04/16/2026
This week we're talking all about colostrum for baby animals!
We've got a lot of information to share so if you're short on time, here are the take home points:
- Colostrum is the first milk that a mom has.
- It contains a bunch of antibodies to help prevent infection in baby animals, so it's important that they get it ASAP within 12 hours of birth.
- If the babies can't get the mom's colostrum, it’s worth giving a colostrum replacer (it MUST say “replacer”) before starting a regular milk replacer.
If you want to learn more, read on!
As spring and birthing season are really starting to get going, it seems like a good time to address colostrum and its seemingly magical properties. While many of you probably know that colostrum is one of the most important components of a newborn calf/lamb/kid/foal’s successful start to life, the practical management of colostrum intake is definitely more complex. Let's talk about why colostrum is so important and how to realistically make the best use of it on your ranch/farm.
While human newborns do get colostrum from breast milk in the first few days after birth, they get the majority of their early immune protection while still inside their moms (per Dr. Reale). On the other hand, newborn farm animals rely much more on that golden “first milk" because their moms' bodies are NOT designed to pass on the same level of protection during pregnancy. ALL of these animals NEED colostrum and they all have a limited window of time when their intestines can absorb the protective antibodies. Adequate and timely colostrum intake significantly decreases risk of illness and increases long-term production potential.
The newborn intestine will stop absorbing maternal antibodies between 24 and 48 hours after birth, and the absorption decreases over time, starting about 2-4 hours after birth. That's why it’s recommended to get colostrum into newborns as quickly as possible.
- In calves, optimal colostrum intake is “7.5-10% of calves’ body weight in the first 2 hours of life.” (Large Animal Internal Medicine)
- Foals “must receive colostrum within the first eight to 12 hours of life in order to absorb the antibodies.” (American Association of Equine Practitioners)
- For lambs and kids, “the newborn needs to receive 10-20% of its body weight in colostrum, preferably 3-12 hours after birth.” (Sheep, Goat, & Cervid Medicine)
But what do you do when it’s simply not happening?
If the issue is that the newborn is not suckling/nursing, and you are proficient with placing an esophageal feeder tube, that can be a great option. If you're not comfortable with this, you can always contact your veterinarian to help pass a tube and get the colostrum in quickly, as well as to assess what the problem is with the newborn's suckling.
What should you give newborns that can’t or won’t nurse?
If the mom is making enough colostrum and you can milk it out, THAT'S the best colostrum for the newborn. You can also milk out colostrum from other dams on the farm and use that in a pinch (the antibody protection will likely be similar because of the shared environment). Freezing extra colostrum is also an option; just make sure to only freeze and thaw ONCE or else the antibodies start to break down. Sometimes, producers can get colostrum from neighboring farms, and even across species, like using cow colostrum for kids or lambs. Be careful, though, as borrowing from a neighbor could accidentally introduce disease that your farm didn't have. If you do use this option, strongly consider heat-treating the colostrum to decrease the risk of disease transmission.
What if natural colostrum isn’t an option?
The options for replacing colostrum are extremely diverse, and an important distinction is the difference between colostrum "replacers'' and colostrum “supplements.” If you're shopping at the store (or online), the short answer is that you want the ones labeled “replacers.” The difference between these two products lies in the amount of antibodies, or IgG, found in the product. To be defined as a replacer, the product must contain at least 100 grams IgG (for cattle, I would recommend looking for the ones that contain 150 grams IgG if you can find them). Because they have higher amount of antibodies, replacers are likely more beneficial for your animals, even if they are slightly more expensive.
Finding a calf-specific product is fairly simple. There are a fair number of bovine-derived colostrum products on the market, and sticking to replacers (rather than supplements) will give you the best long-term results.
For sheep and goats, I surveyed the veterinarians of the American Association of Small Ruminant Veterinarians (AASRP) for their experience-based opinions on the best commercial replacers, since there are no commercially available colostrums derived from small ruminants. They recommended Land O’Lakes, Lifeline Rescue Lamb & Kid Complete Colostrum Replacer, and CL Ewe Replacer for sheep and goats if natural colostrum isn’t available. All of these products are derived from bovine colostrum, so the general consensus was that the best colostrum is still kid's/lamb’s dam’s colostrum.
No matter which method or colostrum product you use, the most important thing is safely administer it as soon as possible. If you miss the window right after birth, there ARE still beneficial effects to giving it when you can. In addition to its immune properties, colostrum also contains a hefty amount of nutrients, and research has suggested that colostrum continues to benefit the juvenile animals even after that early window of IgG absorption. While colostrum intake at 48 hours of life may not be quite the miracle elixir it would have been if it was given earlier, its nutrients will still pack a good punch, and are not to be underestimated!
If you have any questions, feel free to ask them here or give Dr. Niedermeyer a call at 435-320-0277!
