PARTNER FEATURE ▶▶▶
Automatic feeding doesn’t just save on labour
When the Groot Roessink family’s cows return to the barn after a morning of grazing, a tailor-made ration is waiting for them. The cows have been fed automatically with the Lely Vector since the beginning of the year.
BY MARIJE HOSPES, LELY T
he family farm in Baak (NL) is run by Ton Groot Roes- sink, his partner Kim and parents Anton and An- neke. Together, they work passionately on further developing and optimising their farm and making it
more sustainable. In this respect, cow health is a priority. “We want to take steps towards a sustainable future that’s
right for us,” explains Ton. “Feeding more efficiently and reducing the farm’s CO2
footprint reflect this perfectly.”
Electric feeding “Our feed mixer was small and virtually worn out,” says Ton. “We weren’t specifically looking for a new feeding system, but we were given the opportunity to test an electric feed mixer. We loved the concept because it saves a lot of fuel, but the extra price compared to a traditional feed mixer was too high. “We continued our search for a feeding system suited to the size of our farm, with fuel savings, labour flexibility and par- ticularly labour savings all important factors. After looking around and asking the opinions of fellow livestock farmers, we ended up with the Vector automatic feeding system.”
Mixing quality a must Good mixing quality was important for Groot Roessink. “We still had some concerns about this aspect,” Ton admits. “We asked around at some other farms about their experiences, and they were positive,” he says. They confidently started using the Vector in late 2019. “Together with our feed advisor, we measured the mixing quality several times and in various places with a shaker box. The results everywhere along the feeding fence were great,” he says with satisfaction. “It’s a different way of working,” the farmer notes. “The cows are now given small portions several times a day. The Lely Center advisor and our feed advisor together optimised the settings after operational start-up, such as the loading sequence and the mixing time.”
The family farm in Baak (NL) is run by Ton Groot Roessink and his partner, Kim. 12
▶DAIRY GLOBAL | Volume 7, No. 5, 2020
Higher lactation figures of heifers The farmers feed the dairy cows, dry cows and the young stock five different rations. The cows are milked three times a day on the farm. “Feed intake is particularly high around milk- ing times. The Vector monitors the quantity of feed in front of the feed fence during its feed pushing round and provides extra feed where necessary. This means the cows always have fresh feed available,” explains Ton. “The lactation figures have
PHOTOS: ERNIE BUTS/LELY
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