In this stable are not enough places for the cows

automatic feeding in a tie-up stable

Problems and solutions

Problems:

Feeding racks

If there are not enough places, the problem is that some of the so called weaker cows have to move away from the stronger cows.

When we asked farmers if they had problem with the food rack they said sometimes because cows can hang themselfs  in a rack

concentrate boxes

Some farmers had problems with concentrate boxes. The biggest problem was when a cow goes to eat, another cow could come and disturb the eating cow so much that cow leaves and other cow could go and eat the food..

Food spaces

Some farmers didn't have enough places for cows, so it can be a problem if cows are hungry and you turn food for the rack and all cows will eat at the same time and that is not possible.

Solutions:

feeding rack

A solution for this is that every cow has enough space to eat, so cows don’t have to make space for other cows.

Food space

Solution for concentrated box problem is to put back gates on every concentrated box. One farmer whom we visited in Finland shows us how good a back gate really is. When a cow has eaten, the gate will open and cow can go out. We think that it’s not such a big investment to make a back gate for all concentrated boxes. 

On ne farm calves food places was organized very well. There was a food machine where calves could eat. We think that this was a good system. Every calf gets fresh food every time when they want to eat.

Safety fance

There is a solution for the hang up problem.  Some farmers we have visited with new stables had chosen for a cow a safe feeding rack. It means that when a cow is slipping down and falling she can pull her head out of the feeding rack ,because you can flip over tube in two ways.  

Timing

Throw  food on the rack before cows are hungry, but this is only a temporary solution.

Feeding ally

In the most stables the floor is one height but in new stables the floor is built the built 20cm. higher than the grating floor, The main reason for the higher floor is that in when a cow is eating  in nature, she stands one foot in front of the other one, so the head is lower towards the ground. But a cow cannot do this in a stable, because the feed rack is standing on the way and that is why the floor is built higher.  Cows can reach  food more easily and a cow will eat more..

The floor being higher the farmer can also stand higher and can better look after the cows.

We also visited a farm where there was  a wall under the feed rack.  The farmer had built the wall too thick and he also had an increase in front of the feed rack. The reason for building this was that he was afraid when the automatics grating cleaner comes that cows will have problems with their legs. But afterwards he wasn’t very happy about it because cows' backs weren’t strait during eating and that is not a good thing for a cow.

Back to "Food supply"

Page updated 23.5.2006