A new tubing gizmo is said to make feeding lambs kinder, easier, safer and faster

The Trusti Tuber for lambs and kid goats is being launched into the UK by Dairy Spares. The design ensures feeding is easy, quick and kind, and that milk/colostrum is safely delivered into the animal’s stomach.

It consists of a 240ml vial into which milk/colostrum from ewes/goats can be milked directly. The vial has a handle to make it easy to hold one-handed and a flat base so it remains upright when placed on a level surface.

Attached to this is a transparent, soft and flexible feeding tube with a large internal diameter to speed milk flow. At the end of the tube are safety stripes which show the operator the minimum distance the tube needs to be passed into the mouth so that the end goes past the animal’s airway, ensuring milk is delivered safely to the stomach and not the lungs.

To feed a lamb, you hold the animal’s head in one hand and gently pass the tube into its mouth with the thumb and index finger, until the safety stripes can no longer be seen. Milk is gravity-fed to the animal by raising the vial in the other hand.

Developed by New Zealand company, Antahi, which also markets a Trusti Tuber for calves.

The lamb version costs £14.85 plus VAT.