Automated Calf Feeding
15 January 2026The first three months are among the most critical in a calf’s life, with proper nutrition playing a pivotal role. However, calf rearing can be overlooked, especially during busier times of year. Skilled labour is becoming increasingly hard to find and, as a result, automated feeding systems are becoming increasingly popular.
Another major advantage that comes with an automated feeding system is consistency. Staff can vary in their assessment of calf health and may prepare milk with different inclusion rates or feed varying volumes of milk. The automated feeder will mix milk to a uniform standard (when properly maintained) and can be a useful tool to reduce antibiotic use as intakes may drop before clinical signs of illness show.
It is often assumed that daily liveweight gain will increase with automated feeding systems. However, a 2019 study from Teagasc showed no significant difference. This again could be down to feed inconsistencies if there is more than one member of staff feeding calves.
Automation's Impact on Labour Demand
It must be emphasised that automated systems don’t remove the need for labour in a calf rearing system, they are an incredibly helpful tool. Calves still require fresh bedding, water and concentrate feeding and close observation for illness. These systems perform well by cutting time spent feeding calves. An automated system won’t necessarily outperform a well skilled staff member; however, it will outperform someone who’s less engaged in rearing calves and is solely focused on completing the task.
Regarding labour, the same 2019 Teagasc study found that labour requirements could be reduced by 1.5 minutes per calf per day. For a group of 40 calves, that would see a reduction in labour of 1 hour a day. For a year-round calving system, this could see a labour saving of £5,110 a year based on a wage of £14 per hour.
which allows for stockmanship time to be spent elsewhere. They also offer valuable insight into calf performance. These systems can come at a significant upfront cost to install and come with servicing costs that also wouldn’t be seen by using conventional feeding methods. For larger farms, the resulting labour savings could justify the costs quickly.
Considering Hygiene
Hygiene is a critical aspect of any calf rearing operation and with automated feeding comes automated cleaning. Most models include an automated wash function which can rise teats out twice a day and perform a circuit clean twice a week. However, manual cleaning is still necessary to ensure that all surfaces that come into contact with milk are spotless. Spare teats should be kept on hand so they can be taken off and thoroughly washed every couple of days
Overview of Different Systems
There are now a wide range of automated systems on the market from the major providers. The most widely used brands are noted below:
| Brand | Link to Website |
|---|---|
| Lely | Automatic Calf Feeder | Calf Development | Lely Calm |
| JFC Evolution | S2 Evolution Automatic Calf Feeder Control Unit | JFC Agri |AF70 |
| Holm & Laue | Holm & Laue |
| GEA | Calf Feeders | DairyFeed F4100 |
| Urban Automated Calf Feeders | Urban Automatic Calf Feeding System - O' Donovan Engineering UK |
| Forster Technik | Automatic calf feeder - Förster-Technik |
Prices vary from £700 to upwards of £20,000, reflecting differences in number of calves fed, data provided and labour required to manage the system.
At the high end of the market would be the likes of a Forster Technik Vario feeder, capable of feeding up to 120 calves. The unit is attached to a water supply by hose pipe, with a milk powder hopper at the top. As a calf approaches to feed, warm milk is mixed on demand, avoiding milk sitting for too long. Calves will also be RFID tagged or given collars, allowing the system to track individual feeding patterns. The stockman can then limit the number of visits a calf is allowed per day each day or the total volume of milk fed. This becomes particular useful during weaning and can alert to potentially sick calves if their intake drops.
Scott Murdoch, SAC Consulting; scott.murdoch@sac.co.uk
Sign up to the FAS newsletter
Receive updates on news, events and publications from Scotland’s Farm Advisory Service