Automatic calf feeders...

Looks to me that it's just the younger calves wearing the jackets, the older weaned calves in the back right pen have none on. The few blues in the near pen could do with an XL in the jackets!
The double eco drains under the stations is a great idea!
Thought it kind of funny to put the small gate in front of the sliding door in the gable, would it not have made more sense to have them the other way around, the long gate hanging from the centre, would save pulling up the receiver post when cleaning out
 
denis086 said:
Looks to me that it's just the younger calves wearing the jackets, the older weaned calves in the back right pen have none on. The few blues in the near pen could do with an XL in the jackets!
The double eco drains under the stations is a great idea!
Thought it kind of funny to put the small gate in front of the sliding door in the gable, would it not have made more sense to have them the other way around, the long gate hanging from the centre, would save pulling up the receiver post when cleaning out
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Blues were out of jackets just after that was taken. Was a reason for putting them that way round can't remember what it was now.
 
Alot to be said for keeping the thing simple imo. We are going to redo a shed for calfs in the yr or so and with the grant decided to buy a milk cart for the quad instead of a automatic feeder which we had been considering. Plan is 10-12 calfs grouped on size and performance per pen hang on the feeder and pump on the milk look at the calfs and onto the next group.
 
FIAT 450 said:
Alot to be said for keeping the thing simple imo. We are going to redo a shed for calfs in the yr or so and with the grant decided to buy a milk cart for the quad instead of a automatic feeder which we had been considering. Plan is 10-12 calfs grouped on size and performance per pen hang on the feeder and pump on the milk look at the calfs and onto the next group.
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It's a thing that if you can spend few euro can be made quite an easy job... know a lad calf shed 5 bays each side. Has a blue teated feeder in each one which he only washes once a week.... lawnmower and tow able cart has them fed in no time... groups of 10 stay there from birth to rearing.... works savage....of course this depends on everything else to amount of beastings when born vaccination program etc etc
 
20200214_082659.jpg this is my setup. 30 calf feeder . Ibc tank outside parlour and a pump and pipe goin down the yard. It pumps 1gallon every 5 seconds. These get 3 litres morning and evening so 1minute 40secs they are fed. Cant get much simpler .
 
Delboy said:
View attachment 74541 this is my setup. 30 calf feeder . Ibc tank outside parlour and a pump and pipe goin down the yard. It pumps 1gallon every 5 seconds. These get 3 litres morning and evening so 1minute 40secs they are fed. Cant get much simpler .
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Is there any chance of big lads drinking alot more than the small lads? Or ones getting pushed off tits?
 
marco said:
Is there any chance of big lads drinking alot more than the small lads? Or ones getting pushed off tits?
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There is only 2 smaller lads there in that bunch. They are all born within 10 days of each other. It can happen but ya dont have to put 30 on. If a calf isnt doin well i pull him out and down to the 20 teat feeder with 10 calves on it. I leave the feeder in the shed and wash once a week. It works for me. Iv had numerous lads in tryin to sell milk replacer but we find the whole milk does a super job on them and no work mixing hot water . Will put that bunch on once a day at the weekend
 
Have our feeder in over 3 weeks now and 60 calves on currently. Delighted with it. My day would be a good bit longer with out it and it's long enough as is. Heifers are very content on it and growing well. Will push another 10 on it hopefully
 

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slurryboy said:
No idea tbh I don't get involved with that side of the job. It's cool in there but they're not in a draft at any point. Can't see it in that picture but there is a fair slope on the floor in those pens, will try and get a pic when the next pen is mucked out
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Got a quick picture of the fall on the floor of the calf pens
 

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Tim818 said:
Very useful thread. Something that's on the long finger here but I have a reasonable amount of labour here, only difference I made this year was to pickup more of the jfc 10teat feeders, so as I'm not moving the 2 I had previously between like 6 or 7 different pins.
However anyways, Bruce why do you think the autofeeder results in such better and healthy calves? Do they drink more milk against in a teat feeder? Or is it the more consistent smaller feeds against either one or 2 big feeds with just teats.
Getting strong enough calves outa normal twice a day feeding isn't too hard to achieve, however I guess I don't know if I'm missing out against an autofeeder. Scour is still a big problem here so if the autofeeder is worse for spreading bugs than that's another mark against them here.
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Ok 2yrs later and I'm finally convinced I need one lol. The neighbour has a 2 station urban u40 that he picked up 2nd hand, looks like a good basic machine that should be easy enough to service or repair myself (all them stories about nightmare service support, absolutely no thank you, I'll happily learn the ins and outs of the machine fully myself), so I actually think a 2nd hand u40 will suit me well also once I can find a clean one. Anything to look out for in them? How quickly can parts be delivered in general? The well water is quite hard here (high limestone), and it burns out elements etc quickly enough, will that be an issue with the calf feeder does anyone know?
 
Tim818 said:
Ok 2yrs later and I'm finally convinced I need one lol. The neighbour has a 2 station urban u40 that he picked up 2nd hand, looks like a good basic machine that should be easy enough to service or repair myself (all them stories about nightmare service support, absolutely no thank you, I'll happily learn the ins and outs of the machine fully myself), so I actually think a 2nd hand u40 will suit me well also once I can find a clean one. Anything to look out for in them? How quickly can parts be delivered in general? The well water is quite hard here (high limestone), and it burns out elements etc quickly enough, will that be an issue with the calf feeder does anyone know?
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We've a couple of them, one does 4 stations and the other 3 stations. Generally theyre pretty reliable, over the years changed a couple of the floats in the station bowls and a couple of solenoids.
 
Anyone using one that can feed powder and whole milk? I am looking to buy one that feeds both. A new Urban Alma Pro is £10k-£11k for a 2-station and £8500 for just the powdered milk model.

I’d even look at a second hand model but no mater what brand supplier I phone, I get told they have sold one that feeds whole milk in over ten years.
 
Mikey said:
Anyone using one that can feed powder and whole milk? I am looking to buy one that feeds both. A new Urban Alma Pro is £10k-£11k for a 2-station and £8500 for just the powdered milk model.

I’d even look at a second hand model but no mater what brand supplier I phone, I get told they have sold one that feeds whole milk in over ten years.
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It’s a nice idea being able to feed whole milk through an automatic feeder. In reality it defeats the purpose of the automatic feeder. You have to haul or pump to the feeder, wash the equipment needed and make sure the milk stays fresh. If you’re going to do all that, you may as well just feed the whole milk in group teat feeders. If you’re feeding powder, just land the pallet beside the feeder and keep the hopper topped up.
 
KJL said:
It’s a nice idea being able to feed whole milk through an automatic feeder. In reality it defeats the purpose of the automatic feeder. You have to haul or pump to the feeder, wash the equipment needed and make sure the milk stays fresh. If you’re going to do all that, you may as well just feed the whole milk in group teat feeders. If you’re feeding powder, just land the pallet beside the feeder and keep the hopper topped up.
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Ya would agree
 
I get your point but with going down with TB all the time and being closed for half the year and calving all year round, I end up having to mix beef and Friesian calves in the same pens so the Beef get whole milk and the Friesian heifers get powder. Just a pain when trying to feed and a strain on facilities.

I have to carry milk to the shed anyhow so not worried about that. Not sure exactly how the auto feeder works in terms of taking the whole milk in but I guess it sucks it in from an external container.
 
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Feeding whole milk is out of fashion at the moment. Knock 10 cent off the milk price and you'd see a lot more lads back at it. That's not having a go at dairy or any of that craic just a simple observation
 
Id say be more cost effective to stay on milk powder. Bet if you work back cost of powder against whole milk won't be much in it. And the powder prob better for them. Also if you are been locked up with tb from time to time would it not make more sense to try have as much milk been collected rather than going to calfs.
 
When you are calving most days including treated cows milk that needs to be dumped anyhow, you easily have 80+ litres a milking to dump.
 
Tim818 said:
Ok 2yrs later and I'm finally convinced I need one lol. The neighbour has a 2 station urban u40 that he picked up 2nd hand, looks like a good basic machine that should be easy enough to service or repair myself (all them stories about nightmare service support, absolutely no thank you, I'll happily learn the ins and outs of the machine fully myself), so I actually think a 2nd hand u40 will suit me well also once I can find a clean one. Anything to look out for in them? How quickly can parts be delivered in general? The well water is quite hard here (high limestone), and it burns out elements etc quickly enough, will that be an issue with the calf feeder does anyone know?
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If you do get a U40 make sure you always shut the lid over the keypad,I sold mine to a relation and they didn’t and a drip from the shed roof fecked the pcb not once but twice.🙄☹️
 
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