Stopping calves sucking navels

[vinnie123]

Ideas please. Got a bad bunch

 

[buffalo_soldier]

I've replied to these sorts of questions before as it's never come up as an issue here.

I have a feeder per pen which stays in with them. So I've always wondered if this is the difference between me not having an issue and folk who do.
But no-one ever replies

 

[Spudley]

I had my worst ever year last year for cross suckling so in desperation I started leaving the feeders in. It didn't help. I had a much better run this year and what I did differently was I bedded up after every feeding and made sure they had a good run around, and took the feeders out.

 

[Dairyfarmerswife]

Yep, I think chucking straw in after feeding gives them something else to think about. Also, plenty of milk!

 

[yellowbelly]

Stockholm tar.

 

[ISCO]

Yep, I think chucking straw in after feeding gives them something else to think about. Also, plenty of milk!
[/QUOTe

We always fed 2 litres milk per feed and calves were always sucking. We upped it to 3 litres and now don't see sucking at all. When young on 3 litres calves just want to lie down after feeding.

 

[Jamer]

We have yet to find the answer; calves on a machine were a problem so tried them on barrels with 10 peach teats. Feeding 10 litres/ day with 150g/l of top spec all dairy protein powder and still a few f@#kers have started. We spray navels and teats daily with 10% iodine to minimise it but have yet to eliminate it.

 

[vantage]

We have yet to find the answer; calves on a machine were a problem so tried them on barrels with 10 peach teats. Feeding 10 litres/ day with 150g/l of top spec all dairy protein powder and still a few f@#kers have started. We spray navels and teats daily with 10% iodine to minimise it but have yet to eliminate it.

Is that the amount you feed to all your dairy replacements, or beef calves for market ? They must be growing like mushrooms, cannot see that they’d eat much hard feed. Mine must be hard done by on 7L.

 

[Spudley]

Tbh navel sucking is a bit different, I think that's more of a problem in baby calves that haven't quite started properly drinking yet but you do get the odd the bull calf that gets sucked on that seems to enjoy it which makes it all the more difficult

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Tail-paint their navels or use stockholm tar/blue spray if giving them access to salt (obvious first choice) doesn't work.. are they getting salt or minerals?

 

[Jamer]

Is that the amount you feed to all your dairy replacements, or beef calves for market ? They must be growing like mushrooms, cannot see that they’d eat much hard feed. Mine must be hard done by on 7L.

Dairy replacements. Beef calves are on similar feed rate on machine but significantly cheaper powder. Heifers on a calf tracker programme are running avg 0.9kg/ dlwg so far,- eldest is coming up 7 weeks.

 

[Baldrick]

3 thoughts

If it’s just one calf who stands and lets them suck, remove that calf.
If you are restricting the amount of milk per feed. Feed nice fresh cake and straw following the milk feed to distract them.
We find feeding ad lib milk means calf is totally satisfied and navel sucking disappeared.