While focusing on the 3 Qs is very important, there is another factor which is really important in colostrum management.

This is cleanliness. In this video I talk about how important this is.

One of the best explanations I've ever heard on this one is fighting the impact of early manure meals. We must remember that faeces contains lots of bugs that when they get into colostrum will multiply and also can reduce the effectiveness of colostrum. It is not just faecal contaminants, it's other environmental bacteria as well.

We must remember colostrum when absorbed in through the calf's gut will help fight infections. However, when lying in buckets or being stored incorrectly it will be the opposite. It is the perfect medium for bacterial growth, so please focus on keeping colostrum clean.

Bacteria can inhibit the absorption of colostrum and also increase the likelihood of calves getting sick. Some bigger farms are now doing bacterial counts (using swabs and bacterial plates) to assess certain critical control points. There is even target growth rates on plates to be below. This may sound very detailed but if we can get and manage hygiene and cleanliness in our immunonaive calves, we can do so much with improving performance.

One big one is colostrum storage and how clean it is.