How to feed “true colostrum” during the first 24 hours of a calf’s life?
First, feed only the first milking. This may require keeping a small supply of stored colostrum either refrigerated or frozen. Second and third milking transition milk clearly are distant second choices for the first 24 hours of life. Second, harvest colostrum as soon as possible after calving (naturally, taking into account the dam’s physical condition and health). Every additional hour post calving that the harvest is delayed brings the colostrum content closer to transition milk. Third, recognize that there is a lot of biological variation among cows in colostrum quality. Ideally, sort colostrum by antibody concentration and feed the highest first.
