A calf’s second feed

[jerseycowsman]

No it doesn't. Tube with 4 litres at birth then skip next feed and they take to the teat fine. Very common system in N.America. The only problem calves are the ones that have suckled the cow.

Cobblers. Not at all stressful on the calf if done correctly. You must be doing it wrong.

When humans are given a tube in hospital, sedatives or pain killers are used, I’m pretty sure a tube down the calf’s neck is not a pleasant experience for the calf. Unfortunately sometimes necessary, but should never ever be routine

 

[Dead Rabbits]

I believe that there is evidence that calves absorb more antibodies by suckling colostrum, than by having it tubed, partly because the calf finds the process stressful. If you can't be bothered to spend time on calves, you're in the wrong business.

You are welcome to come bottle feed the calves here.


There are best practices and then there is reality. In an ideal world I wouldn’t tube because I hate it. However it gets the colostrum in them in a timely manner And you know how much is in there.

I have neither time nor labor to get 10-50 calves per day to drink their first feed.

Don’t seem to have much of an issue getting them started on the teat but there is always a few sluggish to catch on.

 

[lazy farmer]

You are welcome to come bottle feed the calves here.


There are best practices and then there is reality. In an ideal world I wouldn’t tube because I hate it. However it gets the colostrum in them in a timely manner And you know how much is in there.

I have neither time nor labor to get 10-50 calves per day to drink their first feed.

Don’t seem to have much of an issue getting them started on the teat but there is always a few sluggish to catch on.

What’s odd about that is you have enough time the following day when you’ve removed them?

 

[Beef farmer]

What’s odd about that is you have enough time the following day when you’ve removed them?

Time pressure to ensure colostrum has been taken on board isnt so great day 2. We have very little issues teat training

 

[som farmer]

used to use wyedale feeders, after 24 hours with cow, but calves, if slow, tended to 'bunt' off, or the 2nd calf, on a 2 teat system, would either drink, of if individual, bunt off, found and use a sensibly priced single teat bucket, moulded to slip over pen front, and unable to be bunted off, sounds boring, but they work, slow drinkers, you can leave there etc.
cant remember the name, but got through Fane Valley Supplies, via the internet.

 

[Dead Rabbits]

What’s odd about that is you have enough time the following day when you’ve removed them?

Personally I’d rather leave them on the cow for 3 days. But that doesn’t seem feasible in February or at our scale.

In spring calves are picked up every hour or two at night and fed by the person picking them up, within a couple hours of being picked up. When the calf rearer is there they can then have the time to teach them to use a feeder. You are essentially postponing the teaching phase And concentrating it to twice per day.


There are times when everything lines up and the colostrum is dumped into a group feeder and the calves go straight on. That’s not likely to happen in spring.