My calf feeding routine
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- Опубликовано: 9 фев 2025
- I do it twice a day, every day, for months on end. But I never really notice what I'm at. So, here's me stepping thru the heating, measuring, mixing, and feeding routine for getting milk powder into the calves.
It becomes a mundane job after a while but that's better than the drama of dealing with scour or other problems. And there's some zen to be found in having such a regular routine too.
You are doing a great job there Kieran, no need to advise you on anything, if it's not broke don't fix it 😉 😀 😜 👍
I found a battery drill and mortar mixing bit is great for mixing evenly. Start the drill mixing in the water before you shake the powder in. Time and wrist savour!
Good morning kieran ..Great job done..have a good day and a nice easter.thanks.
Hi, good work, first time viewer here. I would consider you using hot water and a drop of fairy liquid when you are washing up, you need to brake down the fat that’s stuck to the feeders then squeeze out the teats also. A drop of Milton also.(available in 5 l cans) It will cost more but if you get scours that would be my first move.
Great video kieran, 👍.
I'd rise the hot barrel onto a stand and put a tap on it. That'll save you scooping the water and getting wet. Prep the powder into smaller plastic bags and weigh as many as you need before starting. I'd also put in more watering points. More hygenic and save you a lot of bother.
We try to have a feeder for each pen of calves, saves spreading any bugs from one group to the next. Means more washing though
Good video kieran 😊
Years ago when we used 2 hand milk a cow for the house and bucket feed her calf the calf would get an odd hen egg in the milk we were told it was vgood for the calf
Great video again fairplay,you should get another few feeders
Grand set up we use drill with plaster mixer to mix milk creep feeders be good job keep birds away started using them last few years no bird poo in feed
I agree with the drill and plaster or paint mixer it's cheap and I used one for years before I bought a milk cart with heater and mixer built in
Did u do the high jump for ireland.ur one fit lad but ur still a young man so it's no bother to u.a few extra teat feeders would be a great help but they come at a cost.keep up the good work.i love ur videos.
Their great feeders but as mentioned ideally one per pen. Think if you had an ordinary push trolley and could mix it all together would be a lot easier and faster.
No gym needed there 😂... Good video. Did you ever consider one of the automatic feeders, heatwave do a very basic one not quite automatic but might make it handier for ya, although I do see the benefits of seeing them drinking...
Ur some boy to hop a gate!!
Going to once a day on 4 litres of milk and 300 grams of powder, I don't think that's a sensible option, I reared calves last year, 6 litres a day and 750 grams of powder spilt across 2 feeds and that was 25% milk replacer, also that's possibly a reason as to why the bigger calves are pushing away the smaller ones, their not getting enough, not knocking what your trying to do but in my opinion your calves aren't getting enough to drink
They're getting 600g at the moment, split into two feeds of 300g + 2 litres water. I'm thinking of gradually moving to 600g + 4 litres of water once a day over the coming weeks. I know what you're saying re bigger calves pushing smaller ones. But in my experience, there's always either a fast drinker or a slow drinker in each pen. The compartment feeder gives them all a chance to get their fill once I stop the fast one from shoving the others out of the way.
Hi wondering if your heater touches the bottom of the plastic barrel , or is it suspended, many thanks.
It’s touching the bottom. Had it suspended last year. Doesn’t seem to matter either way
@@sullivansfarm Thanks , just bought one was going to put a metal plate on the bottom of the barrel but wont bother now
I put a biscuit tin under it last year. But no problem this year with it sitting on the base of the barrel
How many bags of milk replacer a week are you using kieran
30 calves x 0.6kg every day so 18kg/day which is 6-7 bags per week
@@sullivansfarm thank you for your reply kieran, your doing a fine job with them. There's a lot of work when there on the milk. Morning and evening.
God bless you your as fit as a fiddle
Your definitely having your weetabix Kieran
The reason your struggling to eye the weight of the powder is because your weighing the jug too that is caked in powder. Your not allowing for that with the weight of the milk powder
The jug weighs 200g when its caked in powder so I factor that in 👍
@@sullivansfarm Just buy a second jug .
Get a gas heater that does 32 litres a minute and at 42 degrees it will give an output of 16 litres a minute. You have instant hot water. Electric heaters are to expensive to run
Same cost ultimately