This article was written by Marlene Paibomesai and originally published in the August 2018 issue of the Dairy Goat Digest. What is colostrum? Colostrum is the first secretion from an udder after birth. Colostrum is rich in nutrients and immune factors, such as immunoglobulins and immune cells that are important for immune and digestive system development (Sanchez-Macias et al., 2014). Colostrum is higher in protein, fat, growth hormones and immune factors than milk. Why do newborns need colostrum? Unlike other mammals, ruminants transfer limited amounts of immunoglobulins and other immune factors from the dam to the fetus during pregnancy. Instead, the majority of immune factors are transferred through colostrum to the goat kid after birth. This is called passive immunity.…
