Livestock 2012: New Lely Vector automatic feeding system
Freshly mixed rations as and when cattle require them, is claimed to be possible with the new Lely Vector which is a fully automatic feeding system.
Food – such as silage, straw, concentrates, blends and minerals – is stored in a “kitchen” area where a grab supported on a gantry is programmed to create rations by depositing set amounts of selected ingredients into a mobile mixer.
Mixed using a vertical auger, the unmanned 600kg capacity mixer then moves off to distribute the feed along barriers, its base rotating like the company’s Juno sweeper to push any existing feed and the new feed towards the cows.
A sensor detects the height of the feed and, if it exceeds a pre-set height, stops the feed out. Designed to feed both dairy and beef herds the system works round the clock and is capable, says Lely of feeding up to 300 cows. Price is in the region of ÂŁ100,000.
For more on this topic
See our Livestock 2012 event page