Written by William Kellett
Lely has standardised the installation of the ‘Commodity feeder’ on the Lely Astronaut milking robot, which makes it possible to feed non-pelleted feed to cows.
Two years ago, the Commodity feeder was introduced as an option and it is currently used by hundreds of robotic milkers worldwide.
Lely said that the milking robot is the ideal place to supplement the PMR (partial mixed ration) at the feeding fence with individual portions per cow.
The taste of this concentrate is an extra incentive for many cows to visit the milking robot.
Optimal rations to reduce cost
By using loose raw materials – such as barley, oats, corn or a combination – instead of the relatively expensive compound feed, Lely claims it is possible to feed more economically.
Lely said that for self-sufficient dairy farms, this solution can result in “considerable savings” and that in addition, the farm is less dependent on feed processors and price fluctuations.
The operation of the system depends on the dry matter (DM) percentage, the particle size and the stickiness of the feed type.
The Commodity feeder is also available as an upgrade kit and can be mounted on already installed Lely Astronaut robots of the A5 and A4 types (in operation since July 2013).
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