BACKGROUND: The immunity and health of newborn calf are related to immunoglobulins uptake from colostrum where treatment of colostrum may improve the uptake. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of controlled heat-treating of colostrum and antibiotic addition on immunoglobulins absorption, performance and health parameters of calf. Methods: The colostrum pool was prepared from multiparous dams and was frozen after the treatments. Colostrum was fed immediately after the birth three times a day for 2 days. Twelve newborn Holstein calves were divided into three treatment groups including 1) raw colostrum (control), 2) heat-treated colostrum, and 3) colostrum with oxytetracyclin in a completely randomized design. Blood samples were obtained in days 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 via jugular vein. Health score and fecal point were determined daily. Results: Results showed that heat-treating of colostrum increased immunoglobulins uptake and their apparent efficiency of absorption (p<0.01), where a 24% increase in blood immunoglobulins concentrations and a 15% in their apparent efficiency of absorption were observed by heating the colostrum compared with control group and a lower increase was observed compared with antibiotic group. No significant differences were observed in weight gain, weaning time and weight as well as the amount and time of beginning starter intake among groups. Feed conversion ratio did not affected by the treatments. There were no significant differences in blood cells counts among groups. Calves fecal point was not affected by the treatments but health score was increased by using heat-treated colostrum where scour incidence was reduced (p<0.05). Conclusions: Results of the study showed that controlled heat-treating of colostrum is an effective and practical method to improve immunoglobulins absorption and reduce scour incidence in calf.

The studies were carried out to investigate the effect of recovery in rewarming using the esophageal thermal tube in the deep hypothermia(25+_1 degrees centigrade ; rectal temp) in rabbits. Fifteen rabbits were divided into control group(n=6), peritoneal dialysis group(n=5) irrigated with dialysate at 42+_1 degrees centigrade, and esophageal rewarming group(n=6), peritioneal dialysis group(n=5) irrigated with dialysate at 42+_1 degrees centigrade, and esophageal rewarming group(n=4) perfused with circulating water at 38+_1 degrees centigrade. Rewarming of the rabbits was performed for 5 hours. MAP, HR, RR, esophageal temp, rectal temp, pH, pCO2, pO2, Na+, and K+ were observed. The results obtained in these experiments were summarized as follows:Esophageal rewarming group(38+_1 degrees centigrade) had more effect on esophageal temperature than other groups. Peritoneal dialysis group(42+_1 degrees centigrade) had more effect on rectal temperature and pO2 than other groups. The both groups also had more effects on MAP, HR, RR, and pCO2 than control group. Three groups had no significant effect on pH, Na+, and K+. In conclusion, we found that the simple, safe, and non-invasive esophageal rewarming method had an effect on the treatment of profound hypothermia as well as the peritoneal dialysis method in spite of the temperature difference between the dialysate and the circulating water, and the circulating water at 38+_1 degrees centigrade for esophageal rewarming also had an effect on the recovery of deep hypothermia.