A Study of Hemoglobin Levels in the Blood of Young Dairy Calves and the Alleviation of Anemia by Iron

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Abstract
The hemoglobin (Hb) concn. of calves was detd. at weekly or bi-weekly intervals for periods ranging from 1 to 105 days of age. The values were highest during the first 15 days of life and gradually decreased until the 30th to 70th day of life. After this time there was a gradual increase in Hb level. A large variation in Hb levels between individual calves was evident. In breeds of which a large number of calves of each sex were studied the females had higher Hb levels from birth to 75 days of age than did the males. Calves of the Red Dane breed and Sindhi-Jersey crossbreds and usually mixed crossbreds had higher Hb values than calves of the Jersey and Holstein breeds. Feeding 100 mg. of Fe per day to calves that were moderately anemic caused an increase in the number of their red blood cells and Hb levels and thus prevented a further decrease, which normally would have been expected, Fe alone or in combination with the Cu, Co, and Mn cured the anemic condition in these young calves, whereas Cu, Co, and Mn fed alone had no curative properties. A significant correlation between Hb level and body weight gains was observed in the calves of one herd. Further studies are necessary on the practical importance of these findings.
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