teat feeders

limo_100

Lads going to buy a teat feeder im sick of the bucket. Which one is better the jfc with peach teats or the milkflo with the peach teats. I will be getting without compartments as i have strongish calves. Its a 5 or 6 teat one i want. what do yous think ??

Greengrass1

Wydale.
Best feeders I've ever come across.
They have compartments but you have no one drinking more or led than they should then

limo_100

Greengrass1 wrote: »

Wydale.
Best feeders I've ever come across.
They have compartments but you have no one drinking more or led than they should then

there very expensive though and i dont need comparments as they are all getting a fair sup of milk

Greengrass1

limo_100 wrote: »

there very expensive though and i dont need comparments as they are all getting a fair sup of milk

What about when they are young though?

limo_100

Greengrass1 wrote: »

What about when they are young though?

i buy them in and rear them there usually about a month old lad

bikes

I use a Gallagher compartment feeder , all calves drink the same amount and if one is slower I keep an eye on him as it usually a sign of him getting a chill or something.I used a single compartment one before,the strong calves get stronger and weak calves get weaker.

Timmaay

http://www.jmcaleer.com/index.php?p=product&id=59&parent=19 I just have one of theses. Works perfect in my opinion, I was considering paying much more for a compartment one until someone told me a strong calf will just switch teats when his is empty in any case. That JFC one is good and durable also, I've 7 10week old calfs sucking one and they have only knocked it off the gate one or twice in the whole time. Another younger bunch knock it off more regularly but there was one stupid calf who would go under it when it was empty ha. I feed the calves between rows while I'm doing the milking, I rarely bother hanging around to wait for them to finish, which I gather you need to with some of the more flimsy ones that the calves will regularly knock off.

I did have to throw a new set of teats in it last week as the old ones were dripping all the time, but at about 2quid each they wont break the bank. Means the calves drink slower now so less chance of a strong calf drinking too much.

Timmaay

bikes wrote: »

I used a single compartment one before,the strong calves get stronger and weak calves get weaker.

I just keep the calves grouped fairly even by age and strength. If needs be, throwing the runt in one group down to in a group of smaller ones will do him no end of good.

Nekarsulm

The newer JFC 10 teat one ( "the blue cow") have a pair of plastic hooks, which prevent calves pucking them up off the bar of the gate.

Reggie.

Nekarsulm wrote: »

The newer JFC 10 teat one ( "the blue cow") have a pair of plastic hooks, which prevent calves pucking them up off the bar of the gate.

So do the milkflo

Reggie.

limo_100 wrote: »

i buy them in and rear them there usually about a month old lad

I buy them in around 8 weeks old and even at that age there can be a huge difference in what each calf drinks. Get the compartments as it's the only way to feed calves. You will regret it in the future if ya don't

limo_100

Reggie. wrote: »

I buy them in around 8 weeks old and even at that age there can be a huge difference in what each calf drinks. Get the compartments as it's the only way to feed calves. You will regret it in the future if ya don't

I do buy them in at between 4 and 6weeks. where do you buy yours and whats your price range? I go buy wh lm and si heifers for about 250 to 350. do you find the milkflo one to be well made is that why you bought it instead of jfc or was it just the one in the local merchants. The peach teats are a good job aren't they

limo_100

Timmaay wrote: »

http://www.jmcaleer.com/index.php?p=product&id=59&parent=19 I just have one of theses. Works perfect in my opinion, I was considering paying much more for a compartment one until someone told me a strong calf will just switch teats when his is empty in any case. That JFC one is good and durable also, I've 7 10week old calfs sucking one and they have only knocked it off the gate one or twice in the whole time. Another younger bunch knock it off more regularly but there was one stupid calf who would go under it when it was empty ha. I feed the calves between rows while I'm doing the milking, I rarely bother hanging around to wait for them to finish, which I gather you need to with some of the more flimsy ones that the calves will regularly knock off.

I did have to throw a new set of teats in it last week as the old ones were dripping all the time, but at about 2quid each they wont break the bank. Means the calves drink slower now so less chance of a strong calf drinking too much.

The only thing i dont like in them is the teats them have id have to have peach teats i no they can be chaged. I have and old teat bucket and i could never get it to work right till i put a peach one in it this year thats why im taking a step up ha. How do you find the jfc teats?

Reggie.

limo_100 wrote: »

I do buy them in at between 4 and 6weeks. where do you buy yours and whats your price range? I go buy wh lm and si heifers for about 250 to 350. do you find the milkflo one to be well made is that why you bought it instead of jfc or was it just the one in the local merchants. The peach teats are a good job aren't they

Yeah bought aa and wh this year. Cost around 320 apiece. Milkflo ones are better made imo. The peach teats are the only job as it's as close to the real thing as the calf will get

Floody Boreland

Reggie. wrote: »

I buy them in around 8 weeks old and even at that age there can be a huge difference in what each calf drinks. Get the compartments as it's the only way to feed calves. You will regret it in the future if ya don't

I buy them in at ten days and by eight weeks I try to have them off milk and on silage/nuts. Different strokes,etc.

Reverting to single rearing next year as am sick of all the greed and cross sucking.

Reggie.

Floody Boreland wrote: »

I buy them in at ten days and by eight weeks I try to have them off milk and on silage/nuts. Different strokes,etc.

Reverting to single rearing next year as am sick of all the greed and cross sucking.

I only get in around 6 so it's easy enough to watch over them at feeding

bikes

Timmaay wrote: »

http://www.jmcaleer.com/index.php?p=product&id=59&parent=19 I just have one of theses. Works perfect in my opinion, I was considering paying much more for a compartment one until someone told me a strong calf will just switch teats when his is empty in any case. That JFC one is good and durable also, I've 7 10week old calfs sucking one and they have only knocked it off the gate one or twice in the whole time. Another younger bunch knock it off more regularly but there was one stupid calf who would go under it when it was empty ha. I feed the calves between rows while I'm doing the milking, I rarely bother hanging around to wait for them to finish, which I gather you need to with some of the more flimsy ones that the calves will regularly knock off.

I did have to throw a new set of teats in it last week as the old ones were dripping all the time, but at about 2quid each they wont break the bank. Means the calves drink slower now so less chance of a strong calf drinking too much.

That is true that there will be bullying , I put on my leggings and stand between the calves and if one tries it I will give him a little tug on his ear , it works well.

Reggie.

bikes wrote: »

That is true that there will be bullying , I put on my leggings and stand between the calves and if one tries it I will give him a little tug on his ear , it works well.

I stand over then and a little tip on the nose halts the bully at most cases.

RightTurnClyde

I use the milkbar feeders, with the milkbar teats. Find them great, the teats are expensive but they last long enough to rear a calf. Don't like the individual compartment ones, I find you have to stand over them when drinking from it to prevent bullying. Never had any problem with calves knocking them off the gates. Hang them a bit higher on the gate and they won't knock them off

Reggie.

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

I use the milkbar feeders, with the milkbar teats. Find them great, the teats are expensive but they last long enough to rear a calf. Don't like the individual compartment ones, I find you have to stand over them when drinking from it to prevent bullying. Never had any problem with calves knocking them off the gates. Hang them a bit higher on the gate and they won't knock them off

You might see the bullying with the compartments but just cos you don't have them doesn't mean it ain't happening. The bully calf will just drink more than the weak one and as a result the weak calf will suffer and get weaker

RightTurnClyde

I know what your saying, but I keep them shuffled around. Anyone that is falling behind is moved to a lighter pen and same with any one that is getting ahead of his group, he's moved up.

ford 5600

Have 2 milkbar (grey ) ones , 1 older than the other. 1 Has sliding steel hooks for hanging them , much better as they find it very hard to knock it down. The other one needs to be held if you have strong calves, it has no means of holding it down. Use them for starting calves as they have divisions( agree on necessity for smaller weaker calves). Use JFC for older calves. The plastic hooks keep them on the gate. I bought 5 calves lately from a friend and they were fed in a trough, you would want to be sure they were all drinking as its all gone in 20 seconds, frightening if you haven't seen them before.

Gillespy

What's the best feeder in terms of washing them and keeping them clean? They all seem to have a stupid amount of curves and place to hold milk.

Timmaay

Gillespy wrote: »

What's the best feeder in terms of washing them and keeping them clean? They all seem to have a stupid amount of curves and place to hold milk.

That JFC one is handy enough washed, I usually rince it with cold water after a feeding, and once every 2wks or so with a bucket of detergent from the machine, and a rag to get into any of the corners, a brush would be useless. Only place that is impossible to clean is where the gate hangers are.

farmersfriend

ford 5600 wrote: »

Have 2 milkbar (grey ) ones , 1 older than the other. 1 Has sliding steel hooks for hanging them , much better as they find it very hard to knock it down. The other one needs to be held if you have strong calves, it has no means of holding it down. Use them for starting calves as they have divisions( agree on necessity for smaller weaker calves). Use JFC for older calves. The plastic hooks keep them on the gate. I bought 5 calves lately from a friend and they were fed in a trough, you would want to be sure they were all drinking as its all gone in 20 seconds, frightening if you haven't seen them before.

We move ours into big pen at 6 weeks and feed them in a trough. Biggest problem is not getting up ended yourself putting the milk in!

Reggie.

I wash the feeder after every feed with cold water and give it a good going over before I put it away when the calves are reared

Floody Boreland

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

I use the milkbar feeders, with the milkbar teats. Find them great, the teats are expensive but they last long enough to rear a calf. Don't like the individual compartment ones, I find you have to stand over them when drinking from it to prevent bullying. Never had any problem with calves knocking them off the gates. Hang them a bit higher on the gate and they won't knock them off

keep teats low is advised so the milk doesn't go the wrong way.

RightTurnClyde

I think I'm getting away with the milkbar feeders abit higher than recommended because they are very tough to suck from, so the flow is slow into them. I have them on yoghurt after 7 days, so milk splashing around inside in them isn't an issue.
I've been using the milkbars for 10 odd yrs now and so far never had any sick calves from digestive issues. Any anyone feeding whole milk, I'd highly recommend the yoghurt. Keeps 99% of the bugs out of the system