Der erste selbstfahrende Futtermischwagen von KEENAN

Innovativ und leistungsstark

• Mit einer Kapazität von 16 m³ stellt dieser erste Selbstfahrer von KEENEN die bewährten MechFiber Mischung her
• Verfügt zudem über ein Heavy-Duty Antriebssystem mit versiegeltem Ölbad
• Das mechanische Getriebe von Storti senkt den Kraftstoffverbrauch um bis zu 25%
• Die Entnahmefräse erhält die Faserstruktur der Komponenten und unterstützt eine optimale Mischqualität
• Hohe Bedienerfreundlichkeit:
  - Zwei Videokameras und ein Kabinenmonitor unterstützen Kontrolle und Übersicht
  - Luftgefederter Sitz
  - Klimaanlage, optional erhältlich
• Niedrige Betriebskosten
• Niedriger Geräuschpegel
• Gleichmäßiger Futteraustrag erfolgt über ein einstellbares Förderband vorne links oder rechts
• Standardmäßig mit einem KEENAN Controller ausgestattet, dies ist eine Wiegebox, die durch ein innovatives Management der Total-Misch-Ration zur Optimierung der Futtereffizienz beiträgt

Entnahmefräse

Schnell, vielseitig und präzise

Mit der hydraulisch angetriebenen Fräskopf-Technologie von Storti und dem Hochleistungsmotor von Iveco wurde der Selbstfahrer von KEENAN so konzipiert, dass eine Vielzahl von Rationskomponenten schnell und effizient geladen werden können.

Die mit Wolfram-beschichteten Messer der Entnahmefräse sind versetzt angeordnet. Sie schneiden selbst kompakte Silagen ohne die Faserstruktur zu beschädigen. Darüber hinaus hinterlässt die Entnahmefräse eine saubere Schnittfläche und unterstützt ein optimales Silomanagement.

Die spezielle Anordnung der Messer sowie die Beschaffenheit des Ladekanals, ermöglichen eine Drehung der Fräse in beide Richtungen. Ein Hochgeschwindigkeitsladeband reduziert die Mischzeit.

Antriebssystem

Durchdachte Konstruktion, einfache Wartung

Die Antriebskraft des Motors wird durch ein speziell entwickeltes Getriebe auf eine Gelenkwelle übertragen und an das Sechs-Paddel Haspelmischwerk weitergeleitet. Dieses mechanische Antriebssystem reduziert den Kraftstoffverbrauch um bis zu 25% sowie die Wartungskosten.

Im Vergleich zum Hydraulikantrieb ist das Risiko gegenüber teuren Ersatzteilen und Ausfallzeiten geringer. Das Mischwerk kann jederzeit aus der Kabine mithilfe einer elektrohydraulischen Steuerung ein- und ausgeschaltet werden.

Zertifizierter Service und Original-Ersatzteile von KEENAN

Ein hervorragender Service ist uns wichtig. Ziel ist es, unseren Kunden dabei zu helfen ihre Herdenleistung zu steigern und technisch bestmöglich zu unterstützen. Dies ist wesentlicher Bestandteil unserer Philosophie.   

Seit Jahren setzen wir neue Maßstäbe bei der Leistung unserer Futtermischwagen, der Zuverlässigkeit sowie beim Kundendienst. Alle unsere Mischwagen sind auf optimale Ergebnisse und eine lange Nutzungsdauer ausgelegt.  

Zertifizierte Servicepunkte sorgen für fachmännische Unterstützung 

Werden KEENAN Futtermischwagen ordnungsgemäß genutzt und gewartet, kann ein störungsfreier Betrieb über Jahre garantiert werden. Fachgerechte und regelmäßige Wartungsarbeiten sind für die Nutzungsdauer als auch für die Gewährleistung absolut notwendig.  

Unsere geschulten und autorisierten Techniker nutzen ausschließlich Original KEENAN Ersatzteile. Diese wurden speziell für KEENAN Futtermischwagen entwickelt, getestet und haben sich weltweit bewährt.  

Die Original KEENAN Heavy-duty Bodenmesser sind wolframbeschichtet. Sie sind selbstschärfend und bieten eine optimale Schnitt- und Mischleistung. Darüber hinaus unterstützen sie die Nutzungsdauer und tragen zu einem geringeren Kraftstoffverbrauch und Energiebedarf bei.  

Auf diese Weise stellen wir eine bestmögliche Zuverlässigkeit der KEENAN Futtermischwagen sicher. Darüber hinaus werden die fütterungsphysiologischen Vorteile der Mischung unterstützt, die nur mit einem KEENAN erzielt werden können. Diese Vorteile wurden in unabhängigen Versuchsreihen immer wieder aufs Neue bestätigt.  

Unsere Servicepunkte sind für Sie da 

Unsere Servicepartner bieten Ihnen fachgerechte Beratung und individuelle Betreuung. Gemeinsam tragen wir dazu bei, dass Sie lange Freude an Ihrem Futtermischwagen haben und der Wiederverkaufswert erhalten bleibt.  

Finden Sie Ihren KEENAN-Servicepunkt vor Ort! 

Mit 28 m³ Fassungsvermögen und einer Nutzlast von bis zu 10.000 kg ist der MechFiber400+ der größte Futtermischwagen in der MechFiber Baureihe. Trotz seiner hohen Mischkapazität benötigt er eine Mindestleistung von nur 120 PS. Im Vergleich zu Mischwagen ähnlicher Größe kann der Kraftstoffbedarf reduziert werden. Dieses Modell ist standardmäßig mit Tandemachsen ausgestattet. Optional sind Lenkachsen erhältlich, die eine hervorragende Wendigkeit auf kleinen Flächen möglich machen.  

Das Antriebssystem ist mit vier Antriebsketten in einem geschlossenen Ölbad ausgestattet. Somit wird eine optimale Schmierung des Antriebes gewährleistet und die Wartung vereinfacht. Diese Zentralschmierung ist beim MechFiber400 standardmäßig. Dieses Modell ist bei Landwirten beliebt, die an einer hochwertigen Total-Misch-Ration in bewährter MechFiber Qualität interessiert sind und wert auf eine maximale Arbeitsleistung legen. 

Eigenschaften 

• Erhältlich mit der preisgekrönten InTouch Fütterungsmanagement Technologie  
• Automatische Schmierung des Antriebssystems durch versiegeltes Ölbad, minimiert Belastung auf Ketten und Kettenräder 
• Verschiedene Ausfütterungsoptionen erhältlich, um den betrieblichen Anforderungen gerecht zu werden  
• Lieferbar mit dem BallenProfi zur Verarbeitung einer Vielzahl von Grundfuttermitteln  
• Zur Herstellung der patentierten MechFiber Mischung  
• Als gezogene oder stationäre Variante erhältlich 

Mit einem Fassungsvermögen von 24 m³ und einer Nutzlast von 9.000 kg wurde der KEENAN MF380+ für Betriebe entwickelt, die bis zu 150 Milchkühe oder 350 Mastrinder mit einer Ladung füttern. Die Wendigkeit des MechFiber380+ ist mit der des MechFiber365+ vergleichbar. Aufgrund von Änderungen im Design des Maschinenkörpers, konnte der Leistungsbedarf reduziert werden. Zwei große Fiberglastüren ermöglichen einen einfachen Zugang zur versiegelten Ölwanne und erleichtern die Wartung des Antriebssystems. Eine spezielle Anordnung der Bodenmesser sorgt für eine homogene Zerkleinerung aller Arten von Futterkomponenten, ohne dass der Leistungsbedarf steigt.  

Eigenschaften 

• Erhältlich mit der preisgekrönten InTouch Fütterungsmanagement Technologie  
• Automatische Schmierung des Antriebssystems durch versiegeltes Ölbad, minimiert Belastung auf Ketten und Kettenräder 
• Zugang zum Antriebssystem für Service- und Wartungsarbeiten erleichtert 
• Verschiedene Ausfütterungsoptionen erhältlich, um den betrieblichen Anforderungen gerecht zu werden  
• Lieferbar mit dem BallenProfi zur Verarbeitung einer Vielzahl von Grundfuttermitteln  
• Zur Herstellung der patentierten MechFiber Mischung  
• Als gezogene oder stationäre Variante erhältlich 

Das spezielle Design des KEENAN MechFiber350+ macht ihn zum perfekten Mittelklasse-Modell. Dieser Futtermischwagen ermöglicht Mischungen mit dichten und faserreichen Futtermitteln. Ihre breite Mischkammer bietet ausreichend Platz für ein schonendes Umwälzen zur Herstellung der einzigartigen MechFiber Mischung. Mit einem Fassungsvermögen von 17 m³ können etwa 100 Kühe mit einer Ladung gefüttert werden. Die hoch angelegte Schnecke des MF350+ ermöglicht eine Ausfütterung in hohe Tröge.

Eigenschaften 

• Erhältlich mit der preisgekrönten InTouch Fütterungsmanagement Technologie  
• Lieferbar mit dem BallenProfi zur Verarbeitung einer Vielzahl von Grundfuttermitteln  
• Zur Herstellung der patentierten MechFiber Mischung  
• Hohe Förderschnecke für problemloses Ausfüttern in hohe Tröge
• Optional ist ein automatisches Schmiersystem für optimale Schmierung des Antriebssystems lieferbar 
• Mit einem einfachen Zwei-Ketten-Antriebssystem, vereinfacht Wartungsarbeiten 
• Als gezogene oder stationäre Variante erhältlich 

Bei dem MechFiber340+ & 345+ wurde die Grundfläche des MechFiber320+ beibehalten. Er besitzt eine größere Mischkammer und eine bis zu 35 % höhere Mischkapazität. Somit erlaubt dieser Mischwagen eine optimale Verarbeitung aller Arten von Futterkomponenten. Dieser Mischwagen ist sehr beliebt bei Betrieben mit bis zu 100 Kühen oder 200 Mastrindern. Als erstes Modell dieser Baureihe verfügt der MechFiber345+ über eine Ölwanne, die für eine automatische Schmierung der Ketten sorgt. Dies unterstützt einfache Wartungsarbeiten und eine lange Nutzungsdauer. Der MechFiber340+ hat im Gegensatz zum MechFiber345+ eine hohe Anhängung und keine Ölwanne. Mit dem BallenProfi lassen sich bei diesen Maschinen Rund- und Quaderballen einfach in die Mischung mit aufnehmen. 

Eigenschaften  

• Erhältlich mit der preisgekrönten InTouch Fütterungsmanagement Technologie  
• Mit automatischer Schmierung des Antriebssystems durch versiegeltes Ölbad, minimiert die Belastung auf Ketten und Kettenräder 
• Lieferbar mit dem BallenProfi zur Verarbeitung einer Vielzahl von Grundfuttermitteln  
• Zur Herstellung der patentierten MechFiber Mischung  
• Verschiedenen Ausfütterungsoptionen verfügbar  
• Als gezogene oder stationäre Variante erhältlich 

Wet or humid conditions, delays and stress from extreme temperatures can all elevate the risk of mold in grain, said Dr Alexandra Weaver of Alltech Inc, a Kentucky-based feed supplement company. Some types of mold can produce mycotoxins in feedgrains that can sicken livestock, and farmers are forced to sell damaged grain at a steep discount.

Click here for the full article. 

Der MechFiber320+ gehört mit einer Kapazität von 14 m³ zu einem der beliebtesten Futtermischwagen der MechFiber Serie. Ein geringer Leistungsbedarf, vielseitige Einsatzmöglichkeiten plus die Fähigkeit einen BallenProfi zu integrieren machen dieses Modell zu einer idealen Maschine für mittlere Betriebe. Der MF320+ erlaubt zudem einen Futteraustrag bis zu einer Troghöhe von 1.181 mm ohne weitere Anpassungen. 

Eigenschaften  

• Erhältlich mit der preisgekrönten InTouch Fütterungsmanagement Technologie  
• Lieferbar mit dem BallenProfi zur Verarbeitung einer Vielzahl von Grundfuttermitteln  
• Zur Herstellung der patentierten MechFiber Mischung  
• Verschiedene Ausfütterungsoptionen verfügbar, auch für hohe Futtertröge  
• Mit einem einfachen Zwei-Ketten-Antriebssystem, vereinfacht Wartungsarbeiten 
• Optional ist ein automatisches Schmiersystem für optimale Schmierung des Antriebssystems lieferbar 
• Als gezogene oder stationäre Variante erhältlich 

Der Erfolg liegt in der
Mischung

Are your minerals going down the drain?

Minerals are often overlooked in a dry cow diet in terms of quality and quantity. It’s important to note that the mineral status of our forages can vary significantly. A mineral analysis is the only accurate way to know the mineral status of your forage to allow you to make an informed choice of an appropriate mineral supplement. Mineral labels can be difficult to interpret, and farmers may not be fully aware of what minerals are being supplied. To ensure the cow is getting what she needs, ask your supplier what the daily mineral supply is, as well as what form the minerals are in. 

On many farms throughout the country, producers are using minerals containing inorganic salts of trace minerals, such as sodium selenite and copper sulphate. However, this form of trace mineral is not what the animal has evolved to use. The soil contains inorganic minerals, which are then taken up by the plant (e.g. grass) and converted to organic forms of minerals. The animal then eats the plant containing minerals in this organic form. Inorganic minerals cannot be stored by the animal and, therefore, do not allow mineral reserves to be built up for times of stress, such as calving or disease.

Feeding trace minerals in their organic form such as the Bioplex range of chelated organic trace minerals copper and zinc and Sel-Plex, an organic form of selenium from Alltech, lead to these minerals being absorbed at higher levels, stored and utilised by the animal. This helps to build the cow’s immune system and offers her greater protection from metabolic diseases during stressful times and helps improves overall cow performance, such as supporting udder health and reproductive function (Figure 1).

Feeding Bioplex and Sel-Plex minerals has also shown to reduce age at calving for first-lactation heifers by 26 days, who’s dams were fed these minerals during the dry cow period compared to dam’s fed a control (Figure 2).

Figure 2

Dry cow video series

Why is the dry cow period important?

Successful transition from the dry period into lactation is one of the most critical moments in a dairy cow’s lactation. It will have a direct impact on milk production, cow health and reproductive performance during the subsequent lactation.

Click here to find out more.

Feeding the dry cow

Feeding the dry cow is fundamental to InTouch’s nutrition, and there is on-going research and many different ways of implementing a dry cow diet, all of which should have the same outcome: The cow calves down by herself with no metabolic issues and reaches her peak yield, maintains this and goes back in-calf as quickly as possible.

The InTouch dry cow programme is a controlled energy high fibre diet (CEHF). It is a simple system that provides a single TMR diet throughout the dry cow period. The use of a controlled energy dry cow diet is beneficial for peripartum health, dry matter intake (DMI) and productivity.

To put this into practice, the BCS of the herd is determined, as is her maintenance energy requirement, based on the silage analysis, which is 100MJ or 8.6UFL. DMI should be set and monitored at around 11 kilograms DM and under 12 kilograms DM for Large Holstein herds with adequate protein levels. For further information, contact InTouch. We can advise on best practice and can even monitor DMI.

There has been a lot of silage made this year, and while the temptation is to feed silage only, this will have a detrimental impact on BCS and DMI. Intake will not be controlled, as a dry cow can eat 13–15 kilograms DM from silage alone. Silages are good in general this year, so feeding a 70 DMD silage for 60 days could give more than 130MJ of energy per day. This will result in a high BCS at calving, mentioned above.

To control intakes and dilute quality of silages while maintaining rumen, fill straw is used. This can vary between 2.5–5 kilograms, depending on forage quality. Straw will also help to dilute the potassium, which is common at over 2% in Irish forages. Straw has returned to normal prices this year, so availability should not be an issue. This straw should be chopped from four to five centimetres and care should be taken when processing. Over-processing will promote intakes and under-processing will promote rejection of the ration, sorting and suboptimal intakes.

It is also recommended to include a small amount of protein in the form of soya. This promotes good rumen function, meaning the dungs are not excessively stiff. Studies have also shown that an increase in the protein content of the diet will increase the quality of colostrum. Some form of concentrate is also desired to allow the rumen bacteria to adapt quickly to consume high amounts post-calving. 

Survey results from 277 farms and 24,470 cows showed that implementing this diet correctly led to a 60% reduction in metabolic events, such as milk fever, afterbirths and displacements (Colman et al, 2011).

Dry cow video series

Why is the dry cow period important?

Successful transition from the dry period into lactation is one of the most critical moments in a dairy cow’s lactation. It will have a direct impact on milk production, cow health and reproductive performance during the subsequent lactation.

Click here to find out more.

Management for Dry Cow Systems

At farm-level, management can be an issue when implementing a correct dry cow system. Seasonal calving and compact calving are ideal, but not without flaws. In a spring calving system, the blueprint is to have 90% of the herd calving in six weeks. The herd goes completely dry around Christmas week and are all going to get around 60 days dry. This does not happen in most cases, with the average six-week calving at 68%. If the herd is all dried off together, then there will be some cows getting up to 100 days dry. These are the cows which will become over-conditioned and have issues when calving.

Best practice should always be followed where possible and always bear in mind that changes made in the dry period can have a knock-on effect throughout the lactation. Group changes can have a negative impact on dry matter intake. Dry cows should be moved to the calving box no closer than 14 days pre-calving (where possible, as this would require a large amount of space, due to the compact calving system). If movement is required immediately, then pre-calving as late as possible (water bag, feet showing) is the correct procedure.

Dry cows need one cubicle/cow and one feed space and 90% of a stocking rate three weeks pre-calving. A feed space would be considered at around two feet per cow, so 100 dry cows would need 200 feet of feed space. This often seems to be an oversight on farms when deciding how many cows they can house.

Clean water should always be available for dry cows. A rough guideline of five centimetres of trough length should be available. Cleaning troughs is essential, as faecal matter will build up. This should be done weekly.

If cows are at grass then, preferably, they are housed for a month pre-calving and are stocked at 25 cows/ha and given a dry cow diet including minerals. There should be very little grass on this paddock and dry cows should not be used to clean up after milkers.

Management of dry cow feed is important. Pit face and forages used should be monitored carefully for moulds. Moulds can cause many issues in dry cows that might not come to the surface until post-calving, such as abortions or metritis. Mouldy silage should not be fed, and if there is a suspicion of mould, a mycotoxin binder, such as Mycosorb A+®, should be used.

Where there are no feed troughs, feed should be pushed in four to five times per day. Weekly cleaning of feed troughs is required, as feed will build up and become mouldy, which will depress intakes. If feeding a TMR to dry cows feed troughs does not guarantee intakes, there can often be sorting which is not observed. If feeding for two days, heating can occur.

Dry cow video series

Why is the dry cow period important?

Successful transition from the dry period into lactation is one of the most critical moments in a dairy cow’s lactation. It will have a direct impact on milk production, cow health and reproductive performance during the subsequent lactation.

Click here to find out more.

The importance of condition scoring dry cows

The body condition score (BCS) of cows at the different stages of the lactation cycle needs to be monitored. The scale of 1–5 is used — 1 being skin and bone and 5 being over-fat. The three most critical stages to monitor BCS are at drying off (BCS 3), calving (BCS 3–3.25) and breeding (minimum of BCS 2.75). If 90% of the herd is within this range at each stage, there should be few issues at calving and high conception rates at breeding.

There are different issues associated with high and low BCS at calving. High BCS can have a negative effect on NEFA (non-esterified fatty acid) levels, BHB (beta-hydroxybutyrate) concentration and blood calcium levels.

NEFA levels are a good measure of negative energy balance post calving leading to metabolic disorders such as ketosis. Studies have shown that the ideal condition post-calving (BCS 3.25) produced less NEFA compared to fatter cows (BCS 4). This meant that cows in ideal condition lost less weight post calving. Further research shows that these cows will have a longer interval from calving to first service and depressed peak milk yield

On the opposite side, cows in low BCS (less than 2.5) are less likely to go back in-calf, milk yield is reduced and more inclined toward lameness.

Dry cow video series

Why is the dry cow period important?

Successful transition from the dry period into lactation is one of the most critical moments in a dairy cow’s lactation. It will have a direct impact on milk production, cow health and reproductive performance during the subsequent lactation.

Click here to find out more.

Technology is disrupting and changing every aspect of the agriculture industry, and, for the most part, farmers are embracing it. Already, autonomous robots are taking over the milking of cows, grading of fruit and vegetables and many other duties on farms around the world. Advancements in electric-powered vehicles could also mean that, before long, we will be enjoying the near-silent purr of electric, eco-friendly tractors in our fields. With $2 billion invested in ag-tech in 2018, this is just the tip of the agriculture technology iceberg!

As far as innovation and investment go, however, there is one section of the industry that is struggling to keep up with the rest: feed management technology. At the same time that drones are surveying our land and self-driving machines are harvesting our crops, many farmers are still managing their feeding using old, outdated technologies — or, in some cases, pen and paper.

This seems to be a major oversight of the industry, considering the potential savings and efficiencies at stake. Animal feed and nutrition is one of the most critical areas on livestock farms, accounting for up to 70% of the cost of production (COP). A modern solution that could help to increase feed efficiency should be shouted from the rooftops!

Thankfully, while feed management technology may be bringing up the rear in terms of innovation, it still has not dropped out of the race altogether. There are many established names currently offering platforms that are both effective and affordable.

The benefits of using modern feed management tools are indisputable. Both in the long and the short term, updating your methods of managing feed on-farm has the potential to improve not only herd output but also overall herd health.

Maximize income over feed cost (IOFC)

IOFC is a critical measure in driving farm profitability. One of the key benefits of using feed management technology is the ability to continually track and maximize this figure. Central features of such a platform include the precise loading of individual ingredients and the subsequent TMR mixing, tracking of feed intakes, management of feed costs and the direct linking of outputs to inputs — all contributory factors in optimizing IOFC. Where IOFC is not meeting targets, problems are quickly identified, and necessary changes can be made in real time.

Feed inventory management

Keeping track of feed inventory on-farm is a notoriously manual task that usually involves significant guesswork. This leads to farmers carrying too much feed, tying up both space and capital, or too little feed, which presents a whole different set of management challenges. Feed inventory management is a common feature within most feed management platforms, allowing farmers to accurately monitor and balance quantities of feed given to the animals against quantities of feed held on-farm. Depending on the system, automatic alerts notify when stock levels reach a certain point, and in some cases, automatic re-ordering (via links to feed mills) can be set up.

Cows crave consistency

What is the one thing that cows love more than anything else? Consistency. Cows are creatures of habit, and a consistent management routine leads to optimal dairy production. This is especially true for feeding; the more consistent a cow's daily diet, the better the cow will perform in terms of milk output, fertility and overall health. Any disruption to a cow’s rumen environment can quickly result in sub-optimal output, an issue that can take weeks to reverse. Feed management technology allows for the precise loading and feed-out of each ration, ensuring that animals will receive a consistent diet every day. When combined with a diet feeder, such as a KEENAN MechFiber, the software can tell farmers the optimal loading order of the ration. This means that the end product is the best-quality mix possible. It also helps to negate any human error, so no matter who is loading the machine, the result is always the same.

Make it easy for anyone to do the feeding

On most farms, there is usually one person assigned to manage the feeding operation and ensure that the correct protocols are followed each day. However, what happens if that person is not available and the person who fills in is not as attentive to good feeding practices? Overall cow performance and health can quickly suffer if diets change from one user to the next. Using technology to manage feeding on-farm ensures that, no matter who is in charge, once they follow the loading and unloading instructions provided by the feeding system, diet consistency should not be compromised. This guide to TMR feeding is almost foolproof. Equally, as all data is recorded, it is easy to identify if labor performance has not met the expected standards. 

Control of feed cost

Of course, there is another major benefit to this precision: control of feed cost. This is where feed management software can really make a difference on-farm. By taking stock of what ration goes into the mix, as well as the amount, the program can keep on top of costs, so the farmer knows exactly how much they are spending. Beyond this, by ensuring that the animal's diet offers optimal efficiency, further savings can be made by removing wasted feedstock from the process.

Progress reporting and data-sharing

The abilities of feed management software go far beyond the day-to-day running of a farm. As it is monitoring diets and ration stocks, the program is also recording and storing all of the data it collects. This means that farmers have access to a library of information at the push of a button. They can generate detailed graphs and reports that illustrate what has gone before, helping them to make informed decisions about the future.

Bringing this feature one step further is the cloud-based technology of modern feed management software. By availing of these wireless capabilities, farmers can share information and data with employees, meaning that everyone can be kept up-to-date and share advice. Equally, where access to the technology is provided to the farm’s third-party consultants, communication is improved, and adjustments to animal diets can be made in a more proactive and timely manner, without the need for consultants to be on-farm.

Adaptability

Another great benefit to the cloud-based aspect of modern feed management software is that it opens the program up to previously unseen flexibility and adaptability. Many programs can now link up and operate in conjunction with other management software that a farmer may be using. For example, a farmer in the dairy industry may be using one program for feed and another for herd and milk production. By allowing these programs to work in tandem, dairy farm data management becomes more streamlined, saves time and, most importantly, allows for the generation of more actionable insights.

The thing to remember is that the points outlined here are not just something that farmers can hope to take advantage of in the future. There are already numerous established companies offering technologies to help deliver on these promises. Furthermore, there is a noticeable upsurge of dairy ag-tech startups advancing on the pre-existing technology, meaning that dairy automated feeding technology might finally reach its much-needed potential in terms of agricultural innovation.

One such platform is InTouch. Cloud-based and combining the latest in hardware and software, InTouch manages the feeding of over 300,000 cows in 37 countries worldwide each day. As part of Alltech, InTouch utilizes user-friendly dashboards and reporting tools to provide farmers and nutritionists with the most relevant insights and analytics for delivering optimum nutrition to the herd.

Collaboration with other on-farm technologies is a key principle of InTouch, which is the reason behind the recent announcement of its integration with UNIFORM-Agri, one of the world’s leading herd-management software providers. Collaborations like this reduce the need for the manual input of data, deliver more effective insights and ultimately enable both farmers and nutritionists to work together to make more informed herd-management decisions.

Continuing the tradition of innovation at InTouch, the team showcased InTouchGo at ONE: The Alltech Ideas Conference in 2019. Currently in the proof-of-concept stage, this all-new technology uses advanced analytics and features — like machine learning — to deliver automatic ration recommendations directly to the farmer’s smartphone in response to changes in milk output.

Alltech’s commitment to a Planet of Plenty™ also features in the InTouch vision. Modern agriculture is under continuous pressure to demonstrate its sustainability credentials, and increased animal productivity has been shown to reduce the amount of methane produced per unit of milk or meat. Feed conversion efficiency, one of the most widely used measures of animal productivity, is the measure by which livestock convert feed into milk or meat. Adapting technologies like InTouch to increase feed conversion efficiency as part of a wider on-farm nutritional strategy may be one solution to this growing and complex challenge.

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