Gut Microbiome

On Thursday I was able to go to Fair Oaks farm where they keep around 4,000 dairy cattle.  I was amazed  at the cleanliness and almost odorless farm compared to all of the other farms I have been at.  It is incredible to see how such a large farm can have such high hygiene and be so environmentally friendly through its recycling of manure.

As we were waiting for some calves to be born I started thinking about the micro biome.  I was thinking about the way calves go from such a sterile environment to one full of bacteria as they are born.  Bacteria contribute to the metabolism of the host, sort of like an external metabolic organ.  The micro biome is what helps digestion and creates heat in the rumen, for calves the milk is digested in their small intestine (until they fully develop their rumen).

Newborn calves are initially exposed to a wide variety of microbes as they are born through the birth canal.  The procedure we did two days ago on the newborn bull calf in this experiment was to place the calf in the small tub as it is born then the mother is allowed to lick the calf while her udders are sterilized to obtain colostrum and measure it to see adequate levels of IGG, immunoglobulins, to be at least 50 g/l which in the brix scale is around 21-22%. Blood is collected from the tail vein for the cow and through the jugular for the calf before feeding. We feed the newborn calf two liters for the first feeding and one liter and a half two hours later.


Picture Below:  I am just including this picture to show how we feed the calves.  However our bull calf would not have direct contact with other calves like this calf did.

Video Below:  This is an example of how a mother will clean her calf and stimulate it to move.  It is also exposing the calf to more of her own microbes.

Delayed Research

We are currently still delayed in the project.  There have unfortunately been no bull calves born at the University of Illinois Dairy Farm.  However, we have all been informed that  because of the difficulty of getting bull calves we will obtain calves from a larger commercial farm.  I do not know the exact name of the farm, only that it is an hour away from  Champaign.

Our plan is to spend a day at the farm to be present during calving and collect colostrum under sterile conditions for this experiment.   Because of this change in plans, the experiment is on hold while the veterinarians arrange dates with the farm managers of this larger farm.

I guess the life lesson that can be derived from this is to always have a back up plan for research dealing with animals. Nature and animals may not always cooperate the way you plan it.

Besides this, through the classes I am taking and this research  I have developed a larger interest in the nutritional side of animal science.  It is incredible to learn in a deeper level how much nutrition affects the health and behavior of animals.  I hope that what I am learning in my two animal nutrition classes (companion animal nutrition, and animal nutrition) will give me a better understanding of this project when we are interpreting the results of the overall research and my research.

Additionally,  I have recently applied to another internship for the summer.  Currently I do not know what project I will be working on since they did ask each student applying to propose three different ideas.  Even when I participate in some research in the summer, I often find myself wasting summer watching several television shows.  Also because this is my junior year, I would like to get some more hands on experience with animals.