The first hours of a calf's life are essential for its survival, as it is born with an immature immune system, unable to defend itself against infections. Rapid consumption of colostrum, a milk rich in antibodies, protein, vitamins and fat produced by the cow just after calving, is therefore crucial. This "immune shield" temporarily protects the calf against many infectious diseases, such as diarrhea and respiratory diseases, the main causes of mortality in unweaned calves. This passive immunity is essential while waiting for the calf's immune system, which takes several weeks to develop, to become fully operational.

Colostrum quality: a determining factor for calf health

While rapid colostrum intake at birth is vital for the calf, not all colostrum is created equal. Its quality depends on several factors such as dry-off management, parasitism, nutrition, trace element supplementation, vaccination, calving rank, breed and genetics. Good colostrum must have a high concentration of immunoglobulins. To assess this quality, breeders use a Brix refractometer. This tool allows you to quickly measure the density of colostrum, an indicator of its antibody content which varies from one mother to another, from one calving to another, and decreases rapidly after calving. Assessing its concentration allows you to adjust the quantity to be distributed to the calf: the less the colostrum is loaded with antibodies, the greater the quantity distributed must be.

Improving herd management with DAY 1

Launched in 2019, the DAY 1 project was not initially digital. Implemented on more than 200 French farms in partnership with more than 60 veterinary clinics, it marked five years of collaboration between farmers and veterinarians. This year, Day 1 goes digital to simplify data entry and processing and allow farmers and veterinarians to directly access the tool via a smartphone or computer. Day 1 is based on two complementary tools that offer users complete and intuitive management of colostrum quality.

The first tool, "My monitoring", allows farmers to enter, via the application, precise information on each calving, breeding practices (vaccination, trace element intake, antiparasitic treatments, etc.) and colostrum monitoring (time of administration, quantity drunk, and time of measurement). After recording 20 calvings, a complete report is generated, including statistics, trend curves, and a detailed description of the farm. This report will allow the farmer and their veterinarian to work together to define the good practices to put in place to optimize colostrum quality and calf immunity.

The colostrum observatory is the second tool offered by Day 1. It allows you to consolidate all the data entered via "My monitoring" and compare it with that of other similar farms. The farmer thus has access to maps of colostrum quality by region, breed, or type of farm. Currently, 11,000 data on French farms are integrated into this observatory. This collaborative tool allows farmers to position themselves in national or regional averages in order to implement new practices if farms similar to theirs have better quality colostrum.

Thanks to these two tools, Day 1 allows the farmer and the veterinarian to implement concrete actions, based on consolidated data, to improve calf health. Well received in France, Day 1 has attracted interest from other European countries. The "My monitoring" tool is thus being studied in Italy and Spain, marking a first step in the international development of this initiative.