tit*y Bar

[john s]

http://ranchers.net/photopost/uploads/5330/titty_bar.jpg

 

[shaz]

A bit of a let down but......

Yeah that's the wholesome thing I was hoping for. :lol2:

 

[hopalong]

heck of a good idea,,,might be worth looking into building one

 

[larryshoat]

I like the looks of it, but the problem is that the fast drinkers will get too much and the slow drinkers will not get enough. The small slow drinking calf will stay the small slow drinking calf, or worse the small dead calf.

Larry

 

[backhoeboogie]

Each calf gets a pen when I raise a bunch on bottles. That way one cannot root off another. They are turned out but each go into a pen when they are fed.

If you can afford to lose some, that might work. I wouldn't do it.

 

[TexasBred]

I like the looks of it, but the problem is that the fast drinkers will get too much and the slow drinkers will not get enough. The small slow drinking calf will stay the small slow drinking calf, or worse the small dead calf.

Larry

Sort of brings back the old saying about "sucking the hind tit". :shock:

 

[regolith]

Each calf gets a pen when I raise a bunch on bottles. That way one cannot root off another. They are turned out but each go into a pen when they are fed.

If you can afford to lose some, that might work. I wouldn't do it.

I raise all mine like that. They're not in the habit of dying.

 

[Dave]

I have raised lots of them in a similar fashion. I think they did better. Get calves out of the pens and hutches and have them out in a field. They seem to do better that way.

 

[TexasBred]

Looks like a wreck looking for a place to happen.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Each calf gets a pen when I raise a bunch on bottles. That way one cannot root off another. They are turned out but each go into a pen when they are fed.

If you can afford to lose some, that might work. I wouldn't do it.

I raise all mine like that. They're not in the habit of dying.

I guess I don't understand. Are you saying you raise all of yours the way I do or the way the pic shows?

 

[shadyhollownj]

I'm shocked this post doesnt have more views. Not that I was thinking something else.

 

[P & H cattle]

Here is one for small private parties.
Works great for wine, beer and milk.

http://www.enasco.com/product/C28042N

 

[backhoeboogie]

Here is one for small private parties.
Works great for wine, beer and milk.

http://www.enasco.com/product/C28042N

May be small but it has more connections than my nurse cow.

 

[larryshoat]

I've seen those that have individual compartments, like baffles, so that each nipple gets a certain amount. After everything I've said against the idea, I do think that a lot of the problems can be lessened with the right management. Calves drink at all different speeds, you can try to make them drink all the same speed, but in the end the slow drinking calf will suffer.

Larry

 

[TexasBred]

I've seen those that have individual compartments, like baffles, so that each nipple gets a certain amount. After everything I've said against the idea, I do think that a lot of the problems can be lessened with the right management. Calves drink at all different speeds, you can try to make them drink all the same speed, but in the end the slow drinking calf will suffer.

Larry

Looks like it would take longer to sanitize the thing than to feed the calves with it.

 

[larryshoat]

I've seen those that have individual compartments, like baffles, so that each nipple gets a certain amount. After everything I've said against the idea, I do think that a lot of the problems can be lessened with the right management. Calves drink at all different speeds, you can try to make them drink all the same speed, but in the end the slow drinking calf will suffer.

Larry

Looks like it would take longer to sanitize the thing than to feed the calves with it.

Yeah that's another issue, it would take time to keep it clean. I have the same issues with the computerized feeders, the time it takes to keep the thing going is more than it would take to feed the calves to begin with.

Larry

 

[regolith]

Every calfeteria I've used is a pain to keep clean - like, twenty minutes after feeding and you don't want to tow it fast over muddy ground because you'll never get the mud out of the lowest part of the tray (that's the milk bar types that have an open tray).
Doesn't take that long to pull down and scrub out the large milk feeders I use, but my system is a bit more physical labour than a true cafeteria, a lot more accurate in measuring milk quantity and the carry-all tray is never clean again till I give it a good scrub down when the calves are weaned.

I'm looking for a photo of this year's calves feeding backhoe, I know I uploaded one recently.

 

[regolith]

my calves this year, group feeding on three 'half-round' twelve-teat milk feeders hung on a carry-all tray. I take the milk down in 200 litre drums - you can see the black drum in the centre of the tray, would have made two paddock visits and emptied one drum each visit since I raised 66 calves last spring.

the pic that started the thread... does that look like it's a converted spray tank?

five-teat feeders in action (better brand than the stallion/peach teat one and btw that price in the link is rip-off)

Pretty much every dairy calf in NZ is reared in a similar manner, no individual pens here.

 

[TexasBred]

I still prefer individual pens, and individual bottles. It worked too well for us when we were raising dairy calves. But whatever works best for you is the way I'd do it.

 

[P & H cattle]

I agree with some of you as to the runts not getting their fair share by being pushed away by faster eaters or not finding an unoccupied teat in time.

The other problem I see is if you buy your calves at action and one is sick they all will soon become sick from swapping teats and breathing and slobbering on each other.