GENERAL TOPICS: Volume 9.02 Preserving the Value of Natural Maternal Colostrum

Hand-raising a baby animal requires a commitment to providing adequate nutrition, housing, and care to give the newborn the best chance to grow into a healthy, productive adult. This information is designed to help provide a better understanding of generally accepted baby animal management guidelines and how each recommendation benefits the animal. It is not intended to provide treatment recommendations - there is no substitute for sound advice from your veterinarian.

WHY IS COLOSTRUM SO IMPORTANT FOR NEWBORN ANIMALS?
Feeding high-quality colostrum immediately after an animal is born is the single best way to help ensure the long term health of the animal. Colostrum is the first milk produced by the mother after giving birth. Most farm animal species are born with almost no ability to fight disease on their own, and must consume their antibodies (also commonly known as IgG, immunoglobulins, or globulin protein) from the mother’s colostrum. The process of acquiring immunity from colostrum is called passive transfer of immunity. In the first day of life, the newborn has the ability to absorb antibodies directly into its bloodstream without digestion. Antibody absorption is most efficient immediately after birth, and steadily declines to virtually zero at 24 hours of age. For this reason, it is extremely important to feed colostrum as quickly as possible after the animal is born, and continue feeding only colostrum for the first day of life. When a newborn animal does not receive enough antibodies from colostrum it is said to have failure of passive transfer, or FPT. In addition to providing antibodies, colostrum is a rich source of protein, fat, natural growth hormones, minerals, and vitamins for the newborn.

PRESERVE THE WHOLESOMENESS OF NATURAL COLOSTRUM WITH SANITARY COLLECTION
Cleanliness during colostrum collection, handling, and storage is of the utmost importance because contaminated colostrum can easily transmit disease to the newborn. The newborn’s digestive system is like a sponge to allow it to absorb maternal antibodies from colostrum, but it is not selective – bacteria and other pathogens can also be absorbed directly into the bloodstream if they are present in colostrum. The mother’s udder should be cleaned using the same approach used when milking lactating dairy animals. Here is a suggested procedure to use when collecting colostrum:

1) Dip each teat with an antibacterial pre-dip to kill any bacteria present on the teat skin.
2) Wait at least 30 seconds, and then wipe the pre-dip off with a clean paper towel.
3) Milk a few squirts from each teat and make sure the colostrum looks normal (smooth, creamy, free of blood). Discard this colostrum.
4) If using a mechanical milking machine, make sure all equipment is completely clean. If milking by hand, be sure to wear new disposable surgical gloves. 5) Make sure that the pail or bucket used to collect the colostrum is clean.
6) Milk the mother out completely. Save any extra colostrum for the next feeding or two. Do not feed colostrum that is contaminated with blood, manure or chunky material, or if it has been allowed to stand without refrigeration for more than 30 minutes after collection - bacteria grow rapidly in fresh colostrum. Also discard colostrum from the mother if she is known to have a transmissible disease.

MEASURE COLOSTRUM QUALITY TO HELP PREVENT FAILURE OF PASSIVE TRANSFER
If you are collecting colostrum from a dairy breed or dual purpose cow, it is recommended that you measure the quality with a colostrometer if possible. Colostrum quality is a measure of its antibody concentration. A colostrometer is a tool used to estimate the amount of antibodies in colostrum by measuring the specific gravity (density or weight per unit of volume) in the liquid. The colostrometer is most accurate if the colostrum sample is at room temperature, so fresh colostrum should be cooled and stored colostrum should be warmed prior to use. To properly use the colostrometer, use a graduated cylinder (typically included when you purchase the colostrometer) and fill nearly to the top with room-temperature colostrum. Place the colostrometer into the graduated cylinder and read. Most colostrometers have a color-coded scale to indicate colostrum quality; if the colostrometer comes to rest in the green area, the colostrum is good quality, the yellow area indicates marginal quality, and the red area indicates poor quality.

STORE COLOSTRUM PROMPTLY AFTER COLLECTION TO SLOW BACTERIAL GROWTH
Contaminated or poor quality colostrum should be discarded, but good and marginal quality colostrum can be stored for future use. Once colostrum is collected, it should be placed into clean containers that can be refrigerated or frozen. Use 1 to 2 quart containers for cow colostrum, and clean ice cube trays for goat or sheep colostrum. Once frozen, goat or sheep colostrum “cubes” can be placed in a heavy zip close freezer bag. Label each container or bag clearly with mother’s name or number, the date of collection, and the quality measured by the colostrometer, if you have it. Refrigerated colostrum should be used in less than one week, whereas frozen colostrum can be stored for 6 months to one year. Avoid using a frost-free freezer for frozen colostrum if possible. If all you have is a frost-free freezer, use the frozen colostrum within 2 to 3 months. Outdated stored colostrum (refrigerated or frozen) should be discarded.

REWARM COLOSTRUM GENTLY TO PRESERVE THE FRAGILE ANTIBODIES
Storing colostrum in small volumes allows for easy thawing and re-warming for feeding. Stored colostrum should be thawed and warmed as you would a baby bottle, over a warm water bath. Using a microwave to thaw colostrum is not recommended because the antibodies can easily become damaged, reducing colostrum quality.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Your livestock veterinarian and local university extension agent are excellent resources for calf management information, as well as many online sources. Please visit the Learning and Resource Center at www.savacaf.com for some helpful online links. Sav-A-Caf® is a registered trademark of Milk Products LLC.

Milk Products • 435 East Main Street • Chilton, WI 53014 USA • 800-657-0793 • Fax: 920-849-9014 • www.savacaf.com • savacaf@milkproductsinc.com