Studies of colostrum and milk composition and quality of Gidran mares

Abstract

Foals are born with intact but weakly functioning immune systems. Colostrum provides special immunoglobulins, which are essential for the development of passive immunity. The newborn foal is entirely dependent on antibodies from colostrum for protection against infection during the early neonatal period, meaning that after foaling, in a short time, they need to pick up a sufficient amount of colostrum in proper quality. The quantity and quality of colostrum cannot be influenced although it is well known that well-fed mares in good health typically produce enough antibody-rich colostrum for their newborn foals, the quality of colostrum can be determined by several methods. In 2022, I examined the gestation and lactation of 9 Gidran mares at Kismacs Experimental Station of Animal Husbandry of the University of Debrecen. I used a BRIX refractometer for measuring the colostrum IgG level, and a Lactoscan MCC Combo milk analyser for testing colostrum and milk.