Farmers are well aware of the importance of feeding calves high-quality colostrum within the first few hours of life.

However, many may be unaware of the preferred method of getting this colostrum into calves, i.e. by way of a stomach tube or teat feeder.

The preferred method of feeding calves colostrum is through a teat feeder or a bottle with a teat on it.

This is because teat feeding stimulates the natural reflex closure of the oesophageal groove, which means that the colostrum is deposited directly into the abomasum.

Fluid delivered by a tube feeder does not stimulate this reflex closure and thus fluid is deposited into the first three stomachs.

However, research has shown that the level of immunoglobulins in the blood of calves fed using the two methods is the same.

Ultimately, both methods are effective at feeding calves colostrum, so it really comes down to preference and/or time.

Stomach tubing is an important skill that dairy farmers should be able to use when required.

When done correctly it is a very effective way of getting colostrum into calves, but if done incorrectly it could potentially injury the calf or unfortunately, actually cause the calf to die.

When tubing calves there are some simple steps that can be followed:

When feeding colostrum to a calf using a stomach tube, it is important that you take your time and remain calm.

You should remove the cow or calf before feeding the calf to ensure your own safety.