Blood immune transcriptome analysis of artificially fed dairy calves and naturally suckled beef calves from birth to 7 days of age

The aim of the overall study was to investigate the development of immune competence in artificially reared dairy calves and in two breeds of naturally suckled beef calves over the first 168h of life. Dairy calves were fed 5% total body weight of colostrum, with beef calves monitored to ensure natural ingestion of colostrum. Blood samples were taken from all calves at 24h 48h 72h and 168h, and analysed for alterations to immunes genes. The animal model was designed to fully elucidate the development of immune-competence in i) Holstein dairy calves (artificially fed 5% colostrum body weight (BW) at birth) and ii), naturally suckled beef calves, the progenies of Limousin × Friesian and Charolais × Limousin cows.