1. REDUCE TIME spent on things that can be outsourced to technology. Today’s technology can easily communicate with your employees and save them time. Take, for example, the Calf Hero Colostrum Pasteurizer, which uses text messaging to inform the user when a cycle is complete. This serves to free up the maternity workers to perform other tasks and ensures that colostrum is processed in a timely manner. Make sure your technology works properly — using a fast colostrum warmer will give your maternity workers just enough time (20 minutes) to complete all the initial tasks of newborn care while the colostrum is thawing, so no one has to wait.
2. USE ERGONOMICS to improve employee attitude, lessen fatigue, and reduce incidents. Comfortable employees are happy employees, and happy employees take better care of their calves. After all, less irritation improves animal welfare. An excellent example is the Calf Hero colostrum backpack, which holds the heavy colostrum on the feeder’s back, reducing arm fatigue and enabling better calf handling.
3. GET THE RIGHT TOOLS. Each person’s physique is unique, so look for colostrum feeding systems that offer multiple ways of feeding: nipples, tube feeders, or tube feeders on a hose or snap-in, so one can choose their own preference. Make sure the tool is right for the calf as well and always pick tools that put hygiene as a priority. For example, pasteurize in the container you are feeding from to prevent contamination points and prevent sickness.
4. GO DISPOSABLE. Take a careful look around. Are there items that you are washing, swabbing, and re-washing, just so you can re-train everyone on how to properly clean? Tube feeders and bottles are a great example. Instead, use a single-use, disposable bag with a snap-in tube feeder. The tube feeder locks in place, preventing reuse. You will not only save valuable time that can be dedicated to other tasks, but you are also reducing chemical usage and, most importantly, your water consumption.
5. LEAN OUT YOUR PROCESSES. Organize your maternity area so that it flows better and every tool does its job. When investing in new tech, invest in a system where each element enhances the functionality of the next one, such as the Calf Hero colostrum system. The oscillation of the pasteurizer helps accuracy and speed and the cartridge shapes and holds bag for fast freeze and fast thaw. The bag has a large spout opening to reduce feeding time, and together they form a fast and fool-proof colostrum management system.
Golden Calf Company was established in 2010 in Bloomer, WI with the mission to provide dairy producers with innovative products for neonatal calf care. The goal of our family-owned company is to supply dairy farmers with the right tools to achieve a consistently healthy calf population with American-made products. We pride ourselves on technology and innovation that makes the maternity job easier. For our Calf Hero Colostrum product line visit GoldenCalfCompany.com.