Colostrum programs early t lymphocyte-mediated immunity in neonatal dairy calves: effects of deprivation and preservation method on passive transfer and antigen-specific responses

and γδ proliferation against SRP than FZN; however, IFN-γ production was unaffected by treatment. These findings show that colostrum and its processing influence both the humoral and cellular arms of pathogen-specific adaptive immunity in early life, and that the cellular effects are selective for antigen-specific proliferation. Maternal antibody interference can persist well beyond the post-weaning window, suggesting that booster vaccination protocols in colostrum-fed calves may need to extend beyond the conventional timeline to overcome this interference. Together, these results highlight colostrum management and dry cow vaccination as key determinants of adaptive immune development in dairy calves.