[Beeducked]

When does colostrum stop being colostrum and become milk?


My goat has kidded and is making far more then the 2 boys are taking at the moment so I am taking some of the excess to stop her being so tight. Given the value of colostrum I am saving this and freezing for the future but when does it stop being colostrum? She is coming up to 48 hours post kidding. In my head I have 3 days but now can't find why I think that, where I read it or if it's something I just made up!

[Anke]

About 3 - 4 days it will contain some colostrum.

Keep making sure she isn't tight.

[fsmnutter]

The newborn gut only absorbs antibodies until 12 hours after birth, on a decreasing scale, with most of them being in the first 6 hours, hence the recommendation to get colostrum in quickly. Some antibodies are still useful in the gut against E. coli etc after this point, but as the majority of the antibodies  will no longer be absorbed, the mother produces diminishing amounts. If for your own use, you could certainly keep the milk for up to about 3 days as a highly nutritious milk for young kids or lambs, but I would only call it colostrum up to 12-24 hours. Hope the vet science bit helps!

[Beeducked]

Thanks.