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Colostrum is the best source of nutrients for the calf, and most importantly, it provides antibodies for building immunity to disease and infection.  (The chart below compares colostrum to normal milk.)

 

The amount of colostrum fed should vary with the size of the calf.  A good rule  to follow is 4-5% of  the calf's body weight within one hour of birth or 12-15% of total body weight fed in 3 feedings, in the first 24 hours.

 

Timing of colostrum feeding is important for 2 reasons:

  1. The calf's ability to absorb the maximum amount of immunoglobulins occurs within the first 4 hours of life.  After 24 hours, the calf loses this absorption ability.

  2. The immunoglobulin level in colostrum is the highest immediately after birth.  True colostrum is obtained only from the first milking.  The immunoglobulins in good quality colostrum provide passive immunity against disease for up to 2 months.

Comparison of Colostrum and Normal Milk

Constituents Colostrum % Normal Milk %
Total Solids 28.30 12.86
Ash 1.58 0.72
Fat 0.15-12.0 4.0
Lactose 2.50 4.8
Casein 4.76 2.8
Albumin 1.50 {0.54
Globulin 15.06
Total Protein 21.32 3.8

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Doboy® Feeds

Phone:  800-472-6925
Email:  info@doboyfeeds.com

We reserve the right to change product specifications at any time.  The information contained here is reasonably accurate at the time of posting, however  we rely on the warranty and product specifications on the products themselves, not the information on the site.   Doboy®  is a trademark of Domain, Inc. registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Copyright ©  2001, 2002 Doboy.®  All rights reserved.

 

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