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MN | The Biotic that we had doesn't have the ability to tie in with the calf feeder, but I can vary which calves get fed which amount of milk replacer. In my first run through, we had some smaller ones that wanted to feed more so I just added feedings. Each feeding I had set up as about a pint of milk replacer (could set up for smaller amount, but I wanted largest that the machine could do) - I started out with 8 feedings per day then went to 10 per day for a couple weeks then backed off - all entered manually into the very basic control unit. These are equally split in a 24 hour period, but if a calf didn't eat its allocation in the time, it could get two, three or four depending on how many feedings were missed - you can scroll through the computer screen to see who ate what yesterday and how many feedings were eaten today. The reason I would have like the quart feeding option so the calves wouldn't visit the unit as often, but this worked too. Also we left the lights on 24 hours a day so they wouldn't settle for the night and not come to eat. The model I have doesn't have the auto wean feature (instruction book is a little lacking, but overall the machine isn't difficult to figure out). I had to manually calibrate the amount of milk replacer in the amount of water but not difficult to do, just need small amount scale. The Biotic that we have doesn't have a medication bowl or ability add medication which was a concern but we used the highest med neo-oxytet (I think) milk replacer that the feed store carried for about ten days, then used milk replacer with decox. I did experiment with different milk replacers to see if any worked better than others, but didn't see much difference - just making sure that it didn't foam much. The one milk replacer I tried didn't have the decox so I used mecadox powder that I mixed into the milk replacer with a kitchen wisk. I tried mixing in some aureomycin powder into the milk replacer also to see if it would work - which it did. I assume other powdered meds would work too. I really used to give a lot of meds too - the SMZ tabs, liquid bismuthsal (pink pepto), and the decox meds but using the highest allowed med milk replacer the first ten days, then using the milk replacer with the decox mixed in seemed to do the trick. I would walk through and give anyone I thought needs meds an oral SMZ tab or a shot of an antibiotic, but really didn't give much of either (except for the respiratory calf which of course got everything - then died). We did wean a little faster than I would have usually done as the weather was getting very cold and the tube that led to the nipple was freezing and causing problems. The machine does need to be cleaned every day manually but only takes about ten minutes - I used a foam paint brush with dairy cleaner. I did skip one day and a chunk of goo got stuck in the hose and caused the nipple hose to plug - lesson learned without harm to the calves-they were just hungry and lined up! I'll admit I was very nervous about the calves not eating so I would scroll through the list, write down how many feedings every calf ate and go get up the calves that I didn't think had eaten enough for the day. By day 3 they were pretty smart, but I had a couple that didn't seem to want to come up as often as I wanted - I think they were hitting the automatic waterer so they weren't hungry. The calves that did get loose stools I didn't get too worked up about.... and only lost the one to dehydration and was fine in the morning and by night was down and dry-I rehydrated etc. but dead by morning. I was used to the loose stools with the barrel feeding with nipples - as long as the calves were drinking I wasn't concerned - versus when I had them in individual pens. I like the social part of the group pens, the bunk feeding works great and saves the drooled on, throw away feed from the individual bucket days and the bedding time was cut down considerably. I did spend a lot of time looking at them and observing - partly because I was nervous, but partly because I just liked to watch them interacting. One more thing - with the Biotic feeder the milk replacer auger needs to be double checked to make sure it's working before adding the first batch of milk replacer- has a tendency to work loose in shipping. The hopper holds 25 pounds of milk replacer so a pain to clean out if the auger worked out. Overall satisfied with the first group - would like to start second group, but space and cold is an issue right now. We cleaned their pen today - about 2 1/2 months old now and they are eating and gaining weight. Did lose one more a couple weeks after weaning, but I think it was a clostridium issue. Sorry so long but I'm pretty excited by the feeder and the options it opens up for us. What is your vaccination regimen? I struggle with what to give the calves. Gave Bovishield Gold 5, BoSE, Endobac Bovi and iron shots on arrival and then Bovishield Gold 5 at 10 days, 3 weeks a combo mycoplasma pasteralla vaccine (MMPH) then about 7 weeks took care of the dehorning, banding, Vision 7 and a mycoplasma pasterella combo shot again. Respiratory seems to be a problem that I can't seem to get under as much control as I would like. | |
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Computerized/Automatic Calf Feeders
