ABSTRACT:
Efficient handling programs that provide high quality colostrum in adequate amounts to dairy farm calves are needed to assure their health and survival. Replacers (or milk substitutes) often become necessary when colostrum presents inadequate quality, or in order to break the cycle of infectious disease transmission. In this study we aimed to assess the effect of anaerobic fermentation processing (colostrum silage) on bacterial that represent interest to animal health. Colostrum samples were inoculated with cultures of Brucella abortus , Escherichia coli ,Leptospira interrogans serovar Copenhageni ,Mycobacterium bovis , Salmonella Enteritidis ,Salmonella Typhimurium ,Staphylococcus aureus , andBacillus cereus and then subjected to anaerobic fermentation. On the first day, and every seven days until 30th days after fermentation, the samples were cultured and colony forming units counted. At seven days of fermentation,B. abortus ,L. interrogans , andM. bovis were not detected. At 14th days of fermentation,E. coli ,S. aureus ,S. Enteritidis andS. Typhimurium were no longer detected. However, we were able to detect both lactic acid bacteria andB. cereus until 30th days of fermentation. From this study we suggested that anaerobic fermentation processing can inhibit important bacteria that cause economical losses for the cattle industry. The observations suggested that colostrum silage is a promising form to conserve bovine colostrum.
Key words:
colostrum silage; lactic acid bacteria; calves; milk substitutes
