Transfer of maternal passive immunity to kids in goat herd

The efficiency of tranfer of maternal immunity and its infuence on the kids' health was observed in a herd in which kids (n=20) had whole contact with the dam (n=13). The factors associated with dam, kid and human, which influence the efficiency of passive transfer were observed. It was estimated that the single-born kids reached higher serum gamma-globulin level (mean 23.14 g/dm3) than twin kids (mean 18.2 g/dm3) (p < 0.05). The gamma-globulin level was the highest in single-born kids at 48 h, and in twin kids in 24 h of life. The IgG class antibodies to herd-homologous strains of Pasteurella multocida and Escherichia coli were estimated using ELISA in sera, colostrum and milk whey samples of dams and sera of kids. It was found that maternal antibodies specific to these two facultative pathogens decreased in kids sera rapidly and the self humoral immune response occurred within the period of observation. Two kids delivered by goats with lowest hierarchic position in the herd showed failure of passive transfer, and died at the 10th and 12th weeks of life due to chronic infections induced by both above mentioned bacterial strains.