Automatic Calf feeders

whelan1

5live wrote: »

Well,IMO, that was just what that post was doing. Not being cryptic or sly or sarcastic. Just posting to look for a reaction;).

Quite honestly, i dont understand why someone would post if they had nothing constructive or informative to offer. If you have an accusation to make, go ahead and make it. We are all (mostly) adults and as such accept criticism and also agree to disagree where both sides are entrenched in their own ideals. Fair enough.

If you have an opinion on why any poster should or should not buy a calf feeder or even discuss the buying of one then go ahead and put it out there in all its blaze of glory. We await with bated breath

But tbh, i found your comment snide and disrespectful to those of us looking at options for our business in the future. Obviously you are a superb farmer with no deficiencies but the rest of us mere mortals, most definately including myself, seek ways to improve our productivity. Please forgive us for bothering your celestial eminance with such trifles as our own mundane concerns

couldn't have said it better myself

linebacker52

5live wrote: »

Well,IMO, that was just what that post was doing. Not being cryptic or sly or sarcastic. Just posting to look for a reaction;).

Quite honestly, i dont understand why someone would post if they had nothing constructive or informative to offer. If you have an accusation to make, go ahead and make it. We are all (mostly) adults and as such accept criticism and also agree to disagree where both sides are entrenched in their own ideals. Fair enough.

If you have an opinion on why any poster should or should not buy a calf feeder or even discuss the buying of one then go ahead and put it out there in all its blaze of glory. We await with bated breath

But tbh, i found your comment snide and disrespectful to those of us looking at options for our business in the future. Obviously you are a superb farmer with no deficiencies but the rest of us mere mortals, most definately including myself, seek ways to improve our productivity. Please forgive us for bothering your celestial eminance with such trifles as our own mundane concerns

well said 5live

mattthetrasher

5live your spot on there and the fact that most of us are adults could be his excuse some sort of tantrum i suspect:D

Hugh 2

Been one hell of a spring resulting in being unable to get calves outdoors .
This resulted in overcrowded calf houses.
I am going to get rid of timber slats for next year and re design calf housing.
I am keen to find out more about these feeders and would like to set up house that would be suitable.

In my opinion the housing has to be right first .
Has anyone here any more info or bought one since the last postings here ( over a year ago)

Thanks
Regards
Hugh

DoonallyNew

Been working with a DeLaval CF150 for the last 4 years now and very happy with it. Rearing 30 replacements a year on it so as it stands it cost me ~€40 a calf so far and I'd hope to get another 3/4 years out of it. Fairly low tech, no conc feeder, calf fed in 3 allocations, shows up calves which haven't drank entire allocation. Think you can use it to feed 100 on the 1 computer but have to add extra feed points.
Calves go on to it @ ~1week coming off teat buckets so push them in 1-2 times and they're flyin themselves. Feedin whole milk through it. Big labour saving. Most important thing to rem is it can't make up for bad management, you have to have your system right for it to work for you.

Hugh 2

DoonallyNew wrote: »

you have to have your system right for it to work for you.

I would say that you are right there .
My system was calves out on trailed feeder asap.
But crap spring(and I am being polite as it was F*****g awfull and still is as the calves grass has been long hoovered up by the hungry cows) anyways this meant no going out then overloaded houses.
(Ps Vets just took a Smalls-berg calf out of a cow so crappy spring might be worse than I thought :eek: thankfully nearly finished with calving )

I am heading up to the Lely openday in Thurless on Friday mainly to see the calf feeding system and housing setup.

Anyway DoonallyNew thanks for the reply I would have replied earlier but I must have notification settings wrong.

delaval

Hugh 2 wrote: »

I would say that you are right there .
My system was calves out on trailed feeder asap.
But crap spring(and I am being polite as it was F*****g awfull and still is as the calves grass has been long hoovered up by the hungry cows) anyways this meant no going out then overloaded houses.
(Ps Vets just took a Smalls-berg calf out of a cow so crappy spring might be worse than I thought :eek: thankfully nearly finished with calving )

I am heading up to the Lely openday in Thurless on Friday mainly to see the calf feeding system and housing setup.

Anyway DoonallyNew thanks for the reply I would have replied earlier but I must have notification settings wrong.

Where is open day in Thurles and what time? I would be very interested

Hugh 2

Friday 19th April 12 noon till 4pm

Adrian and Ann Power
Gurrane
Latteragh
Nenagh (Ooops just as well I checked I thought it was near Thurless twice the journey for me )
Co.Tipperary

They have Lely Astronaut A4 milking robot
Lely Calm feeder
Lely Discovery barn feeder

Large page add on last weeks farmers journal (red cany miss it)

Hugh 2

Re last post
On reflection I think the add on the journal was for newly onened Lely centre
I had phoned about some info on the Calm feeder and was told about the open day.
I got the address from a invitation that Lely sent me.
I think anyone who ever made an inquiry got one of these invitations by post.

Anybody else going.?

delaval

Hugh 2 wrote: »

Re last post
On reflection I think the add on the journal was for newly onened Lely centre
I had phoned about some info on the Calm feeder and was told about the open day.
I got the address from a invitation that Lely sent me.
I think anyone who ever made an inquiry got one of these invitations by post.

Anybody else going.?

I hope to go. We are going away for wend to get recharged before AI and we hope to call

Hugh 2

delaval wrote: »

I hope to go. We are going away for wend to get recharged before AI and we hope to call

Lely put up a good show today - a great chance to get to see 2 robots .plus of course the lely Calm feeder.
(Got to talk about a good few Calm users - and usefully the Kerry Cork Limerick rep who usefully was designing farm housing before getting involved with Lely (So hope to arrange to see a few "good" houses for inspiration)

Getting there was a change and as they say a change is as good as a break.Unless grass growth gets to more normal it might be the only break I get for a while,

Hugh 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FEKmVPHp1RA


For those that were not there here is a video from that farm where the open day was held.

rathbeg

hi lads I,m new to this but i am interested in an auto calf feeder and wondering how ye got on ? did you buy ? did you not buy ?if you bought how are you getting on and so on . I know all the posts I say were 2009 and 2010 and feeders have moved on a bit as have numbers but still would like to know

F.D

Bought a forster technik one various companies use the same one just put different logos on it
we put it in an existing shed without to much modification which works OK but ideally you would want to have it set up like some of the brochures or videos you see with loads of room and on slats or a concrete area that can be washed down
ours are coming off the straw into it so it tends to get mucky in that area, we keep topping up with straw to keep it clean, you need to make sure the water supply is frost proof
the handset tells you who has not fed, but you still need to keep walking through them and making sure there Ok, we do this while bedding every day and topping up meal twice a day
training is easy enough, once there hungry.
there will be one or two that will refuse to drink if you have bought bucket fed calves after a few days they give in and drink
It is expensive to buy, but no regrets, there is never any bawling when we walk into the shed because there all full and content
The limit is about 50 calves depending on age and weaning

Hugh 2

Bought the Urban U40 feeds whole milk and or milk replacer.(you can vary the % of each depending on how much waste milk you have)
I was going to build calf shed but just built walls and shelter with large square bales in covered silage pit and adjacent cubicle house - just knock down a few leaves of straw each time bedding was needed.
I was told to go powder only as after quota no one will be feeding whole milk.
But I vaccinate the cows for scour and keep putting in beestings and milk from freshly calved onto feeder.
First year was locked up with TB so has 80 calved on two crates (I also rented a second feeder which I setup on outside farm)
I took the oldest 40 and put them on the second feeder - cleaned out the shed disinfected the house put in more baled and started putting in the next young calves as they were born.
Had no scour the first year but lost a few calves from what I think was playing (ran into walls)
I thought I would be using machine for just a few months but it is out there now still feeding a few late stragglers.

The rented machine used collars which are expensive but the new one reads EID tags the cost just 1 euro each more than the standard Tags that you have to order for your calves..

I looked at the foster machines but in my opinion I think there is a hell of a lot more to the Urban - it washed itself including the lines to the teats twice a day automatically by itself and a calf never has to drink cold milk to get warm milk -

RightTurnClyde

Hugh 2 wrote: »

Bought the Urban U40 feeds whole milk and or milk replacer.(you can vary the % of each depending on how much waste milk you have)
I was going to build calf shed but just built walls and shelter with large square bales in covered silage pit and adjacent cubicle house - just knock down a few leaves of straw each time bedding was needed.
I was told to go powder only as after quota no one will be feeding whole milk.
But I vaccinate the cows for scour and keep putting in beestings and milk from freshly calved onto feeder.
First year was locked up with TB so has 80 calved on two crates (I also rented a second feeder which I setup on outside farm)
I took the oldest 40 and put them on the second feeder - cleaned out the shed disinfected the house put in more baled and started putting in the next young calves as they were born.
Had no scour the first year but lost a few calves from what I think was playing (ran into walls)
I thought I would be using machine for just a few months but it is out there now still feeding a few late stragglers.

The rented machine used collars which are expensive but the new one reads EID tags the cost just 1 euro each more than the standard ones that you have to order for your calves..

I looked at the foster machines but in my opinion I think there is a hell of a lot more to the Urban - it washed itself including the lines to the teats twice a day automatically by itself and a calf never has to drink cold milk to get warm milk -

Hugh, who's the dealer for the urban. I've priced the Forster/ Lely. Was the urban the same money as the Forster

Hugh 2

Volac

They are agents for both the Urban and a Foster machine

http://volac.ie/agriculture/our-product-range/feeding-equipment/volac-computerised-feeders

RightTurnClyde

Hugh 2 wrote: »

Volac

They are agents for both the Urban and a Foster machine

http://volac.ie/agriculture/our-product-range/feeding-equipment/volac-computerised-feeders

Thanks Hugh, they provide a good backup?

Ruxin

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Thanks Hugh, they provide a good backup?

Yea they do always have someone on the end of a phone put one in this year no problems with them so far.

Hugh 2

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Thanks Hugh, they provide a great good backup?

Bit of a learning curve entering tag no's into machine but I find it simple now (EID tags come with a chip whose 16 or so digit no bears no resemblance to the no on the tag (eg tag IE35 60548 01254 could have a no like 000120068004573
on it so you need to have printout or a list on your phone with you when entering in calves.
When I got it first I was putting straight beestings into it but it would need extra extra cleaning (not recommended to put pure beestings into it) but diluted with 2nd and third milking's it went fine (milk that is taken out cold from the bulk milk tank works best my fresh milk and beestings was taken from spout and was at ambient temperature)

I had no real problems with machine it gets serviced each spring and the sales man would call in a few times a year to see how you were getting on (I would say he was checking to see if the machine was calibrated properly etc)

The fact that they were contactable on the phone when you had a question was what made it easy to learn.

lakill Farm

anyone with Lely or DeLaval systems?

see a urban40 for sale but lad is looking for 7k for it

ganmo

There's h&L too, haven't heard much about them.

Lely and delaval are foster technick

Milked out

ganmo wrote: »

There's h&L too, haven't heard much about them.

Lely and delaval are foster technick

I think dairymaster are the h & L agents here, altho there is some crowd up north i think selling the igloo system they have on done deal

the_blue_oval

Hugh 2 wrote: »

I had no real problems with machine it gets serviced each spring and the sales man would call in a few times a year to see how you were getting on (I would say he was checking to see if the machine was calibrated properly etc)

The fact that they were contactable on the phone when you had a question was what made it easy to learn.

how much of a cost is it to service it each year? presume servicing it is a job that is better left to their technicians..

Hugh 2

lakill Farm wrote: »

anyone with Lely or DeLaval systems?

see a urban40 for sale but lad is looking for 7k for it

I originally thought I would have gotten a 2nd hand one cheaper than 7k but found out that some people find these collars handy handy especially when buying in calves or contract rearing,,,

the_blue_oval wrote: »

how much of a cost is it to service it each year? presume servicing it is a job that is better left to their technicians..

I can't remember the cost of service I don't remember it as being unreasonable all pipe work (milk tubes)and their insulation are replaced A bag of replacement teats is left with it - I am not 2 sure what else was done but the spent a few hours on it.

rathbeg

great stuff and thanks to all
We have a compact calving with 130 calves hitting the ground in 7 weeks up to now we are calving in an old milking parlor (dimensions 10 by 2 meters ) and calves are all over the place fed mainly with 2 jfc feeders hanging from a quad trailer driven around generally at high speed from batch to batch of 20 calves out in the fields. hopefully that's the past as I am getting too old for all the rushing and racing and s**t that goes with it .
What I hope to do is build a shed with 8 calving pens 5 meter sq and an area for calves (18 by 6 meter ) hoping as the cows calf calving pens will become available for calves and this is the shed for the feeder which will be on slats.

The problems I am trying to get rid of are
slow drinking calves do not get a fair deal drinking now
I want to shift work away from the mental mornings and evenings to the middle of the day

my worries are will the auto feeder do this for me and will the calves feet get caught in the slats will I need to cover them The slats are only 2 meter square at each of the feeding crates ???????

Hugh 2

rathbeg wrote: »

great stuff and thanks to all
We have a compact calving with 130 calves hitting the ground in 7 weeks up to now we are calving in an old milking parlor (dimensions 10 by 2 meters ) and calves are all over the place fed mainly with 2 jfc feeders hanging from a quad trailer driven around generally at high speed from batch to batch of 20 calves out in the fields. hopefully that's the past as I am getting too old for all the rushing and racing and s**t that goes with it .
What I hope to do is build a shed with 8 calving pens 5 meter sq and an area for calves (18 by 6 meter ) hoping as the cows calf calving pens will become available for calves and this is the shed for the feeder which will be on slats.

The problems I am trying to get rid of are
slow drinking calves do not get a fair deal drinking now
I want to shift work away from the mental mornings and evenings to the middle of the day

my worries are will the auto feeder do this for me and will the calves feet get caught in the slats will I need to cover them The slats are only 2 meter square at each of the feeding crates ???????

I was frantically trying to get dimensions / plan for good calf house
Ended up converting old covered silage slab
I just put crates (and meal dispenser) on downhill side no straw immediately near feeder and loads of straw (deep litter) in rest of shed sell bulls asap
2nd year done now and would not dream of building a new shed.

Dawggone

rathbeg wrote: »

great stuff and thanks to all
We have a compact calving with 130 calves hitting the ground in 7 weeks up to now we are calving in an old milking parlor (dimensions 10 by 2 meters ) and calves are all over the place fed mainly with 2 jfc feeders hanging from a quad trailer driven around generally at high speed from batch to batch of 20 calves out in the fields. hopefully that's the past as I am getting too old for all the rushing and racing and s**t that goes with it .
What I hope to do is build a shed with 8 calving pens 5 meter sq and an area for calves (18 by 6 meter ) hoping as the cows calf calving pens will become available for calves and this is the shed for the feeder which will be on slats.

The problems I am trying to get rid of are
slow drinking calves do not get a fair deal drinking now
I want to shift work away from the mental mornings and evenings to the middle of the day

my worries are will the auto feeder do this for me and will the calves feet get caught in the slats will I need to cover them The slats are only 2 meter square at each of the feeding crates ???????

Go ahead and invest. Possibly the best machine on the farm. Has never broken down and never been serviced either!
Working 365 and all that's done to it is calibrated weekly.

Cow Porter

Dawggone wrote: »

Go ahead and invest. Possibly the best machine on the farm. Has never broken down and never been serviced either!
Working 365 and all that's done to it is calibrated weekly.

Is yours an urban or a forster tecnik dawg??

Dawggone

Cow Porter wrote: »

Is yours an urban or a forster tecnik dawg??

DeLaval. I forget who actually made it, but I can have a look tomorrow if you want.