EFFECT OF MEDICATION WITH ANTIBIOTICS AND MATURE BOVINE PLASMA ON MORTALITY, MORBIDITY, RATE OF GROWTH AND SERUM IMMUNOGLOBULINS OF HOLSTEIN CALVES

Abstract

Nine of 18 Holstein calves, approximately one week of age, purchased at local auction, died when antibiotic therapy was withheld. Eighteen others receiving antibiotic therapy survived. Intravenous infusion of 250 ml of fresh bovine plasma within 24 hours of purchase resulted in improved viability in a third group of 18, but 500 ml infused intravenously in a fourth group of 18 resulted in viability little different from the group receiving no therapy. Calves given antibiotic treatment were more uniform in growth rate and efficiency of ration utilization than surviving calves on the other three treatments; in addition, they were more efficient than calves receiving no therapy. Serum "immunoglobulin" concentration at time of purchase was unrelated to subsequent mortality. However, mortality rate appeared to be inversely related chronologically to the general decrease and subsequent increase in serum "immunoglobulins".