At birth, a calf's rumen is underdeveloped or naive, and it relies on the abomasum for digestion. As the calf grows, the rumen develops, and its capacity increases. Making sure that rumen functions properly and provides that calf with correct immune functions is a major focus at Purina.

Dr. Jill Soderstrom is the dairy young animal solutions specialist for Purina Animal Nutrition. Her focus is helping dairy operations select and coordinate prebiotics, probiotics, enzymes and all other technologies available for a healthy calf from the inside out. Just like farms, no two calves are the same.

Dr. Soderstrom explains that creating the correct balance in that calves gut is like mustering troops for war. Sometimes you don't need all the weapons, but when calves come under stress - you do!

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