What if you could give your calves a feed additive that improved their health, helped them gain more weight in the first weeks of life, and didn’t add any appreciable cost to your input budget?

Actually, you can. Spray-dried plasma is a highly digestible, affordable milk replacer ingredient whose beneficial effects have been documented in more than 40 peer-reviewed calf research studies. Much of the calf milk replacer fed in the United States today contains plasma.

Plasma is a protein-rich dry ingredient obtained from bovine or porcine blood. The red blood cell and plasma portions in blood are separated and the plasma fraction is then concentrated and spray dried. The result is a straw-colored, water-dispersible powder that will not noticeably change the color, taste, or smell of milk replacer.

As a milk replacer ingredient, plasma packs a tremendous protein punch, because it contains about 78-82% crude protein (CP), with an amino acid profile very similar to that of milk protein.

Beyond its basic nutritional contribution, the protein in plasma also is a “functional” protein, in that it helps boost normal immune response in calves during disease challenges and periods of stress.

This immunity support comes from the fact that plasma is rich in gamma globulins, or IgG – the same key component in colostrum that is so critical to calf health, viability, and performance. About 22% of the total weight of plasma is IgG, meaning it behaves a lot more like colostrum than milk in nourishing the calf.

It’s also a widely studied ingredient, with virtually all research pointing to its merits. It has been demonstrated repeatedly that calves perform as efficiently and effectively on plasma compared to milk protein, if not better. Among its many beneficial qualities:

• Supports enteric health -- In disease challenge studies presenting calves with common pathogens like cryptosporidium, E. coli, and coronavirus, plasma has been shown to show significant health improvements compared to untreated controls. Examples range from 33% lower scours incidence and 30% improved gut repair in a cryptosporidium challenge; to significantly better feed intake and hydration in a coronavirus challenge.

• Promotes affordability Depending on current milk protein markets, adding plasma at 5% of the absolute milk replacer formula typically adds or saves (+/-) $0.50 - $1.00 per bag. Either way, considering all its proven benefits and weighing those benefits compared to the price tag and proof of other additives, adding plasma is a bargain.  

• Mimics transition milk -- We have learned a lot lately about the value of feeding transition milk for several days after initial colostrum is delivered. While that practice has been proven to be highly beneficial to calves, it also can be challenging and labor-intensive on-farm. With its functional proteins and high IgG levels, plasma allows us to achieve the same outcomes as transition milk via a much safer, more consistent and efficient delivery method, and at a fraction of the cost of powdered colostrum.

• Reduces antibiotic use – Another issue of concern in animal agriculture, particularly calf-rearing, is consumer and regulatory pressure to curb antibiotic use in food animal production. Feeding plasma has been shown to reduce medication treatments compared to calves not receiving it. In head-to-head comparisons with sub-therapeutic antibiotic levels fed in milk replacer – which is largely no longer legal in the U.S. – it has been shown to provide similar benefits in terms of health and performance. It is a non-antibiotic option to protect calves in a changing regulatory landscape.

• More is better – Plasma has traditionally been added to milk replacer at about 5% of the absolute formula. But a number of studies have shown that bumping inclusion rates up to 10% or higher did not change calf health or performance significantly, and in many cases delivered commensurately greater benefits, in terms of scours reduction, fewer medical treatments, and lower mortality. Adding more plasma is like adding more insurance against potential disease challenges.

• Available as a booster pack – Smart Start from Strauss Feeds is a supplement that can deliver an extra dose of plasma, plus added encapsulated fat, vitamins, trace minerals, and probiotics. It is delivered as an add-pack to pasteurized waste milk or milk replacer (even if the milk replacer already contains plasma), providing functional support through the critical first 14-21 days of life. Many operations that take in transported calves also use it in their receiving programs with great satisfaction.

Strauss Feeds can blend plasma into a wide array of milk replacer formulations. As both a part of a standard milk replacer blend, and/or as an add-pack dose, it provides an extra insurance policy for even the best-run calf operations.

If there was only one additive I could feed to calves, it would be plasma. Its reliable health- and performance-promoting attributes, coupled with its highly affordable price tag, make using it an incredibly easy decision.  

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