding programs. Compared with controls, calves receiving colostrum replacer during days 2–3 or a smaller supplement during days 2–14 had a lower hazard of diarrhea during the first 21 days. Similarly, Kargar et al. [2] evaluated 144 Holstein heifer calves fed different amounts of colostrum in partial replacement of whole milk for 14 days. Colostrum feeding reduced days with diarrhea. Berge et al. [3] also found that adding 70 g of colostrum powder to milk replacer twice daily for 14 days reduced days with diarrhea and the need for antimicrobial treatment compared with unsupplemented controls. Together, these findings suggest that continued colostrum feeding can help reduce the burden of diarrhea during early life.
Can colostrum help a calf that already has diarrhea?
Colostrum may help, although results differ among studies. In a randomized trial involving 108 calves enrolled at the onset of diarrhea, Carter et al. [4] compared milk replacer alone with a mixture of milk replacer and bovine colostrum replacer fed for either 2 or 4 days. The 4-day program resulted in faster diarrhea resolution than the control: median time to resolution was 2.75 versus 3.5 days. Other trials have evaluated supplementation following automated feeder alerts rather than requiring confirmed diarrhea at enrollment. Cantor et al. [5] randomly assigned 84 calves to receive either 125 g of colostrum replacer or 125 g of milk replacer mixed with 1 L of water daily for 3 days after an alert indicating reduced milk intake or drinking speed. Colostrum supplementation did not reduce the likelihood of diarrhea during the following 7 days. More recently, Welk et al. [6] randomly assigned 88 calves following a feeding behavior alert to receive an additional 1 L of colostrum replacer or milk replacer daily for 4 days. Enrollment did not require confirmed diarrhea, although most calves experienced diarrhea during follow-up. Colostrum did not shorten diarrhea duration. Nevertheless, supplemented calves consumed more milk, drank faster, and had an approximately 2-kg body weight advantage during weeks 2–6 after the alert. They also had lower odds of receiving anti-inflammatory medication or additional milk supplementation from farm staff.
Together, these findings suggest that continued colostrum feeding may help reduce diarrhea risk or days with diarrhea under some feeding programs. When provided during illness, colostrum supplementation may also benefit feeding behavior and growth, although it does not consistently shorten diarrhea. Differences in feeding allowance, product composition, dose, and timing may contribute to the contrasting results. Benefits cannot be attributed to antibodies alone or assumed to apply to other products and feeding rates. Additional colostrum feeding may therefore complement a broader calf health program, but should not replace timely newborn colostrum feeding, hygiene, adequate nutrition, or appropriate clinical care.
References
- Effects of supplementing colostrum beyond the first day of life on growth and health parameters of preweaning Holstein heifers, 2024
- Extended colostrum feeding for 2 weeks improves growth performance and reduces the susceptibility to diarrhea and pneumonia in neonatal Holstein dairy calves, 2020
- Evaluation of the effects of oral colostrum supplementation during the first fourteen days on the health and performance of preweaned calves, 2009
- Evaluating the effectiveness of colostrum as a therapy for diarrhea in preweaned calves, 2022
- Nutraceutical intervention with colostrum replacer: Can we reduce disease hazard, ameliorate disease severity, and improve performance in preweaned dairy calves?, 2021
- Effect of colostrum supplementation administered at a behavior-based alert for calf diarrhea, 2026