Cow colostrum vs powdered -lambing

[Jerry]

Does fresh/frozen cow colostrum have any pros or cons over powdered alternatives?

 

[Poorbuthappy]

My vet told me cow colostrum would be better. You should mix colostrum from multiple cows however as there is something cows carry that can be lethal to lambs, but is rare, and easily diluted as it were. Someone will be along to tell you what it is shortly! However I used cow colostrum from individual cows for probably 20 years before knowing this with no issues.
Better still if you can vaccinate the cows as you would your sheep so they're carrying more clostridial antibodies. Are you thinking of milking your own Rubies?

Always a potential disease risk if sourcing from off farm, but again, I've never knowingly had an issue, though prefer not to now with my own sucklers.

 

[Jerry]

My vet told me cow colostrum would be better. You should mix colostrum from multiple cows however as there is something cows carry that can be lethal to lambs, but is rare, and easily diluted as it were. Someone will be along to tell you what it is shortly! However I used cow colostrum from individual cows for probably 20 years before knowing this with no issues.
Better still if you can vaccinate the cows as you would your sheep so they're carrying more clostridial antibodies. Are you thinking of milking your own Rubies?

Always a potential disease risk if sourcing from off farm, but again, I've never knowingly had an issue, though prefer not to now with my own sucklers.

No calves due till autumn but have potential source locally this lambing.

If I can get a few litres next year from each ruby all well and good.

 

[Bald n Grumpy]

We freeze cow colostrum in the half litre coke bottles
Defrost in warm water screw a teat on the bottle and your away

 

[LCF1]

I find when I need colostrum, I need it now! Seems a faff having to thaw it out and heat it up when time is short [emoji848]

 

[Al R]

I find when I need colostrum, I need it now! Seems a faff having to thaw it out and heat it up when time is short [emoji848]

I defrosted 2x 1 litre and their now in the fridge in the lambing shed incase, they’ll last 7 days at least if shaken once a day.

Only ever used cows colostrum. When were busy lambing I have a 300ml flask of warm colostrum in 2 of the quads, quite often 1 dose of 60ml will save a lamb and it’s rare that anything tubed has to then come in aswell. If nothing is tubed out in the fields on the morning check the colostrum is given to the new triplets in a shed as a boost. Far easier to have a flask of colostrum able to treat 5 lambs than towing a trailer around and having to catch a ewe and bring her in etc..

Johnes can be a problem, heifers lack something which lambs need so try not to use them or if you do mix with plenty of cows colostrum. Can’t remember what it lacks but it might be iron ? Mature cows also tend to have more antibodies and IgG than heifers

 

[twizzel]

Can you use cows colostrum if the cows are vaccinated for calf scour? I.e would rotavirus vaccine cause any issues with lambs ?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Does fresh/frozen cow colostrum have any pros or cons over powdered alternatives?

copy andpaste from Moredun

Cow Colostrum The best substitute for ewe colostrum is cow colostrum. This can be obtained from a dairy farmer, for whom it is a waste product, and stored in the deep freeze as already described. Cow colostrum does not, however, contain the same protective antibodies found in ewe colostrum. From the point of view of clostridial disease this problem may be overcome by vaccinating a cow with clostridial vaccine before she calves. Consult your veterinary surgeon about this before lambing. Very occasionally, problems occur in newborn lambs that have been fed cow colostrum. A severe anaemia (shortage of red blood cells) develops, characterised by weakness, shortage of breath and pale gums. If this occurs consult your veterinary surgeon who may be able to save the lamb by transfusing blood from a ewe to the anaemic lamb. It is important that you do not feed the suspect cow colostrum to any more lambs.

anemia yes, but
it depends on the cow it seemssome will cause others will be fine

The danger of feeding colostrum from cows to newborn lambs - The danger of feeding colostrum from cows to newborn lambs - SRUC

The danger of feeding colostrum from cows to newborn lambs

www.sruc.ac.uk

 

[Al R]

Anaemia so it is Iron Best to mix cows colostrum because of it

 

[Bury the Trash]

Anaemia so it is Iron Best to mix cows colostrum because of it

no i would say not mix ,as if theres a 'bad cow for the job you wont know which it is .
there's a bit more to it than that , as in the bottom article saving from certain cows is a no no.

 

[Al R]

no i would say not mix ,as if theres a 'bad cow for the job you wont know which it is .
there's a bit more to it than that , as in the bottom article saving from certain cows is a no no.

• If testing is not carried out it may be safer to pool colostrum from multiple cows to dilute down the antibodies if they are present

 

[Bury the Trash]

• If testing is not carried out it may be safer to pool colostrum from multiple cows to dilute down the antibodies if they are present

yes i see that

but what if its more than one 'bad' cow.

would be nice to know, no idea where to get a test tho.

 

[Al R]

yes i see that

but what if its more than one bad cow.

would be nice to know, no idea where to get a test tho.

By mixing I didn’t mean mix 1-2 cows I meant 10-20.
we used to get some from a farm who had 60 AYR, sometimes it was a bit thin, more like thirds or fourths. Now get from 500 cow spring calving herd getting seconds, they pool as many as they can, they also pool what they give to calves for the same reason.

 

[neilo]

yes i see that

but what if its more than one bad cow.

would be nice to know, no idea where to get a test tho.

If you are obtaining the colostrum from a dairy farmer down the road, it’s unlikely you’ll have a choice which cow it comes from, so identifying any problem cows surely isn’t really going to be worth the effort? Just pooling colostrum to reduce the risk, as was always the advice, would be simpler.

On the antibodies, I understand you can give cows a course of Heptavac P to get them to produce antibodies to the clostridial diseases covered. It might not be easy to persuade a neighbouring dairy farmer to do that for you though? There might also be an issue with using Heptavac in an off-licence manner like that too, so perhaps run it past the FA inspectors for the sheep and the dairy farms first?

Johnnes disease might be another problem to consider too, if feeding to potential replacement ewe lambs?

 

[neilo]

I was looking at the ‘Store & Thaw’ system from Pyon Products (them that make the Heatwave milk warmers) the other day, and wondering if there was potential for a smaller system for freezing/thawing cow colostrum for lambing time? Given the cost of powdered lamb colostrum, I would happily invest a few hundred pounds in a system that allowed me to have cow colostrum available without waiting an hour for it to thaw out when I need it ASAP.

Store & Thaw

The Store & Thaw Colostrum Management system comprises a Storage Kit and a Thawing water bath. Made in Britain & 3 year warranty in the UK.

pyonproducts.com

 

[Al R]

I was looking at the ‘Store & Thaw’ system from Pyon Products (them that make the Heatwave milk warmers) the other day, and wondering if there was potential for a smaller system for freezing/thawing cow colostrum for lambing time? Given the cost of powdered lamb colostrum, I would happily invest a few hundred pounds in a system that allowed me to have cow colostrum available without waiting an hour for it to thaw out when I need it ASAP.

I take out night before and leave on side, by 5am it’s usually 95% deforested. warm up however much I need at a time, always used to leave the current carton on the sideboard in the lambing shed but I was given a nice fridge/freezer for free the other day so now can keep it in the fridge to preserve longer

You know when your lambing so take out 1 of these every day or every other etc.. if your using milk bottles don’t fill to the top, leave 1” on a 1 litre abs 2” on a 2 litre can

 

[Bury the Trash]

If you are obtaining the colostrum from a dairy farmer down the road, it’s unlikely you’ll have a choice which cow it comes from, so identifying any problem cows surely isn’t really going to be worth the effort? Just pooling colostrum to reduce the risk, as was always the advice, would be simpler.

On the antibodies, I understand you can give cows a course of Heptavac P to get them to produce antibodies to the clostridial diseases covered. It might not be easy to persuade a neighbouring dairy farmer to do that for you though? There might also be an issue with using Heptavac in an off-licence manner like that too, so perhaps run it past the FA inspectors for the sheep and the dairy farms first?

Johnnes disease might be another problem to consider too, if feeding to potential replacement ewe lambs?

yeah but if its you're own cows

 

[neilo]

yeah but if its you're own cows

Then you perhaps only have one FA inspector to ask about the legalities of using Heptavac?

 

[Al R]

Then you perhaps only have one FA inspector to ask about the legalities of using Heptavac?

Ovine, bOvine, what difference does a b make the main issue is if you use just 1 cow, her calf also needs colostrum and then if you have any big number of sheep the colostrum from 1 cow wouldn’t be enough usually PLUS they may be anaemic I use cows colostrum to give the lamb a boost so that it can suck it’s own mother’s colostrum with its extra energy, not as a direct replacement.

Year before last I won an UdderlyEZ hand milker, it was rare anything in the shed got cows colostrum as the UdderlyEZ was so efficient, I would always go for cows colostrum before hand stripping a ewe unless problem with engorged teats but with the UdderlyEZ it’s as quick to milk most ewes as it is to tube the lamb - highly recommend and although I’m mainly outdoor lambing if I had anymore than 500 ewes inside I would get 2 UdderlyEZ’s

 

[TexelBen]

Ovine, bOvine, what difference does a b make the main issue is if you use just 1 cow, her calf also needs colostrum and then if you have any big number of sheep the colostrum from 1 cow wouldn’t be enough usually PLUS they may be anaemic I use cows colostrum to give the lamb a boost so that it can suck it’s own mother’s colostrum with its extra energy, not as a direct replacement.

Year before last I won an UdderlyEZ hand milker, it was rare anything in the shed got cows colostrum as the UdderlyEZ was so efficient, I would always go for cows colostrum before hand stripping a ewe unless problem with engorged teats but with the UdderlyEZ it’s as quick to milk most ewes as it is to tube the lamb - highly recommend and although I’m mainly outdoor lambing if I had anymore than 500 ewes inside I would get 2 UdderlyEZ’s

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