Yes to this, stop making extra work and concentrate on the cows and the breeding youngstock.
Automatic calf feeder
- Thread starter Jdunn55
- Start date
Farmer Keith
Member
- Location
- North Cumbria
Got one here, 14 years old, it won’t be getting replaced, it’s ok but doesn’t justify the price tag, can spread disease and it has an annoying knack of fudging up at 7pm on a Friday evening. It’s big pro is the way the calves wean they really kick on after it. It’s better now we’re block calving for disease, when we were ayr it was a real problem by the end of the winter.
I suppose a good way to look at it is would you be doing it without the grant? I’d assume the answer is no and as a new starter I’d be thinking keep the cash in your pocket given the uncertainty that lies ahead.
I suppose a good way to look at it is would you be doing it without the grant? I’d assume the answer is no and as a new starter I’d be thinking keep the cash in your pocket given the uncertainty that lies ahead.
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
If you want to talk to someone who knows calf rearing and calf machines and will give good honest advice and also may be able to hire, talk to Paul Wisden. https://www.mandacalfsystems.co.uk/
We rear our 20-25 heifer calves on one of his s/h Forster Techniks, which cost us £750 about 15 years ago and has had about the same spent on it over intervening years. Not computerised, (i.e. ad lib) so you have to manage weaning carefully,
50-60 Beef calves in paired pens are bottle/bucket fed and sold at 5 weeks, could sell earlier, or put them on dustbins.
The reason I got the auto feeder was because she was off on maternity leave
she rates the milk taxi highly it’s revolutionised calf feeding.
- Location
- M6 Hard shoulder
We're well past that stage......... hopefullyThe reason I got the auto feeder was because she was off on maternity leave
Spudley
Member
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
My calf rearer is 14, exams and college and boys are my worries 
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pine_guy
Member
- Location
- North Cumbria
off topic a bit, but how do you wean on ad-lib? We dilute the concentration over a week or ten days. Was at a meeting the other day telling me this is really bad as the lower concentration milk might not stimulate the grove and milk would end up in the rumen. We never see a problem, but doesn’t mean there isn’t one. Lower volumes was the recommended way.
Spudley
Member
- Location
- Pembrokeshire
I cut back about a liter per calf per day and wean from about 10 litres per day to nothing over a fortnight.
- Location
- Northumberland
I'll get some more in daylight. These were on the tablet from a remote FA inspection.
It's a 100 x 25 monopitch with a 5' overhang. Panels round three sides with space boarding above. Row of 20 single pens down the back and then pens of 5 in hutches with the hutch outside and front pen undercover. Shed has a good run on the floor. Galebreakers along the front were an addition after beast from the east. Works well in an AYR calving system as we remove and steamcleam between every calf. Nothing fixed to shed or floor. All moved to another place in the summer for a full rest. The 4th photo is an old Dutch barn that we just put some gates in when required.
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dairydurham
Member
Awesome calves !!
Princess Pooper
Member
- Location
- East Mids
We wean at about 8 weeks (used to be younger but struggled to get good enough concentrate intake). We now find they are eating plenty of cake prior to starting weaning process, Pen off the ones I am weaning and put back onto teated buckets. 2.5 l twice a day for about 3 days, then half that (twice a day) for another couple of days and then once a day for 2 days. So they get weaned over the space of a week and at the end of that week they are eating about 2 kg/cake/head per day (+ straw) and then ease them up to 3 kg/head. Calves were born over 4 week span so weaned in batches over a 4 week span. Held back 2 to a younger group - one who was 2 weeks prem and 1 who had a bad pneumonia so was a bit backward. All weaned now with no problems. I think cutting volume is the only way to do it, need to shrink abomasum and also prevent gorging. It is a bit of a hassle but worth it. It helps if the machine has run out of powder sometimes eg in the night, as this drives them to eat cake and really tuck in before reaching weaning age. I also give them a few mouthfuls of cake at a very young age (put it in their mouths) before and just after they join the machine groups so they get to like the taste, I think it helps.
Ormond
Member
We run two Forster techniks , had the first new one over 15 years, still going strong, had bits on it over the years but runs 365 days a year mainly. Have a guy who knows them inside out that can send me parts. Bought a secondhand one couple of years ago to run in another shed. I like the machines, if calves are queuing up there’s an issue or too many calves on a station. We run max of 30 calves a station.