12 FIRST LESSONS IN DAIRYING 



Colostrum. Colostrum is the milk yielded the 

 first few days after calving. It has a reddish color, 

 is viscous and slimy, contains a less proportion of 

 water and sugar, and an increased proportion 

 of albumen and ash, together with colostrum cor- 

 puscles, which are probably broken-down cell struc- 

 ture from the gland. This milk has a medicinal 

 effect, helping to stimulate to activity the digestive 

 tract of the young calf, which should be fed on its 

 mother's milk for the first few days of its life. 

 The characteristics of colostrum milk are not so 

 pronounced when the cow has not been dry at 

 least a short time before freshening. Under ordi- 

 nary circumstances, milk becomes normal within 

 three or four days after parturition. Owing to the 

 high percentage of albumen, colostrum curdles 

 when heated. This is the common test to tell 

 whether or not the milk is normal. 



Colostrum* Normal Milk 



Water 71.69% 87.0 



Fat 3-37 4-0 



Casein 4.83 3.0 



Albumen 15.85 0.4 



Sugar 2.48 5.0 



Ash 1.78 0.6 



100.00 100.0 



Fat globules. Fat globules of minute form exist 



in the milk, forming an emulsion. These globules 



vary in size from 1/1500 to 1/40000 of an inch in 



diameter; in other words, it would require 40,000, 



*Engling. 



