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MILK BAR™ TEAT

The main calf health problems encountered with calf rearing are nutritional scours, pneumonia, and cross sucking of ears, navels and udders after feeding.
Many of these problems can be eliminated by correct feeding.

In the natural state, as a calf drinks from a cow, it drinks slowly with its neck stretched out, and the calf produces a lot of saliva. This helps to close the oesophageal groove, which makes the milk bypass the rumen and enter the abomasum.
When the milk enters the abomasum rennin and other enzymes curd the milk. The whey is squeezed from the abomasum and into the intestine for digestion.
The milk curd is then broken down by enzymes in the abomasum before also passing into the intestine for absorption.
Saliva balances the pH in the abomasum, which helps the milk to curd in the abomasum. It contains essential enzymes such as lipase, which is necessary for digestion of fats, a vital energy source. It also contains natural antibiotic properties, which are a young calfs first and main defence against infection.

E-COLI NUMBERS MULTIPLY RAPIDLY WHEN IN CONTACT WITH RAW MILK, WHICH IS A LEADING CAUSE OF NUTRITIONAL SCOURS IN YOUNG CALVES.

When a calf is fed fast from a gravity feed teat with a valve in it or from drinking straight from a bucket, it cannot produce the saliva it needs to digest milk. This causes the calf to suck on ears, navels and udders, as well as its surroundings in order to try and make the saliva it should have produced while suckling. Fast feeding can lead to milk overflowing the oesophageal groove and entering the rumen where it will sour and ferment in the absence of enzymes, leading to digestive upsets. Fast feeding and insufficient saliva can also result in lack of curding allowing whole milk to enter the small intestine, which leads to bacterial fermentation, leading to nutritional scours.
Calves fed with Milk Bar Teats will assume the same drinking position as calves fed on a cow. They feed at the correct speed and produce a lot of saliva.

Milk Bar Teat Frequently Asked Questions

N.Z. Pat Appl No 244008/247242/250873 PCT Pat Appl No NZ 93/00065