Everyone tells me to make sure the calf drinks the first thick milk fast. Why is colostrum so important and how soon should it be given?
What is colostrum and why must a newborn calf or kid get it quickly?
SSantosh Kumar5mo ago · 262 views
4 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓5mo ago
Colostrum is the thick yellowish first milk the mother produces right after giving birth, and it is critical because it is packed with antibodies that give the newborn its early immunity against disease. A calf, kid or lamb is born with very little protection of its own and can only absorb these antibodies in the first hours of life, after which the gut stops taking them up well, so the timing matters as much as the colostrum itself. Make sure the newborn drinks colostrum as soon as possible after birth, ideally within the first few hours, and gets a good quantity over the first day. If the mother dies or has no milk, use stored or another animal's colostrum. Newborns that miss colostrum get sick far more easily, so this single step is one of the cheapest ways to reduce young animal deaths.
RRanjan Kumar4mo ago
I once delayed colostrum because the calf seemed weak and it fell sick badly. Since then I always make sure they get the first milk quickly, and my calves are much healthier.
MManoj Paswan4mo ago
The point about the gut only absorbing it in the first hours surprised me, I used to think any time in the first day was fine. Now I help the newborn onto the teat as soon as it can stand, or milk the mother and feed it from a clean utensil if it is too weak to suckle.
BBablu Sah3mo ago
One of my goats died kidding and the kid would have been lost too, but a neighbour's freshly kidded doe gave colostrum that saved it. Now I know you can use another animal's first milk in an emergency. Getting it in fast and in good quantity that first day is what protects the young one.