How to Save Colostrum From Goats
Colostrum is the "pre-milk" produced by mammals just before giving birth. It is rich in antibodies to prime the immune systems of newborns. Goats' colostrum is very near human colostrum in its makeup; therefore some people use it as a health supplement. Newborn goats often have health problems associated with loss of the mother or low milk production by the mother, and the remedy is to save and store colostrum to feed these at-risk infants. Whether for human or livestock consumption, saving the colostrum safely and effectively is your goal.Things You'll Need
- Freezer
- 16-20-ounce plastic soda bottles with screw-on lids
- Wide mouth jar
- Labels
- Alcohol
- Funnel (that fits the bottles)
- 2-quart pan or pot
- Milk warming rack for pot
- Stove or hot plate
- Screw-on Pritchard teats
Instructions
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Identify the doe that has more milk than her kids need. Wipe down her teats with plain medicinal alcohol. Milk her into the wide-mouthed jar. Label the jar if you are keeping the milk in it without freezing. Labels need to include the collection date, the dam's name or number, the term "Goat Colostrum" and whether it is first- or second-day colostrum. If it is the third day after birth, assume you are getting milk and not colostrum.
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Fill the soda bottles half full. The colostrum will need to expand when it is frozen. Cap the bottles. The same labeling procedure applies to the bottles. Store the bottled colostrum upright in the freezer. Do not freeze colostrum in containers that exceed one feeding. Do not refreeze colostrum. Use the colostrum beginning with the earliest date to the latest.
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Thaw the colostrum. Do not thaw goat colostrum in a microwave or you risk a sticky, unpalatable mess. Put your bottle warming rack in the pot. Unscrew the bottle you are thawing until the top is loose but not off. Set it upright on the rack. Fill the pot to the height of the colostrum in the bottle. Turn the stove on to medium heat, and lower the temperature as the colostrum melts. Shake the contents occasionally to avoid scorching.
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If the colostrum is for use with goat kids, screw on the Pritchard teat and the goat will drink directly from the bottle. Test the colostrum on your wrist, just as you do for a baby, to ensure it is not too hot before you feed the kid. Throw the bottle away after one use.
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