Whether refrigerated or frozen, fresh colostrum appears to be the best thing for newborn calves, according to a recent study conducted by Texas A&M AgriLife Research and the University of Florida.
According to researchers, the health benefits of colostrum, which is the milk secreted for a few days from a mother after giving birth, are not affected by cold storage. The milk is said to be high in both protein and antibody content.
Preliminary results from the study indicate that cold storage of the milk did not have a significant impact on performance, health and survival in the test group of 489 Holstein calves.
“This is good news: proper colostrum storage is a very convenient tool in the dairy farms and the absence of unfavorable effects on frozen or refrigerated colostrum would be a very good result,” said Dr. Pablo Pinedo, Texas A&M AgriLife Research ruminant animal health scientist.