The farmer’s guide to colostrum testing: Ensure your calves get what they need

Stroop skoner met die splinternuwe Fendt Ideal

The farmer’s guide to colostrum testing:

Ensure your calves get what they need

Quality

To boost calf health and performance, it is essential to feed the right quantity of top-quality colostrum at the right time. Many cows within a herd will produce poor quality colostrum. Traditionally, colostrum from heifers has been discarded. However, with well-managed feeding and vaccination

Colostrometer floating high in green section indicates a good quality colostrum, but when the colostrometer is floating low in the red section, it indicates a poor quality.

programmes, heifers are now capable of producing good quality colostrum – so check it for quality first.

Checking

It is no good just looking at colostrum to decide whether it is good or bad – even if it looks thick and creamy it may be sub-standard. A colostrometer will give you a quick, simple, but accurate assessment of quality.

Using a colostrometer

• Place the test sample of colostrum in a clean cylinder. • Allow it to cool to room temperature (20 to 22 °C) for accuracy. If the milk is too warm, the colostrometer may underestimate the antibody quality. • Keep froth to a minimum – too much will make the scale hard to read. • Float the colostrometer in the colostrum. • If the colostrometer floats in the green section, the quality is good.

This should be fed to the new born calf as soon as possible (ideally

within 2 hours after birth), or it can be stored. • If the colostrometer floats in the orange section, the quality is average; this should not be fed to the new born calf during the first 24 hours, but is fine for 2 to 3 day old calves which have already consumed good quality colostrum. • If the colostrometer floats in the red section, the quality is poor and it should be discarded or fed to older animals. • Good quality colostrum can be stored in the fridge for up to 7 days and in the freezer for up to 1 year. • Refrigerate or freeze within 1 to 2 hours of collection; left at room temperature bacteria will double every 20 to 30 minutes.

Nutribase is the market leader in feed supplements for Africa. Visit their website www.nutribase.co.za for more information, contact Jaco Faasen, Product Manager, on (+27)82-607-6601, or send an e-mail to jaco@nutribase.co.za.

TAKE A MOMENT

TO REFLECT. .

Volac’s Lifeguard range of milk replacers all contain Imunopro®, our unique concentrated milk protein, which enables better development of the early life immune system and stimulates the young calf’s digestive system, crucial for fast, healthy and sustainable growth.

feedforgrowth.com

Feed supplements for Africa

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The farmer’s guide to colostrum testing: Ensure your calves get what they need

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