Anaemia caused by iron deficiency has long been reported in dairy calves. This study investigated iron deficiency anaemia on UK dairy farms feeding whole milk and evaluated the effect of iron supplementation on the daily weight gain (DG) and haemoglobin (Hb) levels of these calves. Two-hundred-and-thirty-seven calves were enrolled across six farms. At enrolment, calves were randomly allocated to either receive treatment with iron injection (INJ; n = 120) consisting of 5 mL (1 g iron) of iron dextran (Uniferon 20% Injection, Pharmacosmos) or no injection, control (CON; n = 117). Calves were blood-sampled for Hb and total proteins and weighed at weeks one, six and 12 of age. Iron had a significant effect on DG from one to six weeks, with an average 78 g/d (SD 18 g/d, n = 188, 95% Confidence interval: 44–112 g/d, p < 0.001) DG increase in the INJ calves. Iron had a significant effect on Hb concentration at six weeks between the INJ group and CON group (110.7 (SD 12.4) versus 94.9 g/L (SD 13.2), respectively). Calves with a higher growth rate from one to six weeks were more likely to have low Hb levels at six weeks. There was farm variation in both Hb levels and DG, however, despite this, there was an effect of iron across all farms.

This study aimed to assess iron deficiency anaemia in new-born lambs and goat kids and was carried out in two parts: (1) Twenty blood samples were taken from one-month-old lambs and kids under different systems and were tested for haemoglobin. Three groups of lambs were compared: indoor reared on maternal milk, indoor reared on milk replacer, and outdoor reared on maternal milk. Indoor-reared kids were compared: those fed on maternal milk and fed on milk replacer. Indoor-reared kids and lambs on maternal milk showed significantly lower haemoglobin levels than those on milk replacer or reared outdoors. (2) On farms with indoor-reared lambs or goat kids on maternal milk, an intervention trial was carried out: animals were randomly assigned at 1–8 days of age to either receive 300 mg (lambs) or 150 mg iron (goat kids) as intramuscular iron dextran, and growth rates were compared after one and two months. Haemoglobin levels at one month were also compared in randomly selected animals from both groups. Treated lambs and kids showed higher haemoglobin levels at one month of age and a numerically increased growth rate that was statistically significant for twin lambs. Iron dextran improves haemoglobin levels in these animals and may lead to higher growth rates, especially in twin lambs.

Suckler beef cows and their calves are commonly separated when calves are between four and ten months old. This is earlier than would happen naturally and causes stress in dams and calves and reduces feed intake and immunocompetence, and thus introduces calf performance and health problems. To address these concerns, weaning by separation was gradually phased out on a single extensive suckler beef farm comprising nine separate breeding herds based on chalk downland in southern England. Over seven consecutive years, the farm’s breeding herds were converted to natural weaning, one to two herds per year. This meant yearling calves stayed with their dams until weaned off naturally and beyond the subsequent calving season. To examine the effects of yearlings being left with their dams, retrospective data were collected on the subsequent calves’ survival to one year old (‘raising success’). The dams had their previous calf either still present as a yearling (YP) when the new calf arrived or had had their previous calf removed at eight months old, so it was absent (YA). Data were retrospectively analysed on 1822 calves born to 663 dams in total over the seven years. Raising success overall was 96% for YP calves and 95% for YA. Chi-squared analysis of only one calf per cow (N = 663; YP = 382, YA = 281) confirmed that raising success was not negatively associated with yearling presence. A separate analysis compared farm data on serum total protein levels of 81 YP and 12 YA 1–10-day-old calves as measures of colostrum antibody uptake. Mann–Whitney U testing showed an insignificant trend towards higher antibody uptake in YA calves (p < 0.1). However, over 86% of calves in both groups had ‘excellent’ total protein values according to a standard classification used for dairy calves (>6.2 g/dL). The findings show for the first time and under conditions studied here that beef calves can be left with their dams without a negative effect on the survival of the subsequent calf. Concerns of sibling rivalry disturbing the bonding process and leading to competition for colostrum and milk were not confirmed. In conclusion, allowing cows to wean their calves naturally could potentially be a viable management option for similar beef suckler herds, including those used in habitat/soil restoration projects.

(1) Background: Selective dry cow therapy is widely promoted in many countries worldwide, however, concerns have been raised about the consequences of the unhygienic application of preparations by untrained operators, especially if no antimicrobials are being used, risking deteriorating mastitis outcomes. (2) Method: This study follows up on cows being dried off by farm staff and those dried off by final-year veterinary students and first-year graduate interns in a supervised training session. Subsequent mastitis parameters and culling data in a single herd with a low somatic cell count were evaluated. (3) Results: A total of 316 dry periods were enrolled in the study. There was no significant difference in the percentage of cows showing at least one high SCC reading within 90 days of the following lactation or cows with at least one case of clinical mastitis within the same period, neither in the total nor in the subset of cows dried off without an antimicrobial. Dry period cure rates and dry period new infection rates were similar too, as was the percentage of cows surviving in the herd after six months. The risk of culling within twelve months post-drying off was lower in cows dried off by students, the difference in survival manifesting itself from 150 days post-drying off, which is an unexplained finding. (4) Conclusion: Well-supervised practical training sessions on drying off routine can be responsibly implemented on well-managed commercial dairy herds.

Johne’s disease (JD), caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), is typically acquired early in life, yet detection of exposure during this period remains challenging. This study evaluated whether MAP-specific antibodies are passively transferred from dam to calf and detectable in neonatal calf serum, and whether these titres reflect early-life exposure to MAP. Neonatal calves (n = 38) from a commercial dairy herd were blood sampled within the first 10 days of life as part of routine assessment of passive transfer. Serum total protein (STP) was measured to assess colostrum intake, and residual serum was analysed for MAP antibody titres using an indirect ELISA. Multivariable linear regression was used to evaluate associations between calf MAP antibody titres, STP, and dam JD serological status. Calf serum MAP antibody titres were positively associated with STP (p < 0.001) and differed according to dam serological status, with higher titres observed in calves born to MAP-seropositive dams (p = 0.025). A significant interaction between STP and dam status indicated that the relationship between passive transfer efficiency and MAP antibody levels varied by dam infection status. These findings support the biological plausibility of passive transfer of MAP-specific antibodies via colostrum and suggest that neonatal calf serology may reflect exposure to an early-life epidemiological risk period associated with maternal MAP exposure and the calving environment rather than infection status within the calf itself. Given the modest sample size and single-herd design, these findings should be interpreted as exploratory and hypothesis-generating.