In 2016, we started developing a new teat bucket for calves. The first two weeks of calf-rearing are the most difficult. Hygiene is essential and clean feeding equipment a must. How much time goes into rinsing buckets, and loosening and cleaning teats?
Milk Bar has taught us that the slow-dispensing teat is the healthiest. This type of teat you need in the first two weeks. You need a bucket that is compatible with the most common suspension system, easy to clean and fitted with a lid. Easy to clean means that the bucket is very smooth. This is what gave us the idea of mounting the teat in the bucket wall. Pulling the teat through an opening ensures it is always in the right position and unable to rotate. The sloping base ensures that all the milk flows to the teat. The ECF teat is open at the back so it will be rinsed when the bucket is cleaned.
Using an open teat has many benefits. For the calf, the sucking action is much more natural; the milk is dispensed more slowly and the calf must suck to obtain the milk and, as a consequence, will produce a plentiful supply of saliva. The risk of choking is nil. Vigorous sucking in a natural drinking position allows for a proper oesophageal groove reflex. The milk flows to the fourth stomach, bypassing the rumen. The saliva ensures that the pH remains stable, which allows for more efficient digestion. Nutritional scours and ruminal drinking will be prevented. These constitute the basic elements of healthy calf-rearing.
Our range consists of the ECF1 Milk Feeder and the ECF6 Milk Feeder. Of course, 2, 3, 4 or 5 calves can also be fed at this group bar. In that case, we close the remaining holes of the ECF6 Milk Feeder with a ECF Plug. The teats are easy to change and can be transferred with the calf to the ECF6 teat bucket. This allows for one system and one teat and dispenses with the need to switch to different teats.
The ECF6 Wennemars Adaptor (standard) is easy to mount. Take the time to mount the adaptor properly in the first place.
The ECF 6 Drinker can be locked into place using the green button on the top of the adaptor. This prevents the calves from pushing the ECF 6 Milk Feeder off the fence.
The ECF6 Milk Feeder can be mounted on the adaptor in one single movement. Quick and easy. Very Strong. Can not push off the fence.
Changing the Wennemars ECF teat is woman-friendly!
It would actually be pointless to sell the ECF6 Milk Feeder with teats. The ECF 6 Milk Feeder is part of a calf-feeding system that starts with a one-calf pen. The calf and the teat are both transferred from the one-calf pen to the ECF6 Milk Feeder. So, no stress for calves, because they know the teat.
