Impact of a Bacterial Consortium Probiotic Derived from Tropical Calves on the Growth rate, Incidence of Diarrhea, Immune response, and Fecal Microbiota of Holstein Calves

Calf survival is a relevant issue in animal health and production, since newborns do not have robust immune protection, and the first 30 days of life are critical. Infectious diseases, especially diarrhea, are the main cause of mortality. The immune response is strongly associated with the composition and metabolism of intestinal microbes. The bacterial consortium A1D42 obtained from the rumen of tropical calves has been shown to have excellent probiotic characteristics. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of probiotic administration on key parameters for the survival of Holstein calves. One group of newborns was treated with a Bacterial Consortium Probiotic (BCP) for 30 days and another was considered a control group. Calves that received A1D42 had greater weight gain, and a lower diarrhea frequency compared to the control. They also presented an increase in the concentration of IgG, as well as an increase in the bacterial phylum Bacteroidetes. The administration of Bacterial Consortium Probiotic derived from the same species improves the health parameters of calves and could reduce their mortality.