# pink milk **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 1, 2001, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393 "2001-03-01T16:08:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Husker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8edcca/32.png) [@Husker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Husker)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/1 "2001-03-01T16:08:28Z")
Can you tell me what mammal normally gives pink milk? ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/2 "2001-03-01T16:27:03Z")
Trick question. [http://www.doaustralia.com/Fauna/Echidna.htm](http://www.doaustralia.com/Fauna/Echidna.htm) > [@](#): > > The baby echidna stays in the pouch, feeding the iron-rich pink milk until it is six months old, weighs about 400 grams and its spines have started to grow. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/3 "2001-03-01T17:30:42Z")
Yak milk is pink, according to Trivial Pursuit. ---
**Author:** ![Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/50afbb/32.png) [@Duck\_Duck\_Goose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duck_Duck_Goose)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/4 "2001-03-01T22:12:09Z")
**cough** According to the International Yak Association, yak milk is NOT pink. [http://www.yakpage.com/](http://www.yakpage.com/) > [@](#): > > Yak milk (is not pink)… However, that hasn’t stopped this particular trivia factoid from being widely posted on the Web. The Fight Goes On. And now even Trivial Pursuit is involved. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Pinky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Dr.Pinky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Pinky)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/5 "2001-03-01T23:58:32Z")
::looks around:: ::sees no bunnies:: Sorry. My bad. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/6 "2001-03-02T01:46:53Z")
Define “normally.” I’ve seen the milk of of many cows shortly after they have a calf. Definitely an unappetizing pink. Lasts for a few days. Note for the squeamish: The pink milk is tossed. Probably also occurs with other related species. Re: “normally.” The milk cows give well after calving is in fact not natural, humans have engineered that. But OTOH it would be white for the major part of a natural nursing time. FtG Mooing at cows while driving is a sign of intelligence. ---
**Author:** ![Homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/df788c/32.png) [@Homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Homer)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/7 "2001-03-02T02:33:07Z")
Uh, I hope that pink milk isn’t being tossed but being fed to the calf. That milk is called Colostrum and is VERY important to a newborn calf’s life. Without it (or a suitable replacement), you don’t stand a strong chance of having the calf survive. The same is true with pigs, sheep, etc. Now that I think about it, though, I’m pretty sure colostrum is usually yellowish. Dunno what’s up with the pink stuff. Strawberry flavored? –Tim ---
**Author:** ![Sylkyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/da6949/32.png) [@Sylkyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sylkyn)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 3:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/8 "2001-03-02T03:49:56Z")
This is too funny. I wandered in here because when my son was little, he adored Strawberry Quik, and always called it “pink milk”. For a brief moment, I thought, “When did my son get on the SDMB?” Sorry for the distraction. Back to your regularly scheduled thread. /shuffles off to look at son’s baby pictures and get maudlin ---
**Author:** ![Dijon\_Warlock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a9a28c/32.png) [@Dijon\_Warlock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dijon_Warlock)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/9 "2001-03-02T04:36:54Z")
From **DDG** ’s link: An echidna can walk about as fast as a person and leave shuffling claw prints in the dirt. They are most at risk near roads and cars and trucks because they are small and slow-moving, _echidnas often kill highways_. Those wacky monotremes, always up to something. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![funneefarmer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/9fc348/32.png) [@funneefarmer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funneefarmer)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2001, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pink-milk/56393/10 "2001-03-02T12:59:05Z")
Actually most fresh cows (new mother) milk is yellower due to colostrum and higher fat content. The pink in some cows milk is blood from broken vessels in the udder occasionally accompanied blood clots and usually caused by an oversized udder or heavy trauma to the udder. Yes this milk is discarded because the milk is tested for ‘microleucocytes’ (blood cells) and a high count will result in the company either sending out an inspector early or even dumping the farm as a supplier. Even the fresh cow yellow milk is fed to the calves, much of it is discarded since a cow produces a lot more than is needed for the calf, for several days for the milk to return to normal milk nutrient content.