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New Franken, WI 54229

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WHY WOULD YOU SELL YOUR COLOSTRUM?

This question of why you would sell your colostrum has always stumped me.  For the life of me I can never understand why people would sell their colostrum and buy back powdered colostrum.

I understand if you struggle with disease pathogens that it is a great alternative.

My thoughts have always been why aren’t you feeding extra colsotrum and the transitional milk afterwards for the next 3-4 feedings?  Yep, your correct, its time and labor and who wants to mess around with keeping track of that milk that is inventoried.

Well I have my answer!  Thank you to the University of Alberta & Guelph for this study which is published in the Journal of Dairy Science.

A recent study from University of Alberta and Guelph in Canada did a trial on feeding extra colostrum & transitional colostrum milk for several feedings after the initial colostrum feeding was accomplished, they fed colostrum at 7.5% of body weight, after the first feeding of colostrum, other feedings were fed at 5% of body weight.

On the study they had 3 groups of calves:

  1. Colostrum – whole unpasteurized colostrum
  2. Mix – half colostrum, half whole milk, intended to mimic transitional milk
  3. Whole Milk – Standard whole milk, which then followed feeding programs currently on farm.

The research found significant differences in intestinal development in the groups fed colostrum and the mix, both relating to Villi growth and Surface area.

So we know that feeding more clean colostrum and transitional milk matters in calf performance and health. We all like a calf that doesn’t require any attention from birth to weaning, we still need to do our job the first 72 hours to achieve that goal.

For the full study: New Study Supports Value of Feeding Transition Milk

Click Here

Happy Feeding those babies!!!! For added calf support: contact me at mward@calfstar.com

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