Many calves do not receive sufficient colostrum in the first 6 hours of life. Keeping a bank of frozen colostrum is an efficient way to make sure every calf gets a good start in life. Colostrum is a vital first feed. Calves acquire passive immunity from their dam’s colostrum and without it they are vulnerable to disease, leading to poor growth, higher vet and medicine bills and poor performance. Dairy farms with a Johne’s Contol Programme will need to discard diseased colostrum from ‘red’ and ‘amber’ cows and feed healthy colostrum as a substitute. This has to be easily accessible and easily heated up for quick delivery. A quick thaw means that any residual bacteria have only a short time to incubate. So a quick, efficient thawing process means a healthier sample of colostrum for the calf. • More colostrum -means less calf hood disease • More colostrum -means faster growth • More colostrum - means higher yielding heifers • More colostrum – means more pregnant heifers