Cordless Drill Powers Calf "Tube Feeder"

Cordless Drill Powers Calf "Tube Feeder" FARM SHOP Tools 29-6-29 "It's a handy little tool that greatly speeds up the job of feeding baby calves," says Doug Fluit, Lynden, Wash., who uses an electric drill to "tube feed" calves. Fluit uses buckets to feed milk to about 300 baby calves each year. Whenever a calf refuses to drink he has to feed it by sticking a tube down its throat. Using gravity, it took 5 to 7 min. per calf, and the job had to be done 3 or 4 times a day. To speed up the process, he uses a cordless drill to shaft-drive a small pump. A 5-ft. long plastic hose with a metal tube at the end is attached to one side of the pump. A 1-ft. length of curved copper pipe hooks up to the other side of the pump and serves as a suction line. To feed a calf, he simply puts the suction line in the bucket and inserts the tube down the calf's throat, then starts the drill. "It takes only about 30 seconds to feed each calf, so now I can do 8 to 10 calves in only about 10 minutes. It used to take 45 minutes to an hour," says Fluitt. "The pump can be bought at any hardware store." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Doug Fluit, 2003 Bangbron Road, Lynden,Wash.

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