Maintaining colostrum quality should be a huge priority on the dairy. The quantity of colostrum a calf receives does not matter if the colostrum is junk. Here are five tips to ensure you’re storing and handling colostrum properly.

1. Don’t pool raw colostrum. Even if the colostrum is going straight into storage it should never be pooled, according to Kimberley Morrill, PhD regional dairy specialist Cornell Cooperative Extension.

2. Feed or refrigerate colostrum within one hour of collection. Colostrum can be stored in the fridge or the freezer. According to research from the National Animal Health Monitoring System of the dairy producers who store colostrum, 21% store it in the fridge and 73% of producers store colostrum in the freezer.

3. If storing in the fridge, only keep colostrum for one week. After that, Bethany Lovaas, DVM University of Minnesota, says quality declines. “If you refrigerate colostrum, be sure that the refrigerator is cold (33 – 35 degree F) to reduce the onset of bacterial growth,” she says.

4. Keep frozen colostrum for six months or less. While not everyone agrees on how long frozen colostrum can be stored without damage to the antibodies, Faith Cullens of Michigan State University Extension says most researchers agree the six month mark is safe.

5. Thaw frozen colostrum with warm water or a microwave. “The main concern regarding thawing frozen colostrum is to thaw the ice without degrading the immune proteins,” says Lovaas. She adds colostrum is best thawed with warm (not hot) water. Add more water to the bath as the frozen colostrum cools down the water. Alternately, Lovaas says colostrum can be thawed in a microwave oven with little damage to the Ig. “It is important to microwave the colostrum for short periods on low power,” she says.