Assessment of selected parameters of automatic and conventional equipment used in cattle feeding
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Faculty of Engineering, Department of Technological Equipment of Buildings, Kamýcká 129, CZ165 21 Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic
*Correspondence: vaculik@tf.czu.cz
Abstract:
A cattle farming is a very important sector of agriculture. In the Czech Republic, both breeds with ‘combined useful’ as well as ‘meat cattle’ are breeding, but especially ‘dairy cattle’ breeds. Providing feed at the right time, in required quantity and quality is the basis of successful breeding, especially in breeding dairy cows. Automatic systems are present in almost all sectors of human activity, and livestock production is no exception. Fully automatic feeding systems for pigs or poultry are already in use. The process of milking cattle using automated milking systems is also sufficiently mastered. An interesting trend is the installation of automated feeding systems for cattle feeding. They are stationary lines that perform the following operations: they dose the individual components of the feed mixture, mix the feed mixture and distribute it to the relevant feed places. All these activities are usually done without the presence of a person. The automated feeding system Lely Vector and the conventional feeding system using feeding wagon Cernin were compared. The number of automated feed wagon runs has been monitored and then the feed consumption was compared while using automatic and conventional equipment. The aim of this paper is to evaluate the benefits of an automatic feed system with regard to the conventional feed system through a mobile feed car.
Key words:
automated feeding system, cattle, conventional feeding system, feed, feeding, silage