Braden Start and MilkBar Nipples Help Develop the Healthiest Digestive Systems

The main calf health problems encountered by calf raisers are nutritional scours, pneumonia and cross-sucking of ears navals and unsanitary surfaces after feeding.These problems can be greatly reduced with correct feeding.In the natural state, as a calf drinks from a cow, it drinks slowly with its neckstretched out and the calf produces a lot of saliva. The outstretched neck positionhelps close the esophageal groove which makes the milk bypass the rumen and enterthe abomasum where rennin and other enzymes curdle the milk and prepare it fordigestion in the intestine. The low, stretched neck position ensures milk does notenter the rumen where it can ferment and cause digestive upsets, or worse, the lungswhere pneumonia can result. The Importance of Saliva Saliva balances the pH in the abomasum helping toform the curd correctly. Saliva contains essential enzymes necessary for digestion offats, a vital energy source. Saliva contains natural antibiotic properties and canreduce the need for medications.The Prevention of Cross-Sucking Calves have an instinct to suck vigorouslywhich is nature’s way of producing the saliva they need to digest milk. Calves willsuck on anything if this instinct is not satisfied including ears, tails, navel or their surroundings. Prevention of Scours Fast feeding and insufficient saliva can result in lack ofcurding allowing raw milk to enter the intestine which leads to bacterial fermentationand nutritional scours. Early Rumen Development Proper feeding of milk and milk replacer is criti-cal, but for healthiest calves, start feeding grain from the first day. Grain, unlike milk,enters the rumen which is the main digesting organ of the adult animal. The earliergrain is fed, the earlier the rumen develops which means faster maturation of thedigestive system, better nutrition, better weight gain, and a stronger immune system.

The Company, Inc.1-800-776-7042 www.coburn.com

P O Box 147 Whitewater, WI 53190

US Patent RE34,725Braden Start TM is a trademark of

The Coburn Co. Inc.

US Patent 5,788,097 - 5,598,809PCT Patent NZ93/00065 NZ95/00011

Your dealer for products

Calf rumen development at 4 weeks of ageMilk only Milk and Hay Milk and Grain

Optimum nutrition during the first weeks of a calf’s life is based notonly on proper liquid feeding but also on dry feeds. Getting calves to consumedry feed early in life is the key to healthier calves and decreased costs. Dry feeds have two functions in the nutrition of young calves: (1) To provide nutrients and (2) To develop rumenfunction.

A early and well-developed rumen is most important as this allows absorption of the nutri-ents needed for rapid growth. A calf fed only milk will not develop a normal rumen even if it’sseveral months old, the reason being that liquid feeds are diverted around the rumen. As a calfdrinks from a nipple, the esophageal groove closes directing the milk to the abomasum where itcan be digested. There can be no rumen development from milk or milk replacer only.

Conversely, consumption of dry feed by a calf less than a week old causes three factors tobegin in the rumen: size increase, absorptive ability, and microbial fermentation. Because therumen is the primary site of digestion in mature cows, development of a functional one is critical to developing the digestive capability of maturing heifers.

Calves may be weaned from milk when they are consuming 1.5% of their body weight ofstarter grain. This is where the Braden Start Bottle comes in. Calves need access to dry feedfrom the first day to encourage rumen development, but calves whose access to dry feed is anopen trough have little or no interest in it. The grain then becomes stale, moldy and contaminated by everything from flies to weather. When the calves get hungry during the day,their natural nursing instinct will take them to the nipple on the Braden bottle. They will thenstart to eat grain from the first day they are in the pen, increasing consumption the first twoweeks by 90%.

Combined with Milk Bar nursers for milk replacer, the Braden bottle will lead to optimalrumen development. Milk Bar nipples deliver the milk slowly, allowing the esophageal grooveto close properly and encouraging copious salivation. If calves drink too fast or with the nipplein the wrong position, milk can enter the rumen instead of the abomasum where it ferments andirritates the rumen wall. The healthiest calves are those with well-salivated milk in theabomasum and grain in the rumen.

Developing a healthy rumen is important to ease the transition from a pre-ruminant to aruminant animal. The pictures below show how the rumen of 4-week old calves have developed when fed various combinations of milk, grain and hay. A healthy rumen has a dark coloration which is caused by increased tissue mass and large blood vessels. The papillae in ahealthy rumen are numerous and visible without magnification.

A message from the inventor of the Braden Start BottleRaising calves correctly is the most satisfying when you see them walk into the dairy

barn for the first time. The job is finished and the results speak for themselves. This iswhat all of us are trying to accomplish. Whether you are raising for your own barn orraising to sell, the top price goes to the top heifers. Getting your beef calves to “sellingweight” earlier means more profit/best price.

It has always amazed me that a person trying to accomplish this would cheat thebaby calf. A calf that is not cared for properly and given a good start will grow to be apoor heifer never having the milk production or bringing the top price. As a dairyman,be honest! You know what the top heifers look like. You know what you want in yourbarn or what you want to sell. Top heifers give more milk, make more money, and youfeel much more accomplished. If you are raising beef calves, cheating the baby calf willcost you time. Time means money. The faster the gain, the more the profit.

Ironically, it takes no more time or money to raise a good calf than it does to raise apoor one. This holds true for beef and dairy animals.

How you feed the milk is as important as what milk replacer you use. Nature is agreat teacher if we take the time to look and learn. Personally, I have never seen a calfdrink a half gallon of milk from his/her mother in 30 to 60 seconds. We have all beenguilty of hanging a bottle at the top of a pen with a split-out nipple the size of a dime.We have also forced calves to learn to drink by shoving their nose and mouth into abucket, “the drink or drown method.” Unfortunately, these are the worst methods to useif you wish to produce a healthy baby calf.

For years I have fought the “nipple wars” trying dozens of different calf nipple products. Finally! I found the perfect nipple in New Zealand. The MilkBar gravity flowmilk feeders are perfect with their nipple feeding at just the right speed.

We use individual hutches the first two weeks of the calf’s life feeding with theMilkBar 1 for milk. MilkBar 1 is a 3-quart bucket with molded hooks on the back. Thislets it hang easily on the fence or cattle panel. We fill the bucket 2/3 full giving us a 1/2gallon feeding per calf. The recommended height for feeding liquid to a baby calf is 24inches from nipple to ground. The MilkBar feeder is a gravity flow system with a nipplemounted at the bottom. For those stubborn calves you will have to teach to nurse, I usethe MilkBar Bottle nipple. This is the same nipple as on the MilkBar buckets, but snapson a bottle. A Braden Start dry feed bottle is mounted in the pen on the first day. After14 days, the calves are put in groups of five or ten. We now use the MilkBar 5 to feedtheir milk and 3 Braden Start dry feed bottles in each pen for their dry feed. When ababy gets hungry between feedings, they think nipple. Calves will go to the grain bottlenipple and begin to eat. The calves stay here until they are six weeks old. We then movethem into groups of 20 in small pastures and feed out of troughs.

By using a nipple that satisfies the calf’s nursing instincts, calves are less likely tonurse each other or their surroundings. This system of raising calves is used all over theU.S., Canada and around the world. It has proved to be efficient, labor saving and mostimportant, great for calves.

Do I have to use pellet type feed with theBraden bottle? No. Most types of grain will flowthrough the bottle. Feeds containing corn that hasbeen flattened out larger than the end of the nipplewill not work. Feeds with molasses are too stickyand will not flow.How do I hang the Braden bottle? Pull the bottlefirmly against a 2 x 6 board and secure with a nailor screw in the slotted key hole in the rubber strap.On cattle panels or wire, attach a one foot longpiece of 2 x 6 board to the wire with one inch fencestaples, then hang bottle normally. Proper installa-tion should allow the bottle to be jostled and thefeed to flow freely.Does it matter how high or low I hang theBraden bottle? Yes. Hang the bottle in the cornerof the pen with the nipple approximately 34 inchesfrom the ground. The calf should reach up slightlyfor the nipple. If the bottle is hung too low, the calfwill not go to it as often, therefore reducing feedintake.

How will I know that it is time to replace the nipple? The nipple must be replacedwhen the end is no longer flexible and does not retain its shape or the nipple loses thesoft feel of the natural mother's teat. When the nipple becomes hard and coarse-feeling,the calf will not go to the nipple as often.When should I put the Braden bottle in the pen with the calf? The bottle should behung the first day the calf is brought to the pen. The nursing instinct is strongest duringthe first three days of life.Will the Braden bottle work with an older calf? Yes. Some will have to be shown butmost will figure it out on their own.We group our calves. How many calves can use one Braden bottle? We recom-mend no more than 2 calves per bottle. If there are not enough bottles, they will alwaysbe empty, and the smaller, less aggressive calves may not be getting enough or anyfeed. The bottle should have grain in it at all times to eliminate calves chewing on thenipple.Will a calf being raised on a nurse cow use the Braden bottle? How a calf is nursing(cow, bottle, or milk from a bucket) makes no difference. What matters is where the calfis housed. As opposed to running loose in a pasture, a calf kept in a confined area willeasily find the bottle. Depending on the size of the pen, the calf may need to be shownwhere the bottle is a few times.How long should I keep the calf on the Braden bottle? We recommend feeding withthe Braden bottle until six weeks of age. At this point, we remove the calves from thehutches and place them in groups in small pastures. Because the calves are used togetting their feed from the Braden bottle, we recommend hanging one over the feedtrough to attract their attention. Calves usually do not lose weight at weaning when theyhave been started on the Braden bottle.How long should milk replacer be fed? We recommend feeding milk replacer twice aday until calves are four weeks old and once a day until they are five weeks old.Should water be given to newborn calves? Yes. Fresh water is important and shouldbe available in bucket or bowl at all times.How much feed will the calves eat? At the end of the first week, calves should be eat-ing an average of 3/4 to 1 lb. of grain per day. At the end of 2 weeks, the averageshould be 2 lbs. It should continue this way up to 6 weeks (at the end of 3 weeks, 3lbs., at the end of 4 weeks, 4 lbs., etc.)Will nursing with the Braden bottle keep calves from eating out of a bucket? No,they will catch on. Setting a bucket under the Braden bottle will catch feed that falls outof the calf's mouth and will get the calves used to buckets.Can I take the Braden bottle away at two or three weeks when calves are eatingout of buckets? We recommend using the Braden bottle for a full six weeks to gain thefull advantage of early weaning and less stress at weaning. Calves moved to feed tooearly usually gain less weight, eat less feed from the bucket, and lose weight at weaning.

The new adjustable EZ-Lock bracket allowsthe MilkBar nurser to be hung on anythingfrom rails to pipes up to a width of 3 inches(75mm). EZ-Lock adjusts quickly and locks inplace so calf cannot bump or dislodge thenurser. Nursers stay level and won’t tip for-ward. EZ-Lock brackets are made of resinnylon with extra ribbing for strength andtoughness. And for even more convenience,EZ-Lock will lock the feeder in place UPSIDEDOWN for draining. Brackets are guaranteedfor two years.

Compartment feeders allow monitoring ofthe amount consumed by each calf whenfeeding in groups. Each compartmentholds 2 quarts

MILK BARTM NURSERS WITH MOLDED BRACKETS265-2001 Milk Bar 1 for Calves. Capacity 3 qts. (3 ltr) (shown).

265-2005 Milk Bar 5 for Calves. Capacity 4 gallons (15 ltr)

MILK BAR NURSERS WITH EZ-LOCK BRACKET265-2101 Milk Bar 1 EZ-Lock for Calves. Capacity 3 qts. (3 ltr).

265-2106 Milk Bar 6 EZ-Lock for Calves. Capacity 9 gallons (36 ltr).

265-2110 Milk Bar 10 EZ-Lock for Calves (shown). Capacity 15 gal. (60 ltr).

MILK BARTM COMPARTMENT NURSERS WITH EZ-LOCK265-2202 Milk Bar 2 Compartment Nurser for Calves. 2 qts. (2 ltr) per compartment.

265-2203 Milk Bar 3 Compartment Nurser for Calves (shown).

265-2205 Milk Bar 5 Compartment Nursers for Calves.

MILK BARTM NURSERS FOR GOATS/LAMBS265-3001 Milk Bar 1 with molded bracket for Lambs/Goats. Capacity 3 qts. ( 3 ltr ).

265-3007 Milk Bar 7 with molded bracket for Lambs/Goats. Capacity 4 gallons (15 ltr).

265-3110 Milk Bar 10 with EZ-Lock for Lambs/Goats. Capacity 9 gallons (36 ltr).

265-3000 Milk Bar Hand Nurser for Goats/Lambs, 3 qts. (3 ltr) capacity (shown).

TM

COMPARTMENT NURSERSWITH EZ-LOCK BRACKETS

NURSERSWITH

MOLDEDBRACKETS

NURSERS WITHEZ-LOCK BRACKETS

Molded bracket hooks onto 1 X 4”fence (250mm) or wire rails.

BB90 Braden Bottle completeBN90 Braden Nipple, pkg of 2

265-9001 Two Qt. Nurserwith MilkBar Snap-OnNipple and bottle.

The MilkBar nipple is designed to simulate the slow, natural suckling action that a calf needs for correct digestion. Inverted tip prevents irritations in the calf’s mouth, as there are no protrusions toirritate the roof of the mouth. Hygienic MilkBar nipples haveno threads or valves to harbor bacteria. And they DO NOTneed to be removed for cleaning , saving you reassembly time.

Nursing as Nature IntendedThe natural way for a young calf to feed is to nurse slowly. As a calf sucks,milk will bypass the rumen via the esophageal groove and enter the abomasum where it will form a curd. The curd will be broken down byenzymes and will enter the intestine where it is digested. As a calf nursesslowly, it produces saliva.

Drug-Free Health CareThe natural antibiotic properties of saliva are a calf’s first and main defenseagainst infection. Saliva contains enzymes essential for proper digestion ofmilk. Saliva balances the pH in the abomasum which aids formation of thecurd.

Prevention of ScoursThe controlled feeding rate of the MilkBar nipple ensures correct curd for-mation in the abomasum, preventing raw milk from entering the intestine.Raw milk in the intestines is a leading case of nutritional scours, or milkscours, a dangerous and often lethal condition for young calves.

Protection Against PneumoniaThe slow-nursing MilkBar nipple, placed at the correct height, will preventmilk from entering the lungs where it can cause pneumonia.

No Cross-SuckingIf a calf is fed with a fast nipple, a pump-type nipple, or from a bucketwhere it is drinking rather than sucking, it is not producing the amount ofsaliva it needs. Calves will cross suck on ears, navels, or any available surface, clean or not, in an effort to produce the saliva it should have madenursing. MilkBar nipples encourage salivation, satisfying the instinct tosuck and enabling calves to be raised in groups.

• Promote Natural Nursing • Encourage Maximum Salivation

• Help Prevent Scours and Pneumonia• Maximize Calves’ Own Immunities

• Satisfy the Sucking Instinct• Allow Calves to be Raised in Groups

The colostrum nipples are made of a softer formulationand are perfect for a calf’s first nursing. Colostrum shouldalways be fed right after birth as it is rich in antibodies,fluid and the right nutrition for the newborn animal.

Nipplesare soldin Bulk,

Package of 2,Package of 10

MilkBar Nipples

NipplesFor nursing

nature’sway

265-0001Colostrumnipple for

calves

265-0002Calf Nipple

265-1002Lamb /

Goat Nipple

265-1001Colostrum nipplefor lambs / goats

265-0005Snap-On CalfBottle Nipple

Fits most nursingbottles with topOD from 2.25 to

2.6” (57 to 67 mm)