automatic calf feeder

They are a rediculous price, a bag of power mixed with water makes around 200 litres of milk, I've seen lads with a 205 litre barrel mounted on a wheeled frame with a tap at the bottom and the powder is mixed with a drill and a whisk for mixing plaster or mixing some kind of stuff. A nice smart and very cheap job.

I was mixing with a drill and buckets , I would have the calves in 10s on blue feeders around the yard . Last spring I "Upgraded" :rolleyes2: to one of these. http://www.wydaleproducts.co.uk/products/prod/198/4WheelMobileMilkTrolley think it was € 5-600
It just mixes ,big valve on the bottom and let it fill into buckets which means you know how many litres your putting into a feeder.
Saves a lot of carrying, can be used to carry whole milk.
 
Heard today a guy not far from me purchased a new Lely auto feeder back in the summer and has now ditched it. Same bloody story, too sore on electric and couldn't keep powdered milk carried to it. Said it would never pay for itself. He is back to mixing by hand and with teat buckets.

Apparently he still has it so I wonder if he would take a huge lose on it if I fancied buying it.:smile:
 
I cannot understand how a computerised feeder could be heavy on powder, you are supposed to weigh the powder every week or so as batches vary and also moisture in the air etc can have an impact, if you weren't weighing it regularly then yes it could go wrong I suppose.
 
I was mixing with a drill and buckets , I would have the calves in 10s on blue feeders around the yard . Last spring I "Upgraded" :rolleyes2: to one of these. http://www.wydaleproducts.co.uk/products/prod/198/4WheelMobileMilkTrolley think it was € 5-600
It just mixes ,big valve on the bottom and let it fill into buckets which means you know how many litres your putting into a feeder.
Saves a lot of carrying, can be used to carry whole milk.
Do you put in the water and then the powder and then mix it with a stick or how do you do it as the one in the link doesn't have an adgitator?
 
I cannot understand how a computerised feeder could be heavy on powder, you are supposed to weigh the powder every week or so as batches vary and also moisture in the air etc can have an impact, if you weren't weighing it regularly then yes it could go wrong I suppose.

Ours flashes up every week or so to remind you to calibrate the powder and water, if its using too much powder then either its not calibrated or not set up properly
 
Do you put in the water and then the powder and then mix it with a stick or how do you do it as the one in the link doesn't have an adgitator?

Sony about that now ,the one I have has a mixer .I suppose it depends on your set up. I have the powderand the hot water in one shed. So you just plug it in. Then wheel it around to the other sheds , the full of it doing 30 calves for twice a day feeding.
 
Sony about that now ,the one I have has a mixer .I suppose it depends on your set up. I have the powderand the hot water in one shed. So you just plug it in. Then wheel it around to the other sheds , the full of it doing 30 calves for twice a day feeding.
Was the one with the mixer you got 5-600? Sounds real good value for that kind of a job. The jfc ones are very expensive I think.
 
Anymore horror stories about automatic calf feeders. Will more than likely get one in January.neighbour has volac one for the last 15 year with no problem.friend works with lely so between those two.did 100 calves last spring with 200 litre barrel on trolley.mixing with a drill and whisk.father getting second knee replaced and busy spring ahead so hoping this can help labour more than anything.
 
Anymore horror stories about automatic calf feeders. Will more than likely get one in January.neighbour has volac one for the last 15 year with no problem.friend works with lely so between those two.did 100 calves last spring with 200 litre barrel on trolley.mixing with a drill and whisk.father getting second knee replaced and busy spring ahead so hoping this can help labour more than anything.

What models are you looking at. If ur going over 1 station then there both selling the forster tenhnik model. Also I think lely have a e500 euro voucher against powder depends were you are buying powder tho
 
Anymore horror stories about automatic calf feeders. Will more than likely get one in January.neighbour has volac one for the last 15 year with no problem.friend works with lely so between those two.did 100 calves last spring with 200 litre barrel on trolley.mixing with a drill and whisk.father getting second knee replaced and busy spring ahead so hoping this can help labour more than anything.
100 calves on at once will be an issue with 2 mixing bowl, you really need batches of only up to 30 or so per stall at most and a batch for poor drinkers young calves maybe only 10 or so. Don't try and run large calves with small young calves, competition for drinking time is too much for the weaker ones. We had one like the dairymaster one, same machine different name, uncle has a lely. When you have the calves batched right they are a good job.
 
100 calves on at once will be an issue with 2 mixing bowl, you really need batches of only up to 30 or so per stall at most and a batch for poor drinkers young calves maybe only 10 or so. Don't try and run large calves with small young calves, competition for drinking time is too much for the weaker ones. We had one like the dairymaster one, same machine different name, uncle has a lely. When you have the calves batched right they are a good job.
Any difference in the feeders, or is it 6 of one half a dozen of the other type thing?
Is there much cleaning and day to day jobs with them? I see some swap the teats daily and disinfect
 
This past two weeks I have seen a lot of advertising especially in farming papers etc with the launch of this new Urban Alma Pro feeder by Volac. Apparently it disinfects the teat after each calf to combat Johnes disease or any other disease etc that can be passed via the teat.

Anyone got one yet or got a price for it? Seems to be a good piece of kit.
 
Any difference in the feeders, or is it 6 of one half a dozen of the other type thing?
Is there much cleaning and day to day jobs with them? I see some swap the teats daily and disinfect
I never changed one my brother says they were handy though. It is much of a muchness between them to be honest
 
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