The priority for calf rearing has been to maintain good health and welfare in order to promote and sustain future production. However, there have been numerous reports of undesirable levels of morbidity and mortality amongst pre-weaned calves. This may be mitigated or exacerbated by nutritional management practices. Some areas of concern include colostrum feeding, utilization of waste milk, and restrictive milk feeding regimes. Antibiotics may be prescribed at lethal or sub-inhibitory doses to treat or prevent disease. However, extensive antibiotic use may disrupt the gastrointestinal microbiota and aid in expanding the antibiotic resistant gene pool. In an attempt to reduce the use of antibiotics, there is a demand to find alternative performance enhancers. Direct-fed microbials, also known as probiotics, may comply with this role. A DFM consists of live microorganisms that are biologically active and able to confer health benefits onto the host. Lactic acid bacteria have been the most frequently investigated; however, this field of research has expanded to include spore-forming bacteria and live yeast preparations. This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional management strategies that may increase a calf’s susceptibility to morbidity and mortality, the efficacy and sustainability of antibiotics as a tool for managing calf health and welfare, and the potential for DFMs as a supportive strategy for promoting calf wellbeing.

An Evaluation of Nutritional and Therapeutic Factors Affecting Pre-Weaned Calf Health and Welfare, and Direct-Fed Microbials as a Potential Alternative for Promoting Performance—A Review / Davies, Sarah J.; Esposito, Giulia; Villot, Clothilde; Chevaux and Emiliano Raffrenato, Eric. - In: DAIRY. - ISSN 2624-862X. - 3:(2022), pp. 648-667. [10.3390/dairy3030045]

An Evaluation of Nutritional and Therapeutic Factors Affecting Pre-Weaned Calf Health and Welfare, and Direct-Fed Microbials as a Potential Alternative for Promoting Performance—A Review

Giulia Esposito
Writing – Review & Editing
;
2022-01-01

Abstract

The priority for calf rearing has been to maintain good health and welfare in order to promote and sustain future production. However, there have been numerous reports of undesirable levels of morbidity and mortality amongst pre-weaned calves. This may be mitigated or exacerbated by nutritional management practices. Some areas of concern include colostrum feeding, utilization of waste milk, and restrictive milk feeding regimes. Antibiotics may be prescribed at lethal or sub-inhibitory doses to treat or prevent disease. However, extensive antibiotic use may disrupt the gastrointestinal microbiota and aid in expanding the antibiotic resistant gene pool. In an attempt to reduce the use of antibiotics, there is a demand to find alternative performance enhancers. Direct-fed microbials, also known as probiotics, may comply with this role. A DFM consists of live microorganisms that are biologically active and able to confer health benefits onto the host. Lactic acid bacteria have been the most frequently investigated; however, this field of research has expanded to include spore-forming bacteria and live yeast preparations. This review aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of the nutritional management strategies that may increase a calf’s susceptibility to morbidity and mortality, the efficacy and sustainability of antibiotics as a tool for managing calf health and welfare, and the potential for DFMs as a supportive strategy for promoting calf wellbeing.
2022
An Evaluation of Nutritional and Therapeutic Factors Affecting Pre-Weaned Calf Health and Welfare, and Direct-Fed Microbials as a Potential Alternative for Promoting Performance—A Review / Davies, Sarah J.; Esposito, Giulia; Villot, Clothilde; Chevaux and Emiliano Raffrenato, Eric. - In: DAIRY. - ISSN 2624-862X. - 3:(2022), pp. 648-667. [10.3390/dairy3030045]
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11381/2933852
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 1
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 1
social impact