The objective was to determine if growth, health and IgG absorption of preweaned Holstein heifer calves (n = 59) would be improved by supplementation of ruminally-protected choline (RPC; ReaShure; Balchem Corp., New Hampton, NY) to the dam and or by consuming colostrum (3.8 L within 2 h of birth) produced by dams fed RPC prepartum. The 4 treatments in a 2 by 2 factorial arrangement were dams fed 0 or 12.9 g/d of RPC ions beginning at 21 d before expected calving and colostrum from dams supplemented at 0 or 12.9 g/d of RPC ions. Intake and rectal temperature of heifers were recorded daily. Acute phase proteins and cell types in blood were measured at 0, 7, 14, and 21 d of age. Concentration of IgG, fat, and protein in colostrum fed among treatments did not differ (P < 0.05). Heifers fed RPC colostrum, irrespective of dam treatment, had increased apparent efficiency of absorption of IgG compared with heifers fed control colostrum at 1 d of age (28.1 vs 21.8%; P = 0.01). During the first 21 d of age, incidence of fever (≥39.5°C) tended to be lower (31 vs. 58%, P = 0.07), intake of milk replacer (748 vs. 704 g/d, P < 0.01) was greater, and intake of grain mix (54 vs. 40 g/d, P = 0.08) tended to greater by heifers born from dams fed RPC, irrespective of colostrum source, compared with heifers born from control dams, respectively. As a result, ADG from birth to 28 d of age tended to be greater by heifers born from RPC-fed dams (531 vs. 462 g, P = 0.06), but ADG between birth and 56 d of age did not differ. When heifers were exposed to choline in utero, blood concentrations of RBC tended to be greater whereas those of leucocytes, neutrophils, and lymphocytes were lower (P ≤ 0.10). Plasma concentrations of fibrinogen tended to be lower (P = 0.09) and those of serum amyloid A were lower (P = 0.05) in heifers born from dams fed RPC and fed colostrum from those same dams but haptoglobin concentrations were unaffected. Maternal consumption of RPC during late gestation had a positive effect on growth of neonatal heifers during the first 4 wk of life, possibly due to an improved immune system, which may have been further enhanced by feeding colostrum from dams fed RPC.