stomach tube

farmersfriend · 08-02-2014 11:20PM

ferger1 wrote: »

Thanks. good tip. Any way of knowing if its gone into the windpipe by mistake before you let off the milk

Put your ear at opening of bag and u should hear stomach noises. If u hear breathing u are in wrong place..

delaval · 09-02-2014 12:45AM

Buy a Jex bull calf for a score and try it. The first thing I show a student is how to tube a calf, get them to practice on je bulls and unfortunately they've never managed to kill one

Straddle the calf, one hand under chin and hold up calves chin elongating the neck next insert tube with a gentle push it'll slide down. If you meet resistance don't force it, gentle pressure only

stanflt · 09-02-2014 01:30AM

typical sat night

mf240 · 09-02-2014 11:08AM

Most of our cows will let you hand milk them so I usually milk them into a jug and bottle feed the calf, give as much as they will drink up to 4 litres. If cow is touchy I let into parlour to milk.

Another point on stomach tubing is to let the tube fully empty before you pull it out, if you do it too soon the last bit might get on their lungs.

freedominacup · 09-02-2014 11:35AM

stanflt wrote: »

typical sat night

Where did you get the bottle for the stomach tube. I'm sick to the back teeth of the bags:mad:.

munkus · 09-02-2014 11:52AM

ferger1 wrote: »

Thanks. good tip. Any way of knowing if its gone into the windpipe by mistake before you let off the milk

let it down slowly and the calf will swallow it. If it is going down the right way you'll feel the head of it through the skin of the neck. The windpipe is solid so you won't feel it through that.

Greengrass1 · 09-02-2014 10:25PM

freedominacup wrote: »

Where did you get the bottle for the stomach tube. I'm sick to the back teeth of the bags:mad:.

I got mine off Gregg care.
I had a shoof bottle already to start calves off on when they were dropped. Got the cap for stomach tube. Very easy to use and cheap enough too

delaval · 11-02-2014 07:27PM

freedominacup wrote: »

Where did you get the bottle for the stomach tube. I'm sick to the back teeth of the bags:mad:.

This is what you need. Gregg Care Donegal

munkus · 11-02-2014 07:56PM

delaval wrote: »

This is what you need. Gregg Care Donegal

Is that a tap on the side, picture 3?

trixi2011 · 11-02-2014 08:13PM

munkus wrote: »

Is that a tap on the side, picture 3?

That tap is to allow air in . If you open it the milk flows quicker.

patsy_mccabe · 08-03-2019 11:20PM

Came across this today. Good explanation on stomach tubing.

SuperTortoise · 09-03-2019 02:23PM

I'm embarrased to say i've never tube fed a calf, was never really shown how and never had the confidence to try it, i just persist with the bottle and if all else fails i will feed with a syringe into the mouth and dribble a little at a time.

tanko · 09-03-2019 02:34PM

SuperTortoise wrote: »

I'm embarrased to say i've never tube fed a calf, was never really shown how and never had the confidence to try it, i just persist with the bottle and if all else fails i will feed with a syringe into the mouth and dribble a little at a time.

I suppose if thats working for you thats the main thing. My vet reckons far more weak calves are drowned by being fed with bottles and syringes than stomach tubes.
The best advice i got was dont be afraid of it. Be gentle but firm at the same time and let the calf help you by swallowing the tube.
Once you get past the opening to the lungs it slides in.
Its always easier with two people. Once you do it a couple of times you'll be grand.

patsy_mccabe · 09-03-2019 02:45PM

I hate doing it, to be honest. That's why I took a refresher course last night. Have a very scoury calf here, that needed to be tubed. Good tip in the video about not having the calf's head straight with it's neck. Also, aiming up rather than down.

ozil10 · 09-03-2019 02:59PM

I find the Trusti Tuber excellent for stomach tubing calves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51oCJbgT9O8

K.G. · 10-03-2019 10:37AM

ozil10 wrote: »

I find the Trusti Tuber excellent for stomach tubing calves

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=51oCJbgT9O8

big fan too.a tip for checking that its gone the right way.put you thumb and forefinger either side of the calves wind pipe and touching the area above it you should feel the bulb of tube moving behind the wind pipe not in it.

patsy_mccabe · 11-03-2019 11:14AM

Guys, have a calf here with bad scour. She has gone from lying out flat not able to lift her head on Saturday night to now (monday morning) standing up with some help. I've been tubing her homemade electrolyte with some natural yogurt mixed in.
I was going to tube her milk from the cow (suckler) but it says on the attached not to tube milk, why not?

Plan was to alternate feeding from electrolyte/yogurt to cows milk only.

cjpm · 11-03-2019 01:48PM

IIRC it's because the stomach tube milk goes into the wrong part of the stomach once the calf is 2 or 3 days old. Milk fed by tube is fine on day 1. Stomach tubing electrolytes is fine anytime .

greysides · 11-03-2019 02:15PM

I think homemade electrolyte is fine where calves aren't bad or in an emergency. There's a lot more science gone into them than you'd expect. Where a calf is bad pay the piper and give it something commercially made..... according to instructions.

Once they get over a week I'd recommend Duphalyte.

patsy_mccabe · 11-03-2019 05:33PM

Came home this evening and the calf was up walking around. Let her into cow and she drank for about 10mins.

Would I keep letting her drink every 8 hours or would it be better to continue giving the electrolyte every 2nd feed for another day?

greysides · 11-03-2019 06:34PM

Keep going with some electrolyte while she is scouring. Keep going with the yogurt too.

patsy_mccabe · 08-04-2019 07:59PM

Anyone else have one of these Gewa Stomach Tube Feeders?
Well, the green cover on the handle came off mine today. Low and behold there is a small hole to let in air underneath. Up to now I kept taking the tube off the bottle to let in some air.
Not sure how it works, maybe you rotate the green cover.

https://www.spunhill.co.uk/Products/Calf_Feeders/IGE10F

stomach tube

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