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I have a heifer that is about three weeks from calving. I was keeping her with two calves that were just being weaned, and they nursed her overnight. I wanted to know if they got all of her colostrum and, if so, will any more come down when she gives birth?
Last Updated: February 18, 2008
There is not a good answer to this situation. Colostrum begins being produced prior to calving and accumulates in the udder. In dairy cows, sometimes the udder becomes so engorged before calving that they are milked, and some of the colostrum is removed. So, in your case, the best guess is that at least some colostrum has been removed. It is difficult to determine how much more will be produced. Colostrum can be purchased in a bag to mix, or some frozen could be obtained from a local dairy. If in doubt about the availability of colostrum from this heifer, you may want to tube her calf with commercial or frozen colostrum.
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