An archaic or dialectal term for the first milk produced by a cow after giving birth (colostrum), also called beestings.
From Old English beost or biest, of uncertain ultimate origin but possibly related to Proto-Germanic sources. This is an ancient agricultural term that has largely disappeared from modern English except in dialects.
Beest (colostrum) was so important to medieval farming that it had its own name—it's higher in antibodies and nutrients, making it vital for newborn calves and highly valued as a resource in pre-modern economies.
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