Automatic suck lamb feeders

sf1994 · 30-12-2020 1:50am #1

Just wondering are these Automatic suck lamb feeders any good. I have no sheep but im thinking of getting one to rear some lambs. Would I make anything off them? What are peoples experiences of them? Which is the best make to buy?

eire23 · 30-12-2020 11:56am

The cheapest way is buy the non return valves and lines and mounting plates. Think hiko is the name of the company that makes them. 30 euro for the kit iirc. Two buckets, the bigger one with a fish tank heater and water in it and the milk In the smaller bucket. You won't make a whole lot off them, not worth the hassle tbh I would think.

wrangler · 30-12-2020 12:30pm

eire23 wrote: »

The cheapest way is buy the non return valves and lines and mounting plates. Think hiko is the name of the company that makes them. 30 euro for the kit iirc. Two buckets, the bigger one with a fish tank heater and water in it and the milk In the smaller bucket. You won't make a whole lot off them, not worth the hassle tbh I would think.

We rear them all here and they cost about €60 -€70 to rear, some farmers are charging €20+ for baby lambs, as you say, not worth it.
We ad lib feed them cold milk with these buckets, they'd rob you with hot milk.

https://www.homeland.ie/farming/animal-equipment/drinkers-feeders/77671/lamb-feeding-bucket-c/w-3-teats-holders?gclid=CjwKCAiA57D_BRAZEiwAZcfCxcOkrCuNFlgaSljih9ERX8g4VZfYbM4_SoufGRel0KbY2CEcFzdyHhoCBzEQAvD_BwE

sf1994 · 31-12-2020 9:33pm

thanks for the reply's. Fair enough, it was just a thought. I though if I reared a good number of them it might be worth it, but sourcing them could be the problem. Anyone ever use the Volac machine? it looks a fair one.

orm0nd · 01-01-2021 12:10pm

sf1994 wrote: »

thanks for the reply's. Fair enough, it was just a thought. I though if I reared a good number of them it might be worth it, but sourcing them could be the problem. Anyone ever use the Volac machine? it looks a fair one.

we rear 30 to 50 pets a year mainly 'cos we run a lot of belclareX ewes & have a high lambing %, most of these would be finished ex the shed

we start them on sturdy feeder

https://www.agridirect.ie/product/lambcattle-surrogate-feeder

and then on to the buckets or wean early and creep ad lib.

I wouldn't have exact figure but taking all costs into consideration (& allowing for losing a couple ) imo you would need to get them foc to made it worth while

edit: meant to comment re the volac feeder I think it keep the mix warm all the time, whereas the 1, I listed only warm the milk as it's being drawn through the pipes, hence the mix stays fresh longer

Westernrock · 01-01-2021 11:02pm

orm0nd wrote: »

we rear 30 to 50 pets a year mainly 'cos we run a lot of belclareX ewes & have a high lambing %, most of these would be finished ex the shed

we start them on sturdy feeder

https://www.agridirect.ie/product/lambcattle-surrogate-feeder

and then on to the buckets or wean early and creep ad lib.

I wouldn't have exact figure but taking all costs into consideration (& allowing for losing a couple ) imo you would need to get them foc to made it worth while

edit: meant to comment re the volac feeder I think it keep the mix warm all the time, whereas the 1, I listed only warm the milk as it's being drawn through the pipes, hence the mix stays fresh longer[/quote

Is the milk kept in the inner bucket in the feeder in the link? That’s the same as the Volac one then just the pipes don’t go back through the water in the volac feeder. We used to have the volac ewe2 feeder years ago but it was impossible to keep milk fresh, it would have separated after 6-8hours and that was using volac milk as well. Rang the volac rep to see had they a different milk for ad lib feeding etc. First thing he said was turn the feeder off once the lambs are 3days old!!! Now we just use the feeder without the element and feed cold milk, lambs do way better (less scours or bloats). Make sure if feeding cold you mix it cold so they don’t gorge if you put it in warm.

orm0nd · 02-01-2021 9:33am

Westernrock wrote: »

orm0nd wrote: »

we rear 30 to 50 pets a year mainly 'cos we run a lot of belclareX ewes & have a high lambing %, most of these would be finished ex the shed

we start them on sturdy feeder

https://www.agridirect.ie/product/lambcattle-surrogate-feeder

and then on to the buckets or wean early and creep ad lib.

I wouldn't have exact figure but taking all costs into consideration (& allowing for losing a couple ) imo you would need to get them foc to made it worth while

edit: meant to comment re the volac feeder I think it keep the mix warm all the time, whereas the 1, I listed only warm the milk as it's being drawn through the pipes, hence the mix stays fresh longer[/quote

Is the milk kept in the inner bucket in the feeder in the link? That’s the same as the Volac one then just the pipes don’t go back through the water in the volac feeder. We used to have the volac ewe2 feeder years ago but it was impossible to keep milk fresh, it would have separated after 6-8hours and that was using volac milk as well. Rang the volac rep to see had they a different milk for ad lib feeding etc. First thing he said was turn the feeder off once the lambs are 3days old!!! Now we just use the feeder without the element and feed cold milk, lambs do way better (less scours or bloats). Make sure if feeding cold you mix it cold so they don’t gorge if you put it in warm.

orm0nd · 02-01-2021 9:40am

orm0nd wrote: »

Westernrock wrote: »

We never unplug and have no problems

I certainly would not fancy feeding milk under their own body temp to young lambs we have used volac but prefer auctus

arctictree · 02-01-2021 7:50pm

So one poster saying never to feed cold milk and another saying the opposite!

In my case, we feed the lambs by bottle warm milk for the first couple of days. Then get them a bit hungry and move them onto the automatic cold milk. You get the odd one who won't feed themselves and you have to point them towards the teat.

Westernrock · 02-01-2021 8:27pm

arctictree wrote: »

So one poster saying never to feed cold milk and another saying the opposite!

In my case, we feed the lambs by bottle warm milk for the first couple of days. Then get them a bit hungry and move them onto the automatic cold milk. You get the odd one who won't feed themselves and you have to point them towards the teat.

Yea we would be the same, bottle or left on the ewe for first 2-3days but once they are feeding well it’s onto the ad lib cold milk for 6weeks and ad lib creep from about 7days. Definitely wouldn’t go back to warm milk here. We fed warm milk with the feeder for 1 and 1/2 years and have fed cold for about 10 now and I’d say we had more trouble in the first year than the last 10!

wrangler · 02-01-2021 8:45pm

Westernrock wrote: »

Yea we would be the same, bottle or left on the ewe for first 2-3days but once they are feeding well it’s onto the ad lib cold milk for 6weeks and ad lib creep from about 7days. Definitely wouldn’t go back to warm milk here. We fed warm milk with the feeder for 1 and 1/2 years and have fed cold for about 10 now and I’d say we had more trouble in the first year than the last 10!

Same here, less digestive upsets

sf1994 · 03-01-2021 10:49pm

Westernrock wrote: »

Yea we would be the same, bottle or left on the ewe for first 2-3days but once they are feeding well it’s onto the ad lib cold milk for 6weeks and ad lib creep from about 7days. Definitely wouldn’t go back to warm milk here. We fed warm milk with the feeder for 1 and 1/2 years and have fed cold for about 10 now and I’d say we had more trouble in the first year than the last 10!

So would it work if I spent a few days getting them going on a bottle and then gave them cold milk replacer with a bucket and tit setup? And would cold milk go off/last long?

arctictree · 03-01-2021 11:37pm

sf1994 wrote: »

So would it work if I spent a few days getting them going on a bottle and then gave them cold milk replacer with a bucket and tit setup? And would cold milk go off/last long?

Buckets never worked for me. I use a non return valve into a bottle of cold milk feeding to a teat mounted to the wall. Increase the bottle size as you have more lambs. I have a huge 20 litre bottle that I use near the end of lambing. Cold milk lasts much longer than warm milk. Empty the bottle completely every couple of days and clean.

sf1994 · 03-01-2021 11:44pm

arctictree wrote: »

Buckets never worked for me. I use a non return valve into a bottle of cold milk feeding to a teat mounted to the wall. Increase the bottle size as you have more lambs. I have a huge 20 litre bottle that I use near the end of lambing. Cold milk lasts much longer than warm milk. Empty the bottle completely every couple of days and clean.

How many lambs do you have for a finish on it? Could you put up a picture? (we hadnt sheep since I was very young so a bit of a novice)

arctictree · 03-01-2021 11:53pm

sf1994 wrote: »

How many lambs do you have for a finish on it? Could you put up a picture? (we hadnt sheep since I was very young so a bit of a novice)

I dont have a picture as im not lambing until March. This is all you need:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Provimi-Shepherdess-Feed-Line-Kit/dp/B00VEETCDM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=shepherdess+feed+line+kit&qid=1609714200&sr=8-2

And any bottle will do. I had two lines last year for 20 Lambs.

Westernrock · 04-01-2021 12:13am

arctictree wrote: »

I dont have a picture as im not lambing until March. This is all you need:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Provimi-Shepherdess-Feed-Line-Kit/dp/B00VEETCDM/ref=mp_s_a_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=shepherdess+feed+line+kit&qid=1609714200&sr=8-2

And any bottle will do. I had two lines last year for 20 Lambs.

https://www.fanevalleystores.com/categories/sheep/lambing-products/feeders-teats/products/71457/Ritchey-Bayonet-Lamb-Feeder-Complete-504142/?page=3

I have much the same set up now got them off fane valley usually put up to 12lambs per teat

Automatic suck lamb feeders

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