The first colostrum is the most important meal in a calf’s life. If the calf drinks well from the bottle, that is the best way. But after a difficult birth, with twins or on a cold night, not every calf drinks on its own. Then a feeding tube is a good tool, as long as you use it calmly and keep it clean.
Always give the calf a chance to drink by itself first. When a calf sucks, the oesophageal groove closes. This is a kind of channel that guides the milk past the forestomachs straight to the abomasum. With a tube, the colostrum goes into the forestomachs first.
The tube becomes an option when:
In practice we see that a calf that was tube fed the first time often drinks from the bottle by itself at the next feeding. So try the bottle again first each time.
The sooner the calf gets colostrum, the better it absorbs the antibodies. The advice from research is to give about 10 percent of birth weight within the first two hours after birth. For an average Holstein calf, that is around 4 litres.
Measure colostrum quality with a refractometer. A reading of 22 % Brix is good, 25 % is very good. If the colostrum is below 22 %, you can upgrade it with a colostrum supplement.
Warm the colostrum to body temperature in a warm water bath. Too hot is not good for the antibodies, too cold costs the calf extra energy.
If a calf cannot swallow or is lying flat on its side, do not tube feed it and talk to your vet.
A dirty tube carries bacteria into the calf. After each use, rinse the tube first with cold water so the proteins do not stick. Then wash it with warm water and soap and hang it up open to dry. It helps to keep a separate tube for calves that are not fit, so you do not mix them up.
A bottle that takes both a teat and a tube is practical. The Speedy Feeder and the Speedy Drencher are the same bottle, only the cap is different. You offer the teat first, and only change the cap if the calf does not drink. That way you do not need to pour the colostrum over.
Read more about the first hours after birth in our articles on colostrum management in the category Calves.
Feel the left side of the neck. Next to the firm windpipe, you feel the tube as a second pipe. If the calf coughs or you feel only one pipe, pull the tube back.
The bottle is preferred when the calf drinks well, because the colostrum then reaches the abomasum through the oesophageal groove. If the calf does not drink enough, tube feeding is better than too little or too late colostrum.
Let the colostrum run in by gravity and do not squeeze the bag or bottle hard. A slow flow gives the calf time.
No. Offer the bottle first. Tube feeding is a tool for calves that do not drink, or drink too little, by themselves.
Replace the tube when it is rough, cracked or discoloured. A damaged tube is hard to clean and can injure the calf’s throat.
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