FEED MANAGEMENT ▶▶▶
Exterior of the feed centre with roll-up doors for trucks to deliver feed raw materi- als to bunks.
Follendorf also points out that the raw materials are protect- ed from weather events like storms or rain. “In the old situa- tion, we stored part of the raw materials uncovered. You can imagine that part of the material is prone to be blown or washed away. So with the new feed centre, we have better consistency of the product, less shrink, and we can mix more accurately. It is the first-in first-out method. The trucks re- main outside, dump the raw materials and leave. This way, the older material is pushed forward to the inside and used first. Commodities like corn, grains and forage are added al- most every day. Some other raw materials that are used less are filled up every week or so. In about a week, the volume of one whole bunker is refreshed.” One dedicated employee is responsible for the mixing. He manages the operations room, situated in between the two mixers. The time that a mixer wagon comes in empty and comes back again after bringing the ration to the cows takes about 25 minutes. Each mixer wagon has a capacity of 13,600 kilogrammes. When the wagon picks up the feed at the feed centre, it keeps on mixing it all the way up till feeding it to the cows. Follendorf further explains that he formulated five different diets for the farm: for the lactating cows, post fresh cows, dry cows and heifers (two different diets). “Nutritionists like me formu- late diets, but this is the theory. You still have to prepare the ration, mix it, and bring it to the cows.” And it is important that the TMR is consistent for every cow in the group being fed. “The goal is to bring theory and practice as close as
8 ▶ ALL ABOUT FEED | Volume 25, No. 10, 2017
possible and actually feed what you have paid for. The feed centre is part of reaching this goal. But also for example pushing back the feed at the feed fence is important.” At the Statz farm, every two hours on average, the feed is pushed back (manually or by a robot), as this increases feed intake and minimises losses again.
Saving on feed costs For many dairy farmers, production costs against the milk prices remain a worry, so keeping feed costs under control is pivotal. According to Diamond V, the concept of minimising shrink is quite a well-known topic in the US and more dairy farms around the country are building tailor-made feed cen- tres to keep losses and feed costs under control. “Shrink has always been a concern, but mostly a term used in the feed industry, by feed millers,” Greene says. “But we notice that it becomes a common topic at farm level as well. More US farmers are starting to think about monitoring the feed bet- ter. So when we think of smart ways to improve production and efficiency at dairy farms, you have to start with making feed management more efficient.” For the Statz Brothers dairy farm, the investment in the feed centre is a ‘no brainer’. A quick calculation shows that a lot of money can be saved. With an average feed cost of €8 per cow per day, combined with a 5% reduction in shrink, the 4,400-cow Statz Brothers herd can save in theory over half a million US dollars per year on feed costs.
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