Thursday, October 25, 2018

Colostrum Yields
Upper Mid-West USA

The 2018 survey included 22 dairies from Wisconsin and Minnesota with an average herd size of 1,173.

Yield was measured for first milking, all cows were milked within one hour after calving. Average yield was 9.1 pounds (4.1kg) with an average Brix reading of 25.6 percent.

Table 2. First-milking colostrum yield from Holstein cows

Yield first milking            Percent of Cows
      None                                    13.4%
      Less than 8 lbs(3.6kg)         36.4%
     8.4 lbs (3.8kg)                      27.7%
     Greater than 8.4lbs (3.8kg)  35.9

One of the conclusions of the author was that dairies need to freeze excess colostrum so that all calves, regardless of colostrum yield of dam, can have plenty of high quality colostrum soon after birth.

Reference: Litherland, Noah "Putting more 'Ma' in your maternity: The cow's perspective." Progressive Dairyman October 19, 2018 Issue 17, pp31-33.

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