Research shows Colostrum key to improving fertility and yield

COLOSTRUM could be the key to improving a herd’s fertility.

Ellen Versteegen

COLOSTRUM could be the key to improving a herd’s fertility.

Research by a La Trobe University student found strong markers for fertility and milk yield in a cow’s colostrum.

Ellen Versteegen, who won the AEV Richardson Memorial National Student Award for her work, said her research was novel.

Ms Versteegen, from Avenel, completed an undergraduate degree in vet biosciences before starting post graduate research in dairy cow fertility and ruminant nutrition.

“I’m very much a problem-solving person and there is a huge issue with reduced reproductive performance,” she said.

While Ms Versteegen said cows had sometimes been bred for production at the expense of fertility, and “it is important to remember that fertility is a multi-factorial trait.”

Ms Versteegen, who is now territory manager with stockfeed company Rivalea Australia said the research was completely new and turned out to be more complex than expected.

Ms Versteegen said previous research had found optimal transition management was important for fertility.

This prompted her interest in colostrum, a secretion produced during this critical time period.

She said the main application of the research was to allow farmers time to implement management strategies for cows at risk of reduced reproductive performance.

“The research will allow farmers to test their cows immediately following calving and gain an insight into their forecast lactational performance, as well as their likelihood of conception in the breeding season,” she said.

“Previously, this information was not available until the cow was pregnancy tested, or on the day of milking.

“Having insight into the future of an individual cows’ performance will allow farmers to make informed decisions including nutritional management, reproductive management and the direct future of that cow in the milking herd.”

Ms Versteegen said research showed direct correlations between metabolite abundance and pregnancy status following the conclusion of the breeding season.

She said direct correlations were also made between colostral abundance and milk yield throughout lactation, giving farmers insight into the likely production of that cow throughout her present lactation.

Ms Versteegen collected samples from a variety of farms, with Vin and Jo Warnock’s farm at Swanpool providing the lion’s share.

She said the next step was to make a bigger data set and then develop a simple test farmers could use in the dairy.

She said she had left the door open as whether to do a PhD on the topic and was working with Rivalea Australia as a way of building her knowledge on the ground.

Belinda Worland from Queensland was runner up while Tori Percival from Tasmania was third in the competition for the National Student Award.