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Why is colostrum so important?
At birth, dairy calves do not have antibodies against pathogens and therefore have no resistance at all to calf diseases. The calf can only obtain the necessary antibodies by drinking sufficient good-quality colostrum as soon as possible after birth. There are 2 more reasons that colostrum is important.
Firstly, calves are born with a low energy reserve compared to other mammals (See graph). So calves need an energy boost as soon as possible after birth. Compared to normal milk, colostrum contains the double amount of solids and energy. This makes cow colostrum the right super-fuel after birth.
Secondly, it contains ingredients – hormones, growth factors, insulin, etc – which activate the development of the gut, and support the digestion of milk solids in the early days of life.