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MN | Tetracycline would work fine - I just use a large kitchen wisk and mix thoroughly. I think the respiratory is from sharing and found out the Inforce 3 I was using need to have a nasal cannula to go with....vet never bothered to give me those until the last batch of calves and those were better on the respiratory front. Another problem with the auction calves is never have any idea if they got any colostrum or if anyone cared (we had respiratory problems with individual pens too). Our barn is really a cold cattle shed with the majority of the doors open - open to the south for about a third of the barn, about 10-11 foot side walls. We do the groups of 25 several times a year - more times to hit the market and works for the pens we have although this time we are getting 52 head since we bought two more machines used and reconfigured a hoop barn to accommodate a group of calves (sold sows out of the pen). We figured the machine was about $75 per head initial cost and then repair parts along the way - a valve, front cover and need a new nipple for almost every group but they are only $7.50 or less. One thing we did figure out to cut down a little sloppiness MNBeef mentioned is to put an ice cream bucket under the nipple (on the floor)- lots of slobbering goes on and that catches the majority on the feeder stall. | |
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automatic calf feeder?
