Auto calf feeder

simx

Hi all just wondering on opinions

Have 40 odd cows milking and an off farm job, get a relief Milker in when I’m busiest with off farm job otherwise all my own labour, am liking the idea of an auto calf feeder, sell the bull calves at 2-3 wks old and rear replacements, calve 55 ish every year so not big numbers, hard to justify 8500/9000 for a calf feeder for that many calves but calf performance would probably be better, could pick up poorly ones quicker, with off farm job in spring there’s plenty to do and would be handy if finished milking don’t have to go down to calf shed immediately after, what does anyone think am I cracked or lazy in myself?

cute geoge

wtf you want to start rearing calves on top of working and milking .I would think you should flog all calves as soon as you can .Neighbour with no help gets €50-70 for all fr bulls once the cards are back ,calves collected every week is it how you think you are losing by selling the calves?

simx

cute geoge wrote: »

wtf you want to start rearing calves on top of working and milking .I would think you should flog all calves as soon as you can .Neighbour with no help gets €50-70 for all fr bulls once the cards are back ,calves collected every week is it how you think you are losing by selling the calves?

I only want to rear my dairy replacements

Timmaay

simx wrote: »

I only want to rear my dairy replacements

You got 40 cows, what do you keep, 10heifers every yr? I doubt it's worth the price of an auto feeder for them few. 2 other options I'd consider, join up with a good local dairyfarmer, and get him to either contract rear your 10 heifers (even just for the 1st few months), or even just do him a deal to buy 10 incalf heifers every yr and flog all your calves. The 2nd option, make sure your 10 replacements are all born the 1st 2wks of calving, and therefore are one basically one single group and the same size and strength. Keep them in a shed as close to the milking parlour as possible, and get the likes of a 12teat non compartment feeder (if they are all the same size and age you won't need to stand over them while drinking), and feed them during a slow row while milking.

simx

Timmaay wrote: »

You got 40 cows, what do you keep, 10heifers every yr? I doubt it's worth the price of an auto feeder for them few. 2 other options I'd consider, join up with a good local dairyfarmer, and get him to either contract rear your 10 heifers (even just for the 1st few months), or even just do him a deal to buy 10 incalf heifers every yr and flog all your calves. The 2nd option, make sure your 10 replacements are all born the 1st 2wks of calving, and therefore are one basically one single group and the same size and strength. Keep them in a shed as close to the milking parlour as possible, and get the likes of a 12teat non compartment feeder (if they are all the same size and age you won't need to stand over them while drinking), and feed them during a slow row while milking.

I want to breed my own replacements really, calf shed is down across the yard so not easy slip out during milking to do that, I’ll prob keep 12-14 heifers every year for the foreseeable as I like to have heifers to call on if needs be and sell any surplus or cull poor performers instead etc

Mooooo

Another way of looking at it is for less than the 9k you could make a small shed area for your replacements that would make them easier and quicker to feed, and see if you could find someone local to do the morning or evening feed for the spring? Only know of one fella with it but would be calving down 160 cows, happy with it but dunno is the payback there with small numbers

Panch18

simx wrote: »

I want to breed my own replacements really, calf shed is down across the yard so not easy slip out during milking to do that, I’ll prob keep 12-14 heifers every year for the foreseeable as I like to have heifers to call on if needs be and sell any surplus or cull poor performers instead etc

Why do you want to breed your own replacements??

visatorro

Lad was on to me recently about an ad-lib feeder. Basically a container that you fill with milk and it keep it warm. Teats with pipes attached to a board.
This lad was making them in the shed for a few lads, no website or anything. I keep an ex poster did something similar with cold milk.
Could be cheap and cheerful for ten calves. I dunno what lads opinions are on ad-lib milk but if calf is healthy people reckon that milk doesn't cause scour.

GrasstoMilk

Panch18 wrote: »

Why do you want to breed your own replacements??

Why wouldn't you?

Wildsurfer

Ah seriously an auto feeder for 15 calves, are you having a laugh! That's 3 buckets of milk into a teat feeder! And I have an auto feeder last few years and you will have much better peace of mind going off to work having seen your calves hop up and go drinking, than wondering whether the calf that hasn't had his allocation on auto feeder is sick or just being lazy that day.

mahoney_j

Simple solution u say you’ll keep 12/14 calves ,2 pens of 6 or 7 fed colostrum for 4 days transition into milk powder on day 5 300 Gramms twice daily of a good quality specialized oad powder like shine for another 5 days then feed calves oad at a rate built up to 800 gramms in 3.5 Ltrs .keep fresh water ,straw and good quality calf nut available at all times .feed calves milk replacer either in morning or evening whichever suits .you will have lumps of calves and never go back to feeding milk or milk replacer twice daily again

simx

Wildsurfer wrote: »

Ah seriously an auto feeder for 15 calves, are you having a laugh! That's 3 buckets of milk into a teat feeder! And I have an auto feeder last few years and you will have much better peace of mind going off to work having seen your calves hop up and go drinking, than wondering whether the calf that hasn't had his allocation on auto feeder is sick or just being lazy that day.

Well bull calves would be on it till sold too so might look that bit peachier when selling too, there’s lads buying tractors for 40/50k being used less

simx

Mooooo wrote: »

Another way of looking at it is for less than the 9k you could make a small shed area for your replacements that would make them easier and quicker to feed, and see if you could find someone local to do the morning or evening feed for the spring? Only know of one fella with it but would be calving down 160 cows, happy with it but dunno is the payback there with small numbers

Yeah was thinking about that shed idea after I posted during the day, might be a better idea yet,

cute geoge

Would 2 big calf hutches with the penning be worth considering .Have them in paddock next to parlour and they could get used to a pick of grass as well

Timmaay

GrasstoMilk wrote: »

Why wouldn't you?

When your working as well as dairying full time and under pressure with time it definitely makes to look at outsourcing as much as possible, its going to cost 1400 to get an incalf heifer to the parlour, at the minute you can buy no end of good high ebi heifers on donedeal for asking 1100e. I enjoy breeding myown heifers here and have the time to now, but I know it's something that I'd happily give up and buy in instead if it made more sense to.

simx

Timmaay wrote: »

When your working as well as dairying full time and under pressure with time it definitely makes to look at outsourcing as much as possible, its going to cost 1400 to get an incalf heifer to the parlour, at the minute you can buy no end of good high ebi heifers on donedeal for asking 1100e. I enjoy breeding myown heifers here and have the time to now, but I know it's something that I'd happily give up and buy in instead if it made more sense to.

I quite like to breed ones myself, wouldn’t be the same buying them not knowing any history behind them, do all ai here anyway and milk record then always have it in my head nobody sells their best ones too

mahoney_j

simx wrote: »

I quite like to breed ones myself, wouldn’t be the same buying them not knowing any history behind them, do all ai here anyway and milk record then always have it in my head nobody sells their best ones too

I’d be of simillar thinking u breed ur own u know what your getting ,buying in also carries big disease risks