Tube feeding vs. bottle feeding is one of those decisions producers make fast in the moment, but this study actually dug into whether the method itself changes outcomes. Researchers compared IgG absorption, how quickly the stomach empties, and plasma hormone levels between calves tube fed and bottle fed colostrum. For anyone defaulting to tube feeding purely for speed or convenience, this gets at whether that choice is neutral or whether it's trading off something physiologically.
"The effect of tube versus bottle feeding colostrum on immunoglobulin G absorption, abomasal emptying, and plasma hormone concentrations in newborn calves" — M. Desjardins-Morrissette, J.K. van Niekerk, D. Haines, T. Sugino, M. Oba, M.A. Steele. J Dairy Sci. 2018 May;101(5):4168-4179.
