Essential Tips for Cleaning Calf Feeding Equipment and Teats
Feeding calves milk via a teat satisfies their instinctual need to suckle, but maintaining high hygiene standards is crucial to prevent digestive issues and the transmission of diseases.
Regular cleaning, disinfecting, and maintenance are essential to keep teats and tubes in good condition, avoiding deterioration, clogging, or biofilm accumulation.
For more information, check out: How to Group Calves for Successful Social Rearing
Calf Feeding Practices
- Calves should initially be trained to drink well from a bucket or teat in individual or paired pens for personalized attention during the first week.
- Utilizing first- and second-teat systems can be beneficial; calves can begin with a smaller teat and transition to a larger one after a few weeks.
- When purchasing multi-teat feeders with designated milk compartments, ensure that each calf receives its proper allocation. Spend time with the calves during the first few weeks to prevent fast-drinking calves from pushing slower drinkers away from the teat.
- Position teats at a natural feeding height for the calf, adjusting as the calf grows.
- A biofilm, which is a protein and fat layer resulting from inadequate cleaning, harbors bacteria, spreads diseases, and contaminates milk feeds.
Source: Kat Hart, The George Veterinary Group
According to a Farmers Weekly poll, 68% of dairy and dairy beef calf rearers are now using teat feeding methods, whereas only 32% are using buckets.
Vet and youngstock consultant Kat Hart from the George Veterinary Group in Malmesbury, Wiltshire, notes that this shift reflects the growing adoption of automatic machine feeding systems over the last 15 years.
Kat estimates that about 25-33% of the dairy farms she visits implement machine feeding, especially larger operations or those with high calf turnover.
She believes that more calf rearers are recognizing the advantages of teat feeding—whether through machines, buckets, bottles, multi-compartment feeders hung over gates, or trailed multi-teat feeders.
Feeding with Buckets
“Teaching calves to drink from a bucket takes skill and time, but they adapt quickly, which would allow traditional farmers managing 20 calves to move on to other tasks. Buckets are also relatively easy to clean,” says Kat.
However, the speed at which calves consume milk is a significant drawback of bucket feeding, as they tend to gulp their milk.
Feeding through a teat mimics the natural sucking action, activating the calf’s reflexes to close the oesophageal groove, thus preventing milk from entering the immature rumen.
Instead, milk is directed to the abomasum for digestion, with saliva produced during suckling acting as a buffer against stomach acids.
When milk inadvertently reaches the rumen due to rapid drinking, it can ferment, leading to bloat and digestive complications.
Teats should release milk slowly, akin to hand-milking, which helps to regulate the drinking pace, according to Kat.
Addressing Cross-Sucking Behavior
“Teat feeding satisfies the natural sucking instinct, which typically reduces navel sucking among calves,” Kat explains. However, cross-sucking can become a learned behavior and is challenging to manage, even when returning calves to teat feeding.
“One calf may allow itself to be sucked, which perpetuates the cycle,” she adds. While employing nose plates or enriching the environment with hanging ropes and buoy-like toys can assist, prevention remains the most effective strategy.
Even an effective feeding system that caters to natural instincts must be managed carefully for optimal results.
Kat points out that sharing teats in group environments can propagate mycoplasma, which may manifest as inner ear infections or pneumonia, especially among calves from different farms. Therefore, ensuring proper teat hygiene is paramount to disrupting disease transmission.
While teat feeding generally takes more time and is challenging to clean, it is crucial to replace soft or leaky teats that lead to gulping.
Before investing in a calf teat-feeding system, consider various factors such as group size and age differences among calves.
Kat emphasizes the importance of understanding efficient cleaning methods and having specialized brushes on hand.
The types, shapes, and durability of teats can also differ by brand. Unlike rubber liners found in milking equipment, teats are subjected to varying levels of suction by calves.
Regular Teat Replacement
“You may need to replace teats more frequently than expected—medium-sized herds should change teats every month, while block-calving herds need to replace them at least once per season,” she advises.
Inspecting teats during cleaning will reveal any damage or wear that could harbor bacteria and affect milk flow.
For optimal performance, teats should be firm enough to require a calf to suck to obtain milk. “Replace any teat that feels soft and leaks,” Kat emphasizes.
Some systems now offer automatic cleaning capabilities, utilizing sprays or UV light on an hourly basis or per calf to maintain sanitation.
“Milk tubes also need proper maintenance; establishing good hygiene is essential right from the start. It is also important to monitor water and milk powder quality and concentration levels,” she says.
“Maintain twice the number of teats, rotate them every 12 hours, and disinfect with hypochlorite solutions to extend their lifespan and help mitigate disease cycles,” she adds.
In manual feeding setups, calves should be fed starting with the youngest, and drinkers don’t require washing between groups unless there’s a disease outbreak.
However, thorough end-of-feeding cleaning is critical, necessitating a combination of warm water, detergent, and disinfectant for effectiveness.
Establishing a Cleaning Protocol
A reliable hot water supply is vital in the calf feeding area; Kat stresses that lukewarm water is essential for the initial wash to avoid cooking fats and minerals onto equipment, creating a biofilm.
The detergent wash should involve water heated to 60°C to effectively remove any fat and protein residues.
“Just as ensuring the cleanliness of a bulk tank is crucial for milk, the same principle applies here,” Kat remarks.
A cold rinse is insufficient.
Teats should be detached for thorough cleaning inside and out, while milk lines also require full sanitization.
Teats and containers should be spread out to avoid stacking and inverted for optimal drying since bacteria thrive in moisture.
Research indicates that paired and group housing of calves fosters social behaviors related to eating and drinking, which can enhance growth rates, according to Kat.
The concept of satiety is under study, as rapid drinking may lead to quicker feelings of hunger in calves.
Farms that accommodate natural behaviors in calf rearing not only support metabolic development but also address welfare concerns.
“Many consumers prefer to see calves in spacious straw pens, and teats contribute to the perception of natural care,” she notes. “However, it’s crucial to consider disease control and hygiene within these systems,” concludes Kat.
Maria Sanchez completed her Bachelor’s degree in Plant Sciences from the University of California, Davis, in the USA. Her studies focused on plant genetics and biotechnology, with an emphasis on developing disease-resistant crop varieties. Maria has contributed to several research projects aimed at improving crop resilience to climate change and is now pursuing her Master’s degree in Plant Breeding.