Value Determination

FOLLOWING ARE MEANS TO DETERMINE 1ST MILKING COLOSTRUM

TOTAL SOLIDS Total solids are determined by dividing the dried solids by the original quantity of liquid started with.

EXAMPLE: 782.7 Kg Dried Solids divided by
3207.9 Kg Colostrum Liquid
= 24.40% TOTAL SOLIDS

Refer to "Total Solids" column in following table from FUNDAMENTALS OF DAIRY CHEMISTRY:

PROTEIN

Use either Kjeldahl method or licensed testing laboratory.
EXAMPLE: License laboratory Kjeldahl*=53.01% Protein
53.01 divided by 4.1 (100 divided by 24.4 total solids)=
12.93% TOTAL PROTEIN

Refer to "Total Protein" column in following table from FUNDAMENTALS OF DAIRY CHEMISTRY:

LACTOSE

Lactose has a great influence on allergic-like responses experienced by some individuals due to the lack of lactase and B Galactodidase.

(NOTE: DUE TO LACTOSE CREATING ALLERGIC-LIKE RESPONSES, LACTASE CAN BE USED TO DEGRADE THE LACTOSE)

Unlike the immunoglobulin IgG, lactose rises in value from the first milking through the subsequent several milkings. This is another gauge for determining quality of colostrum.

Refer to "Lactose" column in following table from FUNDAMENTALS OF DAIRY CHEMISTRY:

IMMUNOGLOBULINS

Immunoglobulin IgG has long been the
parameter by which the colostrum value has been measured.

VMRD's or ICN Biomedical Inc. SRID's (Single Radial Immunodiffusion) are used for determining the value of antibodies (immunoglobulins) in colostrum.

The above table from ICN Biomedical Inc. indicates that in 1st milking colostrum, the IgG₁ content is between 90-95% of the total immunoglobulin G content; whereas plasma or serum would be 50-60% IgG₁ and the remaining portion is IgG₂.

IgA and IgM remain about 13.8% of the total IgG in colostrum as well as in the plasma or serum.

Mechor & Grohn Published in the Journal of Dairy Science 75-11, 1992, 2 formulas for calculating IgG in colostrum. These are somewhat different than what Fleenor and Stott published (See Table 2). They are, however, very close to our findings. Our findings are on thousands of cows rather than on very small populations. Using Mechor & Grohn's formula and our example from our Serial, there is a 42% error compared to Fleenor & Stott's table. This leads to much confusion; however, our findings are from thousands of cows rather than from a small population of cows. EXAMPLE: 958x(SG)-969=mg/ml Ig OR 853x(Specific Gravity)+ 0.4 Co-866=mg/ml of IgG The R square of their relatively small sample (one sample of 1st milking colostrum was from 39 holstein cows) was 0.76. Our Dried Colostrum Serial processed 1/96 = 1.056 specific gravity. Using the above formula: APPLIED: 958x(1.056)-969=42.65 mg/ml Ig or 4265 mg/dL Less 13.8% IgM and IgA as per ICN Biomedical yielding IgG - 13.8% IgM and Iga (1)= 3676 mg/dL or 3.7% IgG predicted.

Total Solids, Proteins, Fat, Lactose and Immunoglobulins are very definite indicators as to which milkings of colostrum have been collected. This determines the value of colostrum.

To further identify colostrum value the percents of IgG₁ and IgG₂ can be used to determine value.

One or two of these factors can be altered but it is difficult to alter all four factors to duplicate 1st milking colostrum.