A new drencher – the Trusti Tuber for lambs and kid goats – is being launched into the UK by Dairy Spares. Its design ensures feeding is easy, quick and kind, and that milk/colostrum is safely delivered into the animal’s stomach.
The Trusti Tuber for lambs and kid goats consists of a 240ml vial into which milk/colostrum from ewes/nanny goats can be milked directly. The vial has a handle to make it easy to hold one-handed, and a flat base so it will remain upright when placed on a level surface.
Attached to the vial is a transparent soft flexible feeding tube with a large internal diameter to speed milk flow. At the end of the tube are safety stripes which show the operator the minimum distance the tube needs to be passed into the mouth so that the end goes past the animal’s airway, ensuring milk is delivered safely to the stomach, and not the lungs.
To feed a lamb/kid, the operator holds the animal’s head in one hand and gently passes the tube into its mouth with the thumb and index finger, until the safety stripes can no longer be seen. Milk is gravity-fed to the animal by raising the vial in the other hand; flow rate can be slowed or stopped by lowering it.
The Trusti Tuber for lambs and kid goats was developed by New Zealand company Antahi, which also markets a Trusti Tuber for calves. The products are also designed to be easy to clean.
The Trusti Tuber lamb and kid drencher costs £14.85 +VAT. For details of their local stockist farmers can contact Dairy Spares on 01948 667676, or visit www.dairyspares.co.uk.
