Colostrum: Quantity and Quality Variation
This is the title of a new Calf Facts resource sheet just added to the Calf Facts section of the www.atticacows.com web site. Click Here to go to the resource sheet.
A summary of the content is:
- Findings from two studies are summarized, one from Pennsylvania and the other was US national including twelve states.
- Later lactation cows had higher levels of antibody concentration.
- Poor quality colostrum was present for all lactations - better to check before feeding.
- Average quantity was in the range of 6.4 to 7.2 quarts (6-6.8l).
- There was a very wide variation in antibody (IgG) concentration at every interval of colostrum quantity. Volume was an unpredictable guide for sorting out the lowest quality colostrum.
- Better to measure than guess - both Colostrometer or Brix refractometer are practical on-farm means of estimating antibody concentration.
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