 |
Bint Al Bahr Arabians Preservation Breeders of Straight Babson Egyptians |
|
Colostrum - Banking on the Future by Bruce Johnson © 1993 Published in The Pasha Chronicle - Spring 1993 |
|
Early in March of this
year the Sheykh Obeyd breeder network helped a fellow breeder and potentially
saved the life of a young foal. Julie Pagliaro of
PREPARATION
Several small vials or
specimen test tubes that can be securely capped should be procured from your
veterinarian. Several quart sized freezer bags that can be securely fastened to
prevent leakage should also be obtained from your local supermarket.
COLOSTRUM IN THE FOAL
The
foal only has a window of the first 12-24 hours of its life in which the
colostrum can be effectively absorbed. However, this window is permanently
closed when any other product passes through the digestive tract. This includes
the mare's milk or goat's milk. Therefore, it is vital to ensure the foal gets
colostrum first. If a mare has leaked or squirted milk for many hours before
foaling, the colostrum could be lost and the window closed forever once the foal
nurses on his dam.
In the case where blood
tests reveal that the foal has received only a marginal or less amount of
colostrum, all is not hopeless. Many veterinarians will be able to provide a
blood plasma transfer for the foal to raise its level of antibodies. However,
the plasma transfer is expensive and places additional stress on the foal (not
to mention the foal's owner!). (Editor note: An excellent article titled"
Foal Immunity: A Round Table Report" appeared in the November/December 1992
of Modern Horse Breeding.)
COLLECTION
When the mare starts to
rapidly drip milk, the udder area should be cleaned with a wet warm washcloth
(or equivalent) before milking. The colostrum should be milked into a clean
container that can be immediately and securely capped to prevent spillage or
appropriation by the barn cat or dog.
For most mares, about 8 ounces of colostrum can be collected before the foal nurses without significantly depleting the mare's supply for the foal.
NOTE: Developing a
colostrum bank is not breed- dependent. You can collect colostrum from a
cooperative neighbor's Quarter Horse mare even several hours after foaling. Just
make sure that the colostrum is evaluated by a veterinarian so you know the
quality of the colostrum that you have banked.
PREPARATION FOR STORAGE
The colostrum should be
mixed together and a small sample placed in a test tube or other small container
that can be securely capped. The remainder can then be poured into a plastic
freezer bag, with the self-sealing feature to prevent spillage. The bag goes
into the freezer lying on the large flat surface and the vial or test tube will
go to your veterinarian for testing.
TESTING
Testing of colostrum is
accomplished by two methods. One is an evaluation of the colostrum's specific
gravity by your veterinarian utilizing a modified hydrometer (Equine
Colostrometer). The other is by
evaluating the test results from the foal's blood sample taken by your
veterinarian during the initial foaling checkup. This second method provides the
foal's individual absorption into the results (i.e., a foal whose test is low
may have received high quality colostrum but not enough to be fully effective).
IgG test results of 800 mg/ dl are generally considered adequate.
Because mares produce
differing amounts and quality of colostrum, the testing results are merely
general guidelines as to how effective the colostrum will be. The IgG blood test
should be performed on ALL foals even when you have provided high quality
colostrum.
STORAGE OF COLOSTRUM
PREPARATION FOR USE IN THE
NEWBORN FOAL
The colostrum can then be
put into a a baby's milk bottle and then given to the foal.
One method to get the colostrum into the foal is to do it away from the
dam. However, this does not help the foal discover where its future meals are
coming. We have always placed the bottle next to the mare's udder and have a
helper guide the foal in that general direction. By ensuring that the bottle is
the first thing the foal encounters, the colostrum will be the first liquid
absorbed as well as the foal learning the proper location for future
nourishment.
SHIPMENT OF COLOSTRUM
As stated earlier,
Colostrum is best when it is collected and used on the same farm. The antibodies
that are contained in the colostrums represent the best weapons for the
organisms of the surrounding environment.
However, it is sometimes
necessary to ship colostrum in cases like the scenario described in the opening
paragraph. In these instances, there are some precautions that can be taken to
ensure that the colostrum arrives in a useful condition when it arrives at its
destination.
In the scenario described
above, the frozen colostrum was packed in a small Styrofoam container that was
filled with dry ice obtained at a local grocery store. This container was then
packed inside another Styrofoam container that was packed with newspaper and
multiple "blue ice" packages. The outside Styrofoam container was
secured with ample amounts of tape and then addressed appropriately. (Note: many
labels DO NOT stick to Styrofoam -Diana used permanent ink marker written
directly on the outside of the container to print the necessary information.) It
is highly recommended to place the destination's phone number and
"Perishable" prominently on the outside.
Obviously, speed is of
the essence in getting the colostrum to the destination. The package should be
shipped NEXT DAY AIR through either the Post Office, UPS or Federal Express.
In the case described
above, even though the package was delivered 24 hours later, the colostrum was
still frozen with a significant amount of dry ice remaining. A reminder, this
event occurred in the month of March and did not have to fight high Spring or
Summer temperatures.
In summary , each of us
can benefit from starting our own colostrum banks to help our future foals.
A
colostrum bank is just like insurance, you may never need it, but is sure is
nice to have it if you do!