HygieneStation
Hygienic calf feeding with the help of teat cleaning and saliva tray rinsing. Animal weighing scales, management system, display and much more included.
The highest standards of hygiene with teat cleaning and QuickDrain rinsing.
Work made easier by the learning function and quick-release teat lock.
Weight-regulated weaning: save feed costs and simplify calf monitoring.
New hygiene standard for automatic calf feeders
Many vets fear disease transmission at the teat when using calf feeders. This is where the Holm & Laue HygieneStation sets THE new standard: cleanliness in the feeding station is always ensured through teat cleaning and saliva bowl rinsing. Extensive features and accessories also ensure excellent calf development and make the work easier for those involved in calf management: animal weighing scales that collect important information almost as a sideline, a display that shows the calf number from a distance, an ammonia sensor and the milk tap valve to name just a few.
Ideal calf health
The greatest bacterial concentration in the calf pen occurs where all calves collect their milk several times a day. The HygieneStation ensures improved cleanliness here.
A clean teat at all times
With the new HygieneStation, the teat is cleaned from the outside with pressure and fresh water after every visit. Bacterial contamination on the teat accordingly drops by 80 %.
Our new PinkTeat creates the best conditions for healthy digestion with its small 3 mm opening (instead of 4 mm previously). Calves feed more slowly and produce more saliva with a drinking rate of only 600 ml per minute. This promotes digestion and minimises reciprocal suckling, as the sucking reflex is satisfied here at the teat.
Natural drinking approach
The teat at the feeding station is positioned so that it slants downwards in a similar way to the teats on the suckler cow. This encourages the natural drinking position of the calf. When the head is stretched, this encourages the natural reflex of the oesophageal groove and reduces the risk of milk passing into the rumen.
LED teat lighting
Practice has shown that the calves can orientate better when the teat is illuminated. Milk consumption increases at night and the feeding processes are distributed more evenly over a 24-hour period.
Automatically removing saliva and milk residues
Every calf produces saliva when drinking. We improved our HygieneStation in 2023 by replacing the former saliva bowl with an angled metal sheet. This QuickDrain system uses a flat jet nozzle to clean the dripped saliva from the metal sheet after each feed, while milk residues and water used for rinsing are channelled directly into the drain via the saliva channel. This further improves the hygiene of calf feeders while reducing the amount of cleaning required.
Reduced workload
For many dairy farmers, a reduced workload is one big argument in favour of calf feeders. The HygieneStation also makes work easier in a number of ways.
Calves teach themselves
As soon as a calf lifts the teat, a small amount of milk flows into its mouth. This stimulates the calf's initial drinking impulse; manual learning is necessary in only exceptional cases. Should manual learning still be necessary, milk can be pumped into the teat by pressing a key.
Can be tilted to clean
Many feeding stations are installed directly in the pens. The HygieneStation can be tipped forward at an angle of 90° to facilitate mucking out, and the whole area can easily be cleaned.
Control according to weight
All dairy farmers wants their calves to gain plenty of weight. Yet weighing calves is strenuous and requires a lot of discipline. Animal weighing scales at the HygieneStation collect important information quite incidentally.
Individual weaning
The CalfExpert records the daily growth of calves using the forefoot weighing scales. Calves that grow quickly can start feeding concentrate and hay at an early age and can thus be weaned off milk early on the basis of their individual weight development. This supports the development into a ruminant and saves money.
Better control
The animal weighing scales not only detect growing calves, they also register a decline in growth. This information is used to keep separate alert lists and helps identify sick calves at an early stage. Thus they can often be treated before the illness reaches a serious stage.
Weight information makes selection possible
At the end of rearing, you obtain valuable information about the development of each individual calf. This will help you make important decisions about which female calves should supplement your herd of dairy cows and which animals should be sold due to poor growth.
Useful features
Whether it's a clearly visible display, milk dispensing valve or ammonia sensor: The HygieneStation offers a number of technical features that make everyday work easier and contribute to healthy calf rearing.
HygieneStation display
Whether mounted directly on the HygieneStation or on the wall, the display shows relevant information about the calf in the calf group. The calf number is displayed in very large digits, making it very easy to read, even from a distance. In addition, the display can be used to prepare and feed an extra mixture directly or to transfer it to a bucket.
Credit and alert status
At the push of a button you can also have the calf numbers of the credit or alert list displayed sequentially. This means it is no longer necessary to move constantly between the calf pen and the CalfExpert display. You can read off the remaining quantity conveniently and estimate how much longer the current visit is going to take. The alert status is also easy to recognise on the basis of a scale.
Milk pump valve
The possibility of triggering extra mixes at the CalfExpert is a great advantage if the milk can be run off conveniently straight into a bucket. At the milk pump valve you can decide whether a calf is to be fed in the station or the milk is to be pumped straight into a feeding bucket.
HygieneStation HeavyDuty
The HygieneStation allows for a high degree of flexibility when it comes to automatic calf feeding. However, solutions such as the tilt function are not stable enough, especially for larger calves from breeds for fattening, which is why we developed the HeavyDuty Station.
Heavy-duty performance for sturdy calves
Calves grow quickly and become very strong when being fattened. The HygieneStation HeavyDuty is therefore made of heavy-duty steel and is fixed to the floor by 4 feet. There is also no saliva tray on this station because large calves could step on the sloping metal and slip.
Additional functions
The HeavyDuty stall comes with a teat rinser as standard. Please refer to the product comparison table for further equipment options. The entire stall is also available in stainless steel as an option.
HygieneStation Duo
Optimise managing small groups with the HygieneStationDuo. It enables small groups to be fed and integrates seamlessly into the proven CalfExpert system for efficient and cost-effective feeding.
Twice as efficient
The HygieneStation Duo supplies up to 8 feeding stations on a CalfExpert automatic feeder with milk simultaneously. This permits smaller group sizes of 8 to 10 calves, which can still be supplied using an automatic feeding system. The special feature of the HygieneStationDuo is its design as a double station, in which two stalls share control and milk pumping technology.
Small groups for calves
The launch of the new HygieneStation Duo in combination with the established Quadro-Flex system means that it is now possible to establish small, livestock-friendly groups. The station supports early learning on the feeder, ensuring more balanced age groups.
Also beneficial for larger groups
Two feeding stalls per pen can be provided for larger groups. This is because calves have been observed to encourage each other to feed. When there are two stations in a group pen, the second calf is also fed immediately.
Equipment and options
Comparison of HygieneStation Standard, HeavyDuty and HygieneStation Duo
| Typical field of application | Rearing dairy calves | Rearing calves for fattening | Rearing dairy calves in small groups |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 1.31 x 0.47 x 1.00 – 1,15 m | 1.54 x 0.60 x 1.10 – 1,25 m | 1.31 x 1.00 – 1.30 x 1,00 – 1.15 m |
| Interior width | 27 – 36 cm | 37– 50 cm | 27 – 36 cm |
| Number of stations per CalfExpert | Four | Four | Up to 8 (4 x HygieneStation Duo) |
| Animal recognition via H&L collars or ISO ear tags | Half and full duplex | Half and full duplex | Half and full duplex |
| Anti-pirate milk valve to prevent milk theft | yes | yes | yes |
| Quick-release teat fastener | yes | yes | yes |
| Milk transport to the teat | yes | yes | yes |
| Learning aid (milk to mouth) | Automatic and manual | Manual only | Automatic and manual |
| Standing distance to the CalfExpert feeder | Up to 7 m | Up to 7 m | Up to 7 m |
| Height adjustable | yes | yes | yes |
| LED teat lighting | yes | no | yes |
| Temperature sensor for frost protection | yes | yes | yes |
| Teat rinsing | Optional extras | Standard option | Optional extras |
| QuadroFlex (4 calves can feed) | Optional extras | Optional extras | Optional extras, 8 calves feeding |
| HygieneStation display | Optional extras | Optional extras | Optional extras |
| QuickDrain saliva tray | yes | no | yes |
| Can be folded away when mucking out | yes | no | yes |
| Tilt safety device | Optional extras | Not required | Optional extras |
| Animal weighing scales | Optional extras | Optional extras | Optional extras |
| Lockable station | Optional extras | no | Optional extras |
| Milk pump valve | Optional extras | no | Optional extras |
| Weight fully equipped | approx. 50 kg | approx. 90 kg | Approx. 100 kg |
Quick-release teat fastener: the teat can be easily changed in seconds with a simple movement.
