Colostrum also known as the first milk is a liquid substance which is produced by the mammary gland of a female animal after parturition in order to take care of the nutritive needs of a newborn farm animal or a newborn baby.
So as not to get confused, let me define parturition.
Parturition is simply defined as the act of giving birth to new offspring.
Colostrum is not just produced by farm animals alone, it is also produced by human beings (nursing mothers) so as to take care of their babies. Colostrum contains a high level of protein and fat which helps the new born baby to grow well and develop properly.
The importance of colostrum is not limited to this alone, it is also a means of improving the immune system of a new born baby so as to fight against infections in the body.
The immune system is a self-reacting and self-defending mechanism which allows the body to fight off infections which are caused by exposure to foreign elements or antigens, e.g. micro-organisms like bacteria, fungi, nematodes, virus.
These mechanism may be part of an organism’s general physiology (innate immunity), which includes body surfaces (skin, mucus membranes), internal components (cough reflex), or the presence of non-specific factors with anti-microbial activity.
Other immune components such as immunoglobulins (Lgs) are specifically produced in response to the presence of recognised foreign materials in the body(acquired immunity).
Colostrum offers a passive immunity for the newborn farm animals (or new born babies if in case of human beings).
New born animals tend to pick up items which are detrimental to their health (same thing with kids) and this foreign items tend to cause them harm, but colostrum helps in fighting against all this foreign items which are detrimental to their health with the presence of protein which is highly concentrated.
HOW COLOSTRUM FIGHTS OFF INFECTIONS
colostrum help to fight off infections in the body by inhibiting the attachment of bacteria cells to the body’s epithelial tissues, thereby giving no room for the impossibility of bacterial attack on the body system.
It also contain lactoferrin that serves as a powerful natural antimicrobial and antiviral, and provides passive immunity to various organisms like fungi, bacteria and other harmful microorganisms
In addition, colostrum includes immunoglobulin A (IgA) and immunoglobulin G (IgG) that neutralizes viruses and render them useless and also bind bacteria thereby making them inactive.
The Lactoferrin in colostrum acts as a natural antioxidant with antibacterial, antiviral, and it also contains immune-stimulating properties as well thus; it increases the strength of the immune system so as to fight against infections. Lactoferrin also help in activating phagocytes thereby stimulating immune response of such animal.
WHAT NOW HAPPENS WHEN A NURSING MOTHER DIES?
In animal health and nutrition, there is what we call artificial colostrum which can be given to a newly born animal if in case the mother dies during the process of giving birth which cannot be dystopia or any other causes. The artificial colostrum is made by
mixing an egg with half litre of fresh warm water after which half litre of whole milk is poured into the mixture and allowed to mix thoroughly. After thorough mixing, you can then add one teaspoonful of castor oil and feed the animal with this.
Another method of taking care of a motherless farm animal is the use of the method known as FOSTERING. this method as far as I know works with rabbits; a young animal without mother is placed in the midst of another set of litters with a mother taking care of them, but care must be taken in doing this as it requires technical expertise.
