Abstract
To clarify the effect of the nutritive condition of a dam in late pregnancy on the immunity of postnatal Japanese Black (JB) calves, the peripheral leukocyte population was observed in JB calves from dams receiving different feed content during the last pregnancy. The combined total of 33 dams and calves were fed in one herd,but divided four groups based on feed content during the last pregnant period : insufficient nutrition and first calving (N ＝5), insufficient nutrition and calving history (N ＝8), sufficient nutrition and first calving (N ＝7), and sufficient nutrition and calving history (N＝13). The observation revealed that the numbers of CD4＋ CD45R＋ T cell, CD8＋ CD45R＋T cell and B cells were higher in the group with sufficient nutrition and calving history than those in calves in the insufficient nutrition and calving history group. This finding suggested that the peripheral leukocyte population in JB calves could be susceptible to the feed given to their dam during the last pregnancy.
