Automatic cattle feeding system
A smart barn – that’s how the facility owned by Zbigniew Lisowski of Myslin in Mazowieckie Voivodeship can be called.
5 min. czytania
An intelligent barn – this is how the facility belonging to Zbigniew Lisowski from Myslin in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship can be called. The farm has an automatic feeding system for dairy cattle and a milking robot.The farmer is able to monitor and manage the herd remotely – this means greater independence, less labor and efficient use of feed.
The herd does not contain a large number of animals, but is heavily automated. The systems used save a lot of time and can be used for other work on the farm,” says Piotr Szybinski director of the cattle department at Agrocentrum Group. Together with Lukasz Kolobuz, Agrocentrum’s nutrition advisor, they visited the farmer.
Zbigniew Lisowski runs a farm focused on producing high-quality milk. With a herd of about 50 dairy cows, he manages to achieve yields of 34 liters per head per day, with parameters of protein – 3.5% and fat – 4.1%.
The free-stall cow barn was built in 2012. It is successively being equipped with systems to improve the work on the farm. In 2020, a feed robot started working. Which has influenced more efficient running of the farm, virtually maintenance-free feeding, increased herd health and, importantly, time savings. I finally have my days off, can spend more time with my family and have time for myself,” the farmer stresses.
An important factor in choosing the system was the economic aspect – an automatic feeding system uses much less energy. The daily energy consumption is impressive – over the past two years the robot has worked for $13 per day. It was also a cheaper alternative to buying a feed wagon with a tractor. In addition, it was possible to use EU funds to purchase the system.
How does the automatic feeding system for dairy cows and heifers work?
An automated feeding system in a barn consists of two parts: a feed kitchen and a mixing and loading robot. In the kitchen, feed is stored, weighed and loaded into a cart, while the robot mixes and distributes feed to individual feeding groups. A feed level sensor detects how much feed is on the feed table and replenishes it if necessary, while snacking on the feed. The robot feeds the animals 7 days a week around the clock, with virtually no intervention from the farmer.
The farmer’s job is to replenish the feed kitchen once every 2-5 days, depending on the needs and season. The system feeds several feeding groups by age group. The entire system is operated from a mobile app.
Feed kitchen
The livestock farmer placed the feed kitchen with a rack-mounted gripper and fodder traps in a barn that was modernized for this purpose. The room has the capacity to store feed for 5 days, and in the summer to keep the feed fresh he replenishes it every 2 days.
The feed kitchen contains roughage components for dairy cows and other cattle:
- straw
- haylage, which is fed to dairy cows and heifers
- corn silage
- molassed pulp
- brewer’s malt.
Concentrate feeds:
- vitamins
- buffer
- protein concentrate
- vitamins for heifers
- Feed your own corn and soybeans.
Smart nutrition for dairy cattle
Dairy cows take their feed efficiently, they don’t sort, and there is less underfeeding left on the table. The robot makes sure the animals are fed all the time.
I have noticed that cows take up more feed. It is worth noting that I have not noticed a decrease in intake during hot weather. The robot delivers smaller portions to them, 5-6 times a day. The dairy cows have a fresh ration. Intake is at a high level,” says Zbigniew Lisowski
Nutrition solutions
Cows receive Agrocentrum’s flagship cattle feeds designed for high-performance herds: Agro Finesia and Extra Energy for the milking robot, and concentrate and equalizer for the feed robot.
Agro Finezja protein feed
“Excellent protein feed (…) cows told me that this feed is good. It works well, there is high production,” assesses Piotr Lisowski.
- contains omega-3 fatty acids
- Energy – 1020 VEM
- 136 DVE
Agro Extra Energy – high energy feed for cattle
High-energy concentrate feed for cattle to support milk production during peak lactation. Contains fats protected from breakdown in the rumen.
- Total protein – 190g
- Energy – 1200 VEM
“Milking feed for freshly calved cows – cows get 3 kg of this feed in the ration, they are in excellent condition, there are no health problems,” emphasizes Zbigniew Lisowski
The automatic feeding system, combined with properly selected components of roughage and concentrates, allows to achieve optimal milk production. The robot is very precise – inflicting precisely measured and mixed fresh feed to each group of animals, several times a day. This saves time and reduces feed and fuel costs.
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