Drenching means delivering a liquid through a tube or nozzle directly into the rumen or mouth of a cow. You do it for a cow that is not drinking enough after calving, or to give a small volume of complementary feed accurately. In this collection you will find the equipment for it, from a 1 ml gun to a cow drencher on wheels, and the DrenchVet drench powders.
Large volumes: the cow drencher
For tens of litres of drink for an adult cow, you use a cow drencher. Excellent has a version with a hand pump and a version you drive with a cordless drill. The latter is also available as a trolley, handy when you walk from pen to pen. All individual parts, such as tank, lid, hose, pump and quick coupling, can be ordered separately.
Small volumes: gun or doser
| Tool | Volume | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Excellent Drench-Dose Automatic | 1 to 5 ml | Small, repeated doses |
| HSW Eco-Matic Drencher | 30 ml | Adjustable gun from Henke-Sass Wolf |
| Drench-gun Automatic | 80 ml | A series of animals one after another |
| Drench-gun | 300 ml | Larger portion per animal |
| Ingeef Easy Drencher | up to 2.5 l | Cattle and calves, with green nozzle |
Drenching safely
A tube or probe must go into the oesophagus, not the windpipe. Have your vet or an experienced colleague guide you the first few times, and check the position before you pump. Give the liquid calmly, so the cow can swallow. DrenchVet Energy, Keto Boost, Acido and Recover and the Cow Drench mixes are complementary feeds; they do not treat disease. A cow that is not eating or will not get up needs a vet.
Drenching often goes hand in hand with care around calving and boluses. You drench calves with a calf drencher from calf rearing. Syringes and needles are in injection and syringes; all topics are in everything for cattle.
Frequently asked questions
Hand pump or battery pump on a cow drencher?
With a hand pump you do not depend on a battery; a battery-powered pump is faster and less tiring if you drench often or give large volumes.
Can I also drench calves with a cow drencher?
For calves, use a smaller calf drencher or oesophageal feeder with a suitable tube; those are in calf rearing.
Are DrenchVet powders medicines?
No, they are complementary feeds. To treat a sick cow, call in the vet.