The Bagpipe - American Highland Cattle Association

Feeding Colostrum
Colostrum in the beef cow tends to be more concentrated than in the dairy cow. A general rule of thumb is that the
calf should consume 10% of its body weight in colostrum in the first twelve hours after birth. Due to the increased
concentration of the beef cow’s colostrum a 75 pound calf should ingest 2-3 quarts of colostrum within 4-12 hours of
birth. The sooner colostrum is given, the more antibodies that will be absorbed through the gut of the calf into the
bloodstream. After a number of hours, the ability of the gut to permit the passage of relatively large immunoglobulins
intact shuts down and colostrum antibodies are no longer absorbed. Thus, the importance of providing the newborn calf
with early and high quality colostrum.
The best colostrum usually will be from the mother herself but there will be times when she does not have adequate
amounts or is not available to give colostrum. Heifers do not have as high a quality of colostrum as mature cows, nor
do they tend to give as much. Sick animals or those in poor health due to nutritional deficiencies may have little or poor
quality colostrum.
The best substitute for the mother’s first milk is colostrum from another cow, preferably from the same herd. This
is important for two reasons: first, the disease exposure for dam and donor will presumably be the same (the calf will
be protected from disease organisms present on the farm of origin) and you avoid the introduction of potentially
devastating disease by bringing in off-farm colostrum. Johnes Disease is an excellent example of a disease that could
be introduced to the farm through colostrum.
It is wise to bank colostrum from some of your herd members, ideally those that give large volumes of milk and are
docile enough to allow milking. Colostrum should be taken from the very first milking of that cow immediately after
she calves, ensuring that there is adequate colostrum for her own calf as well. This colostrum can be frozen indefinitely,
as long as it is not stored in a freezer with an automatic defrost cycle. Colostrum stored in such a freezer will lose
substantial percentages of the protective antibodies over a 12 month period of time. Colostrum can be placed in clean
plastic soda or water bottles that range in size from 12-32 ounces. Such containers are easy to thaw in a hot water bath,
as their caps can be tightened adequately to allow complete submersion.
Thawing frozen colostrum requires some care. The best method, if time allows, is to thaw in a hot water bath (not
boiling) until it has reached 104 degrees. The water can be changed frequently and multiple smaller containers of 12
and 16 ounces will thaw more quickly than quart or two quart sizes. It is not recommended to microwave frozen
colostrum. Cooked colostrum destroys the immunoglobulins so that the colostrum has no value. Even on 10% power,
microwave thawing can result in spots of cooked colostrum. Although more time consuming, hot water baths are a safer
way to maintain colostrum integrity.
Although there is no method short of laboratory analysis that will guarantee high quality colostrum, make sure
your colostrum donor is a mature cow in good health and condition who gives large volumes of milk. Look at her history
of weaning weights on her calves: the high weaning weights are usually the result of heavy milk production, unless you
are creep feeding, then you can’t really tell.
Colostrum Substitutes
There are a number of colostrum substitutes on the market today. These are supplements, designed to be given to
calves that have received some natural colostrum but not adequate amounts. You should probably figure that most
calves should receive roughly 150 grams of immunoglobulins. Many of these powdered products may contain 24-36
grams of immunoglobulins per 2 quart package. They must be mixed with adequate water and it becomes exceedingly
difficult to get the required amount of immunoglobulins because of the huge volume of liquid that must be consumed.
Feeding such a large volume of colostrum substitute, even spread over 12 hours, is not recommended. The calf’s stomach
is not large enough to digest this amount of food. Certainly, several 2 quart feedings can be made in this time but not
enough to supply the calf’s total requirement for ideal immunoglobulin levels.
There are colostrum boluses on the market, however, these may only contain .3 grams of immunoglobulins. These
are essentially worthless as a colostrum substitute.
There are also pastes designed as “first milk”. These 30 ml tubes contain only 5 grams of immunoglobulins.
It is necessary to consider the requirements of the calf before relying on any colostrum substitute. At a bare
minimum, 80 grams of immunoglobulin should be given in the first 12 hours. Double that amount for ideal levels of
immunoglobulin in newborn calves. If you consider the fact that 2-3 quarts of real colostrum from a beef cow is adequate
for most calves, it is obvious just how superior real colostrum is. However, in the event that it is needed, powdered
colostrum supplements that supply at least 24 grams of immunoglobulins per feeding, are certainly better than nothing
and give the calf a chance at a successful start in life.
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