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Manitoba | jjcmbc, making a system for multiple groups is really no different a system. start with an adequate sized container to store milk for the amount of time you want to be able to not refill. should be in an insulated room if in cold climate. having 2 of these is best as you can let one almost empty, then switch over to 2nd container and it gives you time to wash first one and refill before needed. Teat Dip Tote comes to mind for the size you are thinking, cheap and available. Rig up a pump and wash ball system for washing the totes. for smaller teat dip barrels work well.
Then you need a pump to circulate the milk past the different pens where you tie into the lines to feed the nipples in the pens, the pipe returns to the tote. A heating system for maintaining milk or replacer temp (think the best are a simple electric water heater circulating through a simple heat transfer system such as a pipe within a pipe, you can get these from company in ontario or a plate cooler although plate cleaner may be harder to clean. We run black plastic pipe as our milk line. i have heard best for tying into the pipe for nipples is quick connecters such as for high pressure washers, have not used these yet myself. We just rigged up plastic hose tees on ours. nipples are peach teat varieties. pump for circulating should be a magnet type so if the container runs out or plugs you don't burn out the motor. took us a while to find ones that worked without burning out at the first problem. Little Giant ones we are happy with.
We try to not drop the ph below 4.5. older calves don't seem to care if it's more acidic but we seem to have some calves not drink enough when just starting out if we go 4 and below that it the problem seems worse for us. Agree with what others said about system is probably not for everyone but once you get your head around it can work really well. | |
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Who makes a good bottle for feeding calves?
