Minimizing the numbers of bacterias in colostrum, is mainly important in order to provide health to calf.
Bacterial growth should be avoided. Additionally, the immunoglobulins, vitamins and lactoferrins in colostrum, should be protected in refrigerator in order to avoid them to lose their qualities.
The harmful bacterias in colostrum should be purified. Because, these affect animal health negatively.
There are some methods for purifying colostrum from bacterias as below;
1.Clean nipples in a cup by brushing and layering. After all, clean them with a clear towel, layer nipples to solution one more time and wait for 30 seconds.
2.Clean milk collecting tanks including the cover, valve and gasket. A warm rinse water for cleaning, a hot and chloric detergent solution for brushing, an acidic solution for rinsing and a suitable material for drying are required. Milk collecting tanks should be rinsed with a scalding hot water before washing with chlorin solution.
3.Milk cups should also be cleaned like milk tanks. These collecting cups should firstly be cleaned and then sanitated.
4.If collecting tanks and cans are in the milking room, the cover should be cleaned both before and after usage. Otherwise, more than 10 million bacterias are going to infect to the colostrum.
5.Calf should be fed with colostrum as rapid as possible. It should be given to them in 1,5 hours after collecting. Colostrum is a new feedyard for bacterias to grow. They grow and reproduce in this feedyard over time. If colostrum is given to calf before 1,5 hours, the existence of new bacterias is going to be avoided. Bacterias, reproduce in every 20 minutes. While, their numbers are 5000 cfu/ml in the first contamination, they increase this amount to 320.000 cfu/ml just in 2 hours. Accordingly, it is going to be better if calf are fed as rapid as possible.
6.Cows usually produce colostrum more than calf need. These can be kept for others to use in this given circumstance. Freezing, embettering and such methods are being used in storage. Milk protection is very important for avoiding bacterial growth especially in hot weathers. Additionally, the immunoglobulins in colostrum, should be protected in refrigerator in order to avoid them to lose their qualities. Colostrum can be protected in the refrigerator for a week. Freezing, is the best option for long-term storage. If colostrum is going to be kept, then the heat of it should be freezed until 16 C in 30 minutes. Freezing colostrum effectively, is the key for bacterial control. There are various methods for freezing. One of them is to place it in a 5 liter cup. In this method, milk decrease to 16 °C in less than 1,5 hours. Another method is the bowls which are freeezed with ice. ¾ of these are filled up with water and the clean ones are placed inside the containers. The ice amount should be 2 liter for gallon milk.
7.Cleaning the feeding cup and hiding colostrum is also very important. At this point; regular cleaning of the milking cups and minimization of the bacterias are required. All of the equipments should be rinsed with hot chlorin solution and rinsing of the feeding tubes should be made carefully. Most of these equipments should be brushed in detail in order to avoid the existence of bacterias. Rinsing with hot chlorin solution, doesn’t have a direct lethal effect, but it decreases the contamination risk with a low dilution.
8.Colostrum should be given to calf in an optimum temperature. Our aim should be to make them drink it in 1,5 hours.
