Feed pad with rubber matting hailed as game changer
For Otago farmers Michelle and Rogan Borrie, a newly constructed feed pad on one of their three farms has been a game changer.
Scheduled to appear at the German EuroTier Event in November, the self-driving DairyFeed F4500 is an electrically powered unit with a single vertical mixing auger.
Unlike mixer wagons fitted with milling heads, the machine is designed to be filled from feed bunkers, using a 2.2m³ tub to take care of weighing the main ingredients and additives for individual groups of animals. The robot mixes the contents and navigates around the farm using laser scanners and is fitted with obstacle detection sensors to ensure safety is maintained in all situations.
Configured with four wheels, two rigidly mounted mid-point assemblies carry the machine, while front and rear wheel take care of steering, with the machine capable of travelling up inclines of up to 10%.
Rations can be delivered to both the left and right sides of the machine, with any residual feed automatically pushed up to the feed fence by a deflector plate as the machine passes along the feed area. Linked to the company’s DairyNet herd management system, the robot can be monitored and controlled from a mobile device.
Initially available in key European markets from Q4 2022, Dairy- Feed F4500 will be available globally from 2023, with GEA noting that no major on-farm changes will be needed to install the system.
