noun
- the first milk produced by a cow or other mammal after giving birth, which is thick and rich in antibodies
Usage: also spelled ‘beastings’; veterinary/agricultural term
Examples
- The farmer made sure the calf received beestings within the first few hours of birth.
- Beestings contain essential antibodies that protect newborn animals from disease.
- The thick, yellowish beestings gradually changes to normal milk over several days.
- Veterinarians recommend that calves consume beestings as soon as possible after birth.
- Some farmers collect and freeze beestings to use for orphaned or weak calves.
- The nutritional value of beestings is much higher than regular milk.