# How Much Colostrum Do Kids Need



## Ping (Jan 21, 2010)

I have a market for colostrum here and would like to take advantage of it. I've been told that babies need about a week of colostrum before going to straight milk. I'd like to know what you all think. How much colostrum do kids need before transitioning to straight milk?

Thanks for the help.


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## Torrey (Feb 8, 2010)

We do three days, but what do I know..I'm just a goatling.


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## Theresa (Oct 26, 2007)

Each of mine get a 20oz bottle and once they have completed that go to milk. Mine are regular size nubians, but I have raised some minin-lamanachas and give them the same amount.
Theresa


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## stacy adams (Oct 29, 2007)

:yeahthat minus the Minimancha part. :biggrin


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## buckrun (Mar 7, 2008)

The digestive system of a kid goat changes within the first few hours of life to no longer allow antibodies- good or bad to pass through to the blood stream. There is no reason to give colostrum more than 48 hours. They shed the layer of tissue lining the gut which leaves a layer that is not as permeable so the immunoglobulins no longer benefit them.


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## TroyG (Nov 20, 2009)

Same here 20oz which we normally give in the first 12 hours.


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## Dana (Dec 7, 2009)

Lee, you are like a walking goat encyclopedia! :biggrin

Can you give a list of good reads? I got Diseases of the Goat for Christmas... a bit heavy reading for my tiny brain. I'm always interested in learning more about goats!


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## luvmigoats (Feb 4, 2009)

We give at least 20 oz within the first day. Starting right after they are born. If there is colostrum left over, then it is saved. The doe will still be milking some colostrum as her milk comes in. But it is not as concentrated any more. So, if you are going to sell your extra colostrum, keep feeding the milk/colostrum from the doe to the kids. Just save the extra from the 1st milking. 

We have a guy near us that wants our extra colostrum to feed to ibec sheep and some other exotic animals. He gets quite a bit for his young stock, so he doesn't want to loose any. So we will be selling our extra this year.

Hope this helps some.

Angel


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

A doe doesn't even have colostrum in her milk for 3 days let alone a week. The baby goats intestine is like cheese cloth when it is born, and you want to get good quality colostrum into those openings...1 ounce per 1 pound of goat size...this is actually antelope information. The ability to pull antibody from the colostrum into the sealing intestine, stops at about 12 hours. So although colostrum is very high in fat and calories and has a really good laxative effect to get the meconium out, and won't hurt anything to keep on feeding it, it's not needed. Only tiny multiples are given more than a 20 ounce bottle of colostrum, then right onto milk....the first kids born for the year are actually put on grocery store milk so I don't have to heat treat transitional milk...Milkings from 24 to 36 hours that coagulates if pasteurised, and takes way to long to heat treat just for bottles.


OOOps, sorry didn't read Lee's post.. Vicki


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