calf feeding question-?

Wessel3

any people here feeding cold water with milk replacer to calves?
the place I've rented has not electric nor running water so I would be brining water in drums to mix up replacer with. not ideal but all ive got. any experience of mixing milk with cold water as would be a bit difficult getting warm water into drums for 5 calves thereabouts? suggestions ta

Sam Kade

I make yogurt out of milk replacer and mix it the day before I use it and feed it cold once a day. I mix it at the correct tempt when making it up, maybe you could mix it at home and transport it to the farm?

cute geoge

Get two plastic hydrosen detergent buckets with lids from some dairy man and mix at home .These buckets will take 10 litres and wont spill if closed properly .Getting a farmer to part with two buckets will be your next problem though!!!!

Wessel3

I was thinking along the lines of a 25 litre drum but buckets would be easier cleaned. good suggestion thanks

Base price

We use 120ltr? blue barrels that have a black lid and a metal clamp thingie. We have a outside hot water tap at the house with a hose attached and fill the barrels in the transport box/back of the jeep. The water is heated by the range and my brother put in a bigger copper cylinder so that we have a bigger volume of water.
Most milk replacer requires warm water mixing but I believe that there are some that will mix in cold water.

Peter90

Looking for similar advice once a day feeding with cold water what milk replaced are people using, how are they finding it?

mahoney_j

Milk replacer needs to be mixed as per manufacturer instructions water needs to be around 35 degrees

Base price

mahoney_j wrote: »

Milk replacer needs to be mixed as per manufacturer instructions water needs to be around 35 degrees

I would not consider mixing at 35 degrees as it is too cold to mix properly and not adequate for most commercial milk replacers. I mix at about 60 degrees and then cool it down by adding cold water to make up the require volume to under 40 degrees.
IMO mixing at 35 degrees is a no no but maybe the brand that you are using recommends it. Feeding temperature would be about 35 degrees.
As a matter of interest what brand are you using.

Sam Kade

Base price wrote: »

I would not consider mixing at 35 degrees as it is too cold to mix properly and not adequate for most commercial milk replacers. I mix at about 60 degrees and then cool it down by adding cold water to make up the require volume to under 40 degrees.
IMO mixing at 35 degrees is a no no but maybe the brand that you are using recommends it.
As a matter of interest what brand are you using.

The recommended mixing tempt is 38-48C. Even though at 48 the water is barely luke warm. I use shine and it mixes well at that tempt.

mahoney_j

Base price wrote: »

I would not consider mixing at 35 degrees as it is too cold to mix properly and not adequate for most commercial milk replacers. I mix at about 60 degrees and then cool it down by adding cold water to make up the require volume to under 40 degrees.
IMO mixing at 35 degrees is a no no but maybe the brand that you are using recommends it. Feeding temperature would be about 35 degrees.
As a matter of interest what brand are you using.

Mixing powder at 60 degrees is destroying it ,u are burning the proteins
I'm using shine and water temp in or around 33/40 degrees. Def no higher ,

Sam Kade

Peter90 wrote: »

Looking for similar advice once a day feeding with cold water what milk replaced are people using, how are they finding it?

Shine once a day, great stuff, I'm paying €49/20kg bag.

Base price

Sam Kade wrote: »

The recommended mixing tempt is 38-48C. Even though at 48 the water is barely luke warm. I use shine and it mixes well at that tempt.

Adding the volume of milk powder again reduces the temperature and ends up that the milk is even colder when feeding. I wouldn't be in favour of it but then again what would I know about feeding calves.

mahoney_j

Base price wrote: »

Adding the volume of milk powder again reduces the temperature and ends up that the milk is even colder when feeding. I wouldn't be in favour of it but then again what would I know about feeding calves.

I'll guarantee no company selling powder would reccomended adding powder to 60 degree water

Sam Kade

Base price wrote: »

Adding the volume of milk powder again reduces the temperature and ends up that the milk is even colder when feeding. I wouldn't be in favour of it but then again what would I know about feeding calves.

Thats true, you'd be adding a fair heap of powder to a mineral bucket of water. I only started using replacer again this year after around 4 years. Don't you rear calves on replacer every year? If what you're doing works stick with it.

Base price

mahoney_j wrote: »

I'll guarantee no company selling powder would reccomended adding powder to 60 degree water

Incorrect - and I've been rearing a few calves over the years

mahoney_j

Base price wrote: »

Incorrect - and I've been rearing a few calves over the years

Not doubting you've raised loads of calves or what your doing but likewise I rear all my own calves every year and have used volac /maverick ,pro calf and shine and none reccomended mixing powder over 40 degrees for reason i outlined earlier ,they would say your better off mix cooler rather than hotter ....

Base price

mahoney_j wrote: »

Not doubting you've raised loads of calves or what your doing but likewise I rear all my own calves every year and have used volac /maverick ,pro calf and shine and none reccomended mixing powder over 40 degrees for reason i outlined earlier ,they would say your better off mix cooler rather than hotter ....

I have only used those products on a few occasions over the years when I was out of cmr or bought in early calves. TBH I'm not a fan.

stretch film

Sam Kade wrote: »

The recommended mixing tempt is 38-48C. Even though at 48 the water is barely luke warm. I use shine and it mixes well at that tempt.

Sam is it the shine oad that you make the yoghurt from.
What's your routine .

Keepgrowing

Wessel3 wrote: »

any people here feeding cold water with milk replacer to calves?
the place I've rented has not electric nor running water so I would be brining water in drums to mix up replacer with. not ideal but all ive got. any experience of mixing milk with cold water as would be a bit difficult getting warm water into drums for 5 calves thereabouts? suggestions ta

No calf ever get warm milk here unless it's a first feed at milking time or it sucks a cow. All on powder on day 3.

Ad lib cold till Bulls are sold 800-900 grams powder

Heifers on ad lib for 3 weeks then OAD on 900 grams.

All cold.

Mix milk at home and bring in sealed container to calves. 4 kids reared here on cold milk and not a bother on them, though I do sometimes wonder

Sam Kade

stretch film wrote: »

Sam is it the shine oad that you make the yoghurt from.
What's your routine .

Yeah I use shine OAD. I mix a half gallon of replacer and add 2 plain actimels to it in a sealed bucket, leave it for 24 hours beside the stove. Then I put it in a dustbin and make enough replacer for the amount of calves give it a good stir and leave it for 12 hours before feeding. When feeding I leave a gallon or 2 in the bottom of the bin to culture the next mix. I was using milk up to last week, some days the yogurt milk would be lukewarm when feeding, I haven't noticed that with the replacer though.

Sam Kade

Keepgrowing wrote: »

No calf ever get warm milk here unless it's a first feed at milking time or it sucks a cow. All on powder on day 3.

Ad lib cold till Bulls are sold 800-900 grams powder

Heifers on ad lib for 3 weeks then OAD on 900 grams.

All cold.

Mix milk at home and bring in sealed container to calves. 4 kids reared here on cold milk and not a bother on them, though I do sometimes wonder

Do you use acidified replacer for that system? Wouldn't they go through a fair bit of replacer on that system, 2 bags at least?

mahoney_j

Sam Kade wrote: »

Do you use acidified replacer for that system? Wouldn't they go through a fair bit of replacer on that system, 2 bags at least?

Can't speak for kg but calves here will go through over 50 kg per calf of shine ,its a cost but one well worth it as when a calf is young it is best and most efficient time to get it growing and thrive and thus calve down at or before 24 months .

Keepgrowing

Sam Kade wrote: »

Do you use acidified replacer for that system? Wouldn't they go through a fair bit of replacer on that system, 2 bags at least?

I'd be hoping for over 2 bags. We never lift off the gas till they go to the bull

blackdog1

mahoney_j wrote:

Milk replacer needs to be mixed as per manufacturer instructions water needs to be around 35 degrees

45 degrees minimum 40 if you want a homogeneous mix.

farisfat

Keepgrowing wrote: »

No calf ever get warm milk here unless it's a first feed at milking time or it sucks a cow. All on powder on day 3.

Ad lib cold till Bulls are sold 800-900 grams powder

Heifers on ad lib for 3 weeks then OAD on 900 grams.

All cold.

Mix milk at home and bring in sealed container to calves. 4 kids reared here on cold milk and not a bother on them, though I do sometimes wonder

What way do you feed the mik replacer adlib?..do you have some way to keep it agitated.
Alot more question but thats a start

blackdog1

For those on Shine once a day. What protein percent is it and how much skim?

Wessel3

so general consensus is no to cold milk?
ive looked into maybe a burco 30litre boiler , wondering how hot water il realistically need to make up milk for 5-10 calves. I think il just mix the milk up and pour it into drums . bit concerned on how to clean the drums well with the small lid at the top,

cute geoge

A boiled kettle would be suficent to mix the powder with some lukewarm water added .if using drums a small shot of milking machine detergent into drums and a good shake and rinse after would be the finest

blackdog1

Wessel3 wrote:

so general consensus is no to cold milk? ive looked into maybe a burco 30litre boiler , wondering how hot water il realistically need to make up milk for 5-10 calves. I think il just mix the milk up and pour it into drums . bit concerned on how to clean the drums well with the small lid at the top,

Just mix however much powder you need in a bucket and then add it to cold water. As long as the powder is melted at the right temp you should be able to add it to larger amounts of cold water. Think of it like ribena or miwadi.

jimini0

Wessel3 wrote: »

so general consensus is no to cold milk?
ive looked into maybe a burco 30litre boiler , wondering how hot water il realistically need to make up milk for 5-10 calves. I think il just mix the milk up and pour it into drums . bit concerned on how to clean the drums well with the small lid at the top,

How much time would you have in the mornings and evenings at feeding time? Would you consider a gas ring and a big pot? Boil 10 litres of water then add x amount of cold watet to cool it to 40°c then add powder and mix.

Reggie.

jimini0 wrote: »

How much time would you have in the mornings and evenings at feeding time? Would you consider a gas ring and a big pot? Boil 10 litres of water then add x amount of cold watet to cool it to 40°c then add powder and mix.

I can feed 6 calves in 15 mins