New on-farm research is highlighting the 'serious unintended consequences' of poor colostrum storage and equipment hygiene.
The vast majority (80%) of farms' supplementary colostrum tested failed total bacterial count tests, according to the research.
It was carried out during last year’s lambing on a typical commercial flock by the University of Glasgow, funded by Monitor Farm Scotland and Livestock Health Scotland.
High bacterial counts can cause a number of serious issues, explains researcher Ali Haggerty, a vet with the Stewartry Veterinary Centre in Castle Douglas.
She says: “Lambs have no antibodies of their own at birth and are reliant on the transfer of antibodies from maternal colostrum across the gut to gain immunity to disease in the first few weeks of life.
“Bacteria can inhibit the transfer of passive immunity to the lamb, can break up the antibodies in colostrum rendering them ineffective, and block the uptake of antibodies across the lamb’s gut.
"They can also damage the gut itself meaning antibodies can no longer cross, and, of course, can cause disease in their own right.”
When looking at coliforms, the bugs that can be particularly responsible for the deleterious effects on colostrum and are associated with faecal contamination, the research found 60% of samples on-farm exceeded acceptable thresholds.
While the results may seem shocking, bacteria can quickly multiply, Ms Haggerty explains, as bacteria grows exponentially and can double their population very rapidly.
She says: "Colostrum left at ambient temperature - like sitting in a container in the lambing shed while you're busy working - offers the optimal temperature and nutrients that speeds up bacterial growth by shortening their doubling time.
“Bacteria like E.coli can have a generation time of 20-30 minutes, so if we start with, say 1,000 bacteria, the population could increase to 2,000 in 20 minutes, 4,000 in 40 minutes and 8,000 in an hour.
“These results indicate that where colostrum has not been stored correctly, and equipment is not properly cleaned, giving supplementary colostrum to lambs has potential to cause more harm than good.
“However, some samples on-farm were impressively clean with very low counts, showing that achieving clean samples is possible.”
The aim should be to minimise the number of lambs routinely supplemented with colostrum, and to suckle ewes directly as this can be a hygienic option, as well as improving the crucial maternal bond, she says.
However, this is not always possible, so farmers should use time pre-lambing to review colostrum storage and equipment hygiene protocols so it can be done consistently well, even at the height of lambing.
What should I do?
The research has issued a colostrum storage and equipment hygiene checklist:
• Check all equipment for any damage, as perishing areas can harbour bacteria as well as harming lambs’ throats.
• Before lambing and after every use, clean all storage and feeding equipment thoroughly with a scrubbing brush, detergent and hot water and then disinfect.
• Purchase multiple feeders to allow for thorough cleaning after every use.
• Chill colostrum at 4°C (for up to 24 hours) if not fed immediately to prevent bacterial proliferation.
• Alternatively freeze excess colostrum at -20°C for up to six months. Thaw in a warm water bath at 30-40°C before feeding.
• Ewe colostrum is always best for supplementation if can be handled appropriately – used quickly or frozen promptly after collection and defrosting in a warm water bath.
• Consideration could be given to a good quality colostrum replacer that can be made up as required, as opposed to prolonged colostrum storage at room temperature.
