Medicine Making: Colostrum

Before our new calf was brought home to a mama who wanted to love her, and amidst my barrage of emotions, I knew one thing for certain, I had to get Rosie into the barn to milk her. The hormones that are at play during the birth process cause the cow’s udder to swell in preparation for the calf. The first milk is ready and waiting. And within a few days, the true milk (what you can buy at the store) comes in.

That first milk is filled with amazing properties that make it the perfect food for baby mammals. Here are a few points about colostrum;

• Babies are born with an immature immune system. Colostrum contains antibodies, immune factors, and vital nutrients which will allow the baby to benefit from the mother’s immune system
• Colostrum is filled with protein and fats which are essential for those first few meals
• Colostrum helps increase white blood cell production (which helps ward off infection and illness)
• Colostrum is filled with the pro-biotic bacteria that helps inoculate the baby’s digestive system and will help them have a healthy digestive tract in the future.

These benefits are common to mammals. However, in the case of our new little calf…she has already had colostrum for the first few days of life. She has received these benefits and was already receiving true milk.

Because Rosie’s baby that died did not feed, Rosie is filled with colostrum.

Milking out Rosie was a vital task. With her udder so swollen and large, and with the cold weather outside, we need to avoid mastitis, which is a painful infection of the udder.

Rosie had not been milked in almost a year (yes…I’ve been without fresh milk for that long!), however, Rosie remembered the routine right away. She stood at her stanchion and munched on a treat while I washed her udder and stripped her teats (removed the plug that had been protecting her udder while she was not producing milk). This plug would block the flow of milk and needs to be removed to avoid contaminating the milk.

I set up our milking machine (we have an old surge milker) a bit tentatively. Remembering each step as I go. With the inflations on Rosie (the part of the milking machine that surrounds her teats and squeezes them in a pulsing rhythm), the colostrum flowed immediately. All in all, Rosie produced 3 gallons of colostrum for that first milking.

Once the calf was home and nursing, I left the two alone in the barn to bond. In the evening I came back and milked Rosie again. It was clear that the baby had been nursing well. Half of Rosie’s udder was empty. Despite this, I milked another 1 gallon of colostrum.

Before anyone gets too worried…Rosie could easily feed 3 to 4 calves at a time. She has enough milk to feed this one calf and for the milk I am taking. At her peak milk I will likely be able to take 5 gallons over and above what the calf needs. Because I leave the calf with Rosie all day, the baby with nursing whenever it would like. This means many meals and a full belly.

This jar of colostrum is from Rosie's second day fresh (producing milk again) and it has lightened so very much from the creamy yellow colour of the first milking.

What am I going to do with all of this colostrum?

A few things. First, I will save some for lambing. Although Rosie will take any baby I give her and love it as her own, my sheep are not so giving. Sometimes a ewe will reject it’s baby and the baby will need to be bottle fed. Like humans and calves, lambs need colostrum. Their chances of surviving without it is quite low (even if they are fed right away with milk replacer). So, I will save a few litres of colostrum in the freezer for the lambs. Jersey milk it the only cow milk that can be given to lambs without adding additional fat (sheep’s milk is very high in fat). However, one litre will support many lambs. So two litres is plenty for this purpose.

Next, I will save a few litres for next year at calving time. If something was to happen to Rosie next year and the calf wasn’t able to nurse, the colostrum I have stored could be a saving grace. I have colostrum in my freezer from the last calving season (almost two years ago now). I have had to use some of that stock for lambs in the past two years also,

Finally…it will be for human use. Colostrum has incredible health benefits…especially for those who…

• Have intestinal problems
• Have colitis
• Have Crohn’s disease
• Have Candidiasis
• Are Autistic
• Have irritable bowel syndrome

Colostrum can heal the gut in amazing ways as it contains an immunoglobulin protein (secretory IgA). Those with the disorders indicated above are typically low in IgA and colostrum can increase those levels.

It so happens that my partner has had colitis and this stock will support any flare ups.

There are also many cultures that have special dishes that use this first milk. I will be making a special custard for my family using it.

Well…it’s time to make dinner then head back out to milk Rosie again. The routine is familiar and I must say…I’ve missed it very much.

From my home fire to yours, hai hai.