The Nutritive Value of Colostrum for the Calf

Abstract

The milking of cows and heifers before parturition has been advocated as a means of reducing the congestion of the udder and the associated oedema at calving, and of increasing the milk yield of the cow during the subsequent lactation period. The extent of pre-milking varies widely,; on some farms, cows are milked only once or twice before parturition, whereas on others they are milked twice daily for up to 30 days.