Now Offering Dam Fresh™ | Milk and Colostrum Preservative to Protect Milk Quality
- Deluxe Animal Health
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 27 minutes ago
The first hours of a calf's life play a critical role in setting the foundation for future health and performance. Quality colostrum provides the antibodies, nutrients, and immune support calves need to get off to the right start. But protecting calf health doesn't stop after the first feeding; maintaining milk quality throughout the pre-weaning period is another important part of a successful calf program.
Whether managing stored colostrum, transition milk or milk replacer, maintaining quality from collection through feeding can be a challenge. Even with refrigeration, freezing, or pasteurization, bacteria can still be present or reintroduced throughout the process.
That's where Dam Fresh™ can help.
WHAT IS DAM FRESH?
Dam Fresh is a milk and colostrum preservative designed to help control bacteria growth while protecting the quality of colostrum, transition milk and milk replacer fed to calves. Rather than killing bacteria, it works as a bacteriostatic preservative, meaning it helps prevent bacteria from multiplying while preserving the valuable nutrients and immunity factors calves need.
Its simple liquid formulation makes it easy to incorporate into existing calf-feeding protocols with minimal labor.
WHAT DOES DAM FRESH DO?
Dam Fresh helps inhibit bacterial growth during the storage and handling of colostrum, transition milk and milk replacer.
Research has shown stabilized potassium sorbate can help reduce pathogen exposure by inhibiting the growth of common bacteria, including:
Escherichia coli (E. coli)
Salmonella enteritidis
Listeria
Staphylococcus aureus
When used as directed, Dam Fresh helps inhibit bacterial growth for up to 96 hours, even in temperatures reaching 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Just as importantly, Dam Fresh is formulated to protect the immunoglobulins (IgG) and proteins naturally found in colostrum, helping ensure calves receive the immunity transfer intended from that first feeding.
WHY USE DAM FRESH?
From collection to feeding, every step in the process presents an opportunity for bacteria to multiply. While proper management practices remain essential, they each have limitations:
Refrigeration slows bacterial growth but does not stop it.
Freezing preserves IgG but does not eliminate bacteria.
Pasteurization reduces bacteria but may not remove every organism, and contamination can still occur during handling.
Because bacteria can double in as little as 20 minutes, preserving colostrum quality requires more than proper storage alone.
Dam Fresh provides another management tool to help maintain the quality of your colostrum, transition milk or milk replacer while giving producers added confidence that calves are receiving the nutrients and immune support intended.
WHEN SHOULD DAM FRESH BE USED?
For best results, Dam Fresh should be added immediately after milk or colostrum is collected, whether it will be:
Refrigerated
Frozen
Pasteurized
Stored at room temperature
By adding it early in the handling process, producers can help limit bacterial growth before it has an opportunity to multiply.
HOW DO YOU USE DAM FRESH?
Dam Fresh is designed to fit easily into your current calf-feeding program. Immediately after collection, mix Dam Fresh into colostrum, transition milk or milk replacer using the following rates:
Transition Milk: 0.5 ounce per gallon
Colostrum: 1 ounce per gallon
After mixing, the product can be refrigerated, frozen, pasteurized, or stored at room temperature according to your operation's management practices.
BACKED BY RESEARCH
Research published in the Journal of Dairy Science found that stabilized liquid potassium sorbate can serve as an additional management tool, concluding that it "can be a convenient additional tool to effectively reduce pathogen exposure to calves from colostrum or milk.
Dam Fresh is designed to complement—not replace—good collection, storage, and feeding practices. When used alongside proper colostrum and milk management, it provides producers with another practical way to help protect calf health from the start.
AVAILABLE SIZES
Dam Fresh is currently available in:
15-gallon drum
53-gallon drum
Additional sizes coming soon include:
1 gallon
2.5 gallon
5 gallon
WHERE TO GET DAM FRESH?
Deluxe Animal Health is proud to be the only dealer in the upper Midwest to offer Dam Fresh to producers looking to strengthen their calf-feeding program. Dam Fresh has been tested and proven on farm in our territory - and it works!
If you're interested in learning whether Dam Fresh is a good fit for your operation or looking for ways to better preserve the quality of your colostrum, contact your Deluxe Animal Health account manager or call either of our locations: Sheldon, IA (712-324-7000) or Carroll, IA (712-775-3000).
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