It is scarce and is only available the day after the birth of the animal. Colostrum is of vital importance to the newborn calf . Animal colostrum is also suitable for human consumption because of its high content of unique health benefits. We offer breeders, consumers and other interested parties information on this valuable raw material, from collection, through administration to the young and storage. About its nutritional properties for both the chick and for humans, as well as how to select it on the market.
Waldos can offer you suitable and high quality milking equipment for its convenient collection in different animal species.
I am a breeder
Why be interested in colostrum Parturition and excess colostrum Advantages of hand milkers Mares and colostrum Colostrum collection and processing of excess colostrum
I am a consumer
What is colostrum Colostrum as a nutritional supplement Nutritional properties Benefits of goat colostrum How to choose a colostrum producer
Colostrum is the first milk that a mammal (cow, goat, sheep or horse) gives to a baby goat during the first 24 hours of its life after birth. It is a complex of immune and growth factors, vitamins, minerals, enzymes, amino acids and other valuable components that provide the newborn with valuable substances needed for survival. As the first source of nutrition, colostrum jump-starts the baby’s immune system, provides antibodies against viruses and bacteria, and promotes muscle growth. There is no other natural raw material that has as many perfectly balanced and highly concentrated nutrients as colostrum.
Colostrum is extremely precious because it is only formed in the animal mother shortly after birth (within 48 hours at most). Its quality – its content of health-promoting substances – decreases rapidly with the number of hours after birth.
Already ancient civilizations knew the first milk of farm animals and used it for human consumption because of its exceptional properties. Ayurvedic healers from India are known to have used it for healing more than 2000 years ago. Today’s scientific knowledge confirms what various peoples have been aware of for centuries.
Colostrum contains more nutrients than milk. It is higher in protein, fat, carbohydrates, magnesium, B vitamins and vitamins A, C and E than milk. Its health benefits are mostly linked to specific protein compounds that boost immunity, stimulate growth and benefit gut health. Colostrum promotes growth and health in infants and newborns, but research shows that its consumption has many health benefits for adults as well.
Today’s bred animals – goats, cows and sheep – produce a surplus of not only milk but also colostrum. Goat colostrum is the rarest; animals produce smaller quantities of it, but its health benefits for humans are much greater than, for example, bovine colostrum, of which cows produce larger surpluses. Animal colostrum is available on the market in the form of food supplements.
Dietary supplements are usually made from the colostrum of cows and goats. They are available on the market in the form of pills or powders that can be mixed with liquids. Colostrum is usually light yellow in colour and has a mild taste and smell that is reminiscent of buttermilk.
Goat colostrum is the closest in composition to human colostrum and therefore its effects are also beneficial for our organism. Goat is one of the healthiest animals. The goat chooses what it eats and can distinguish between dozens of species of grasses and herbs, which also has a major effect on its colostrum. This is also why it is recommended for people with milk protein allergies and lactose intolerances. The milk protein casein molecules are much smaller than those of a cow and are therefore easily digestible. So what to look for in the contents of the goat colostrum you want to buy?
IgG, IgM, IgA
Immunoglogins support the body’s immunity by binding to the antigen and preventing the pathogen from entering and damaging the body’s cells.
Lactoferrin
One of the most important antiviral and antibacterial agents known. Lactoferrin binds iron, preventing bacteria from multiplying.The iron is then passed on to the red blood cells.
PRP
Proline-rich polypeptides (PRPs) keep the immune system in balance, stimulating it when it is not functioning sufficiently, but also dampening its exaggerated immune response.They have a positive effect on metabolism, promoting cell growth and renewal.
Cytokines
They ensure communication between immune cells so that they can fight disease agents and tumor cells in a coordinated manner.They protect against viral infections, are co-responsible for the body’s defence response and also inhibit the growth of tumour cells.
Amino acids
They have many important functions in the body – they are the building blocks of proteins, help in growth and regeneration, promote metabolism and protect the body from many poisonous substances (toxins).
Vitamins
Especially A, C, E and B vitamins.Vitamins have an irreplaceable place in the human body as catalysts of biochemical reactions.
Minerals
The building blocks of bones and teeth, they control the balance in the body, the functioning of the heart and the digestive system.They regulate metabolism and are essential for optimal nerve and muscle function.
Enzymes
Many other beneficial substances are enzymatic in nature, such as the enzyme chitotriosidase (ChT).
If you wish to purchase colostrum for your own consumption, the following information could serve as quality indicators.
Colostrum collected within 36h after birth
The earlier after birth it is collected, the more valuable substances it contains.Colostrum collected up to 36 hours after birth can be used.
Concentration of valuable substances
Even when choosing a supplier who guarantees collection within 24 hours after birth, it is advisable to check the content of valuable substances.Colostrum density meters are used for this purpose.
Ethical approach towards mother and baby
An ethical supplier provides guarantees that a calf whose mother has excess colostrum removed has sufficient colostrum for healthy development.
It is a precious raw material and if the farmer has an excess of colostrum, it will bring him extra income. It will market a product with many health benefits.
All in one
The more colostrum you take, the more you store.Our milking equipment helps you do that.
Additional income
Sheep and cow colostrum is bought in by feed and dairy compound feed manufacturers for youngstock.
Economic and practical aspect
You will stabilise fluctuations in your year-round financial income and reduce the impact of a shortage of colostrum in your own flock.
Expert advice
WALDOS will help you in the idea of “ANI MILILITER FROM BREEDING TO DEATH” with its experience.
A breeder, especially a beginner with no breeding experience, must look at the colostrum of the animal’s dam as a necessary condition for any further breeding, for the health and performance of the animals bred and for the progress of the farm.
In addition, it has the ability to suck, store and commercially utilise surplus colostrum to meet the needs of the newborn calf within the first 24 hours after birth. A calf needs approximately 4 litres of colostrum within 24 hours of birth, a lamb and a kid 300-500 millilitres.
With the right vacuum hand milking equipment (set) and a bit of skill, the farmer will get extra income. For example, at the farm gate price of unprocessed goat colostrum for human consumption, the farmer will get the highest added value per unit volume of animal product (colostrum) per 24 hours. This can be hundreds or even thousands of euros per 24 hours of effort!!!
Colostrum collection pumps are ideal and practical for newborn pups and for multiple offspring, for first-time mothers. They are invaluable for a variety of postpartum conditions on the mother’s side, when the udder is painful and the skin taut, even when the mother animal eases or refuses to nurse. They are useful for the newborn’s first contact with the colostrum and for later guidance to suckle from the udder. Especially when the foal has small anatomical and physiological deformities of the muzzle, an under-activated sucking reflex, when the foal has neonatal jaundice, or suckling from the udder is copulated by the small teats of the first-born.
In horses and mares, the situation for colostrum collection is partly specific. Anyway, our milking equipment is also designed for them.
Do not, under any circumstances, deprive your animal newborns of what they absolutely need for their life and health. Taking anything other than excess colostrum from the mother (parturient) after birth puts animal neonates at high risk of infection with micro-organisms, high postnatal morbidity and, in some cases, death. It will cause deterioration in health and reduced milk, meat or wool production.
Colostrum production in the animal stops only just after parturition. Parturition signals the body to start producing breast milk. After the first lactation, the colostrum gradually starts to turn into milk. This period lasts for 2 – 3 days and such fluid is called“transitional milk“. We only express colostrum from mothers who have an excess of colostrum; the milk is expressed within 24 h after birth, when the immunoglobulin content is highest.
Colostrum isolated during the first 24 hours contains the most immune factors. After collection, it should be slowly frozen or cooled below 4°C to preserve its freshness until final processing. The frozen colostrum is thawed and homogenised to form casein micelles which protect the proteins. If the colostrum is properly frozen, the important components, which are mainly proteins/immunoglobulins, are not destroyed. Colostrum spoils quickly if it is not stabilized during processing!!!
After birth, a calf needs 4-6 litres of colostrum in the first 12 hours. The farmer can delay or freeze the rest of the first two milkings. For cows, this amounts to an average of 5 litres of colostrum.
Goat kids need 200-400 millilitres of colostrum after parturition. The surplus is 0.5-1.5 litres. of colostrum. We know from breeding experience and from information from breeders, a goat is able to give even three litres of colostrum at weaning after the kids have been sufficiently watered, but she may not give anything at all! Common practice in good breeding shows that a farmer can get 2 litres of colostrum from a good dairy goat within 24 hours of lambing.
In specialised prolific meat and dairy goat breeds and their crosses with domestic breeds, the occurrence of multiple litters is more common. With five kids, there is no excess colostrum left and they may also have a milk deficiency later on.
The total protein content of raw colostrum, including all immune factors, drops significantly during the first 24 hours. the 12-hour colostrum has established itself as the gold standard for the production of colostrum products. 6-hour colostrum would be even more concentrated.
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