As part of this week’s Farm Hacks, we profile the Trusti Tuber.
New Zealand vet, Ursula Haywood, developed the award-winning Trusti Tuber after finding her clients were reluctant to tube-feed calves, due to associated stress and risk of tube misplacement.
Manufactured by Antahi in New Zealand, the Trusti Tuber has been trialled and tested and is now widely available worldwide.
In trials, the colostrum feeding kit has been shown to almost halve the time it takes to tube calves and it reduced behavioural signs of stress by 88%.
How does it work?
The Trusti Tuber starter kit includes a flexible tube, mouthpiece, 4-litre bottle, and a conventional feeding teat for the bottle.
Using markers of calf size and a stopper, the length of the tube can be altered to ensure correct placement and positioning of the tip end.
The mouthpiece and tube are easily held in the calf’s mouth using one hand. With the other hand, the 4-litre ergonomically-designed milk bottle can be raised to allow the colostrum, or electrolytes, to flow down the tube and safely into the calf’s stomach.
Further design features include a clip on the side of the bottle to attach the mouthpiece and keep it off the floor, and the transparency of the tube allows better cleaning.
What are the benefits?
There is less stress for both the calf and farmer, according to the company.
The product is vet and farmer-designed to ensure the smoothest and most practical feeding process for calves, according to the company.
“The Trusti Tuber was developed to solve farmer concerns around calf safety, calf comfort and usability with traditional oesophageal feeders.”
“The Trusti Tuber not only prevents bruising and injury to your calf, it also makes the procedure easier for you. The Antahi Feeder bottle is designed with all of the features requested by farmers to ensure the ultimate ease of use.
“The Suckle Up cap has a quality Peach Teat for optimum bottle-feeding. It offers a quick transition between nipple and Tuber.”
More information
For more information about the product, click here.
