Top tips for automated milk feeding calves

• 1. Saves time:

Less time is needed to feed calves as the process is automated

• 2. More consistent:

Milk mixing rate and feeding temperature are consistently the same

• 3. Little and often:

Calves can feed little and often which matches their natural behaviour and encourages the calf to eat concentrate which aids rumen development

• 4. Feeding curves:

Individual calves in the same pen can be on different feeding regimes; this allows beef and dairy calves to be run together

• 5. Improved hygiene:

The machines automatically rinse themselves; some systems also rinse and disinfect teats between calves

• 6. Better management:

Less time feeding calves means you can spend more time doing other tasks such as weighing and monitoring growth rates

• 7. Information:

The computer will inform you which calves have drunk and which have not; you can view feeding curves and also calf weights on some models

• 8. Support:

Volac offers technical support for the two machines it sells: Urban feeders and Förster-Technik feeders; it can discuss where to site feeders and set-up feeding programmes