Animal Sciences Commons^™

Prepartum Maternal Cortisol Concentrations On Postnatal Cortisol Concentration And Immunoglobulin Absorption In Neonatal Dairy Calves, Dana Nadine Wooley

LSU Master's Theses

The role of glucocorticoids on intestinal closure in neonates has recently become an area of interest but a definitive mechanism remains to be identified. It is known that glucocorticoids enhance immunoglobulin absorption in dairy calves, but the role of maternal glucocorticoids at parturition is not clear. In the present experiment, we obtained plasma and milk samples from primiparous and multiparous Holstein cows (n=24) to measure cortisol at 72, 48 and 24 hours before and 3, 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours after spontaneous parturition. After parturition, calves (n=24) were immediately removed from their dams and a blood sample was taken …