Dairy Event 2011: Retrofit parlour feeders at DELS

Dairy farmers looking to reduce feed wastage can take advantage of a new parlour feeder that can be retro-fitted to any parlour type.

The Flow Feed In-Parlour Feeder is being launched by Vaccar at this year’s Dairy Event and Livestock Show (6-7 September).

It is made from corrosion-resistant durable polyethylene, and available with a pre-drilled lid to receive an auger feed.

It is available in a range of colours and comes fully assembled upon delivery to the farm. It is capable of delivering 2.8kg/minute, and is powered by a 24v electric auger motor. The system costs £280 (+VAT) a unit.

Vaccar’s Simon Larner said feed inaccuracies of 3% were not uncommon, which on an average feeding of 5kg a cow a day would equate to 11t of wasted feed a year for a 200-cow herd.

“Accurate, robust parlour feeders are essential if best use is to be made of expensive concentrates. And tired and worn-out feeders result in inaccurate feed dispensing, leading to problems such as too much feed being dispensed and feed going to the wrong cows,” he added.

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