increase font size
The OptiDuo makes feed more palatable for cows and reduces waste.
Building on its launch back in 2018, DeLaval has launched a new OptiDuo feed pushing robot, with a claim that using this technology can add up to three litres/ cow/day.
To back that claim, data from over 1,500 OptiDuos in the workplace has been collated to demonstrate time and labour savings made by users, but it has also showed multiple improvements in cow health.
“Constantly refreshing feed in feed barns or pads encourages cows to eat more, resulting in a more stable rumen and increased milk production,” says DeLaval feeding specialist Ludo Bols.
“OptiDuo will run up to 10 times a day and customers tell us that it appears to be stimulus for the animals to eat, because on every occasion, they return to the fence to eat more.”
The OptiDuo remixes forage, “freshening” the feed to make it more palatable and reduce waste. Featuring a layout that incorporates a twin-spiralled rotating auger and adaptive drive function the machine can work with a variety of forage types that need to be mixed and made available to cows 24 hours/day.
The latest model also allows the farmer the option of feeding concentrates, via an integral dispenser that can be filled while the machine is charging, allowing concentrates to be fed out and recorded throughout the day.
 |
|---|
|
The first OptiDuo was launched in 2018. |
The latest incarnation of OptiDuo features an impact-resistant engineering thermoplastic cover made from acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) – a product often used in motor vehicle production. On the control front, updated software collects more data that in turn is shared using DeLaval’s operating system.
The company notes that farmers with milking robots have reported that cow flow and robot visits have also improved with OptiDuo.
“On farms that have chosen to invest in milking robots, we have seen milk yields increase by up to three litres of milk/ cow/day,” Bols says.
“For those who have invested, OptiDuo has provided improved cow health, farm profitability, operational efficiency and milk yield.”
While it wouldn’t be unfair to call the LDV T60 “the poor man’s ute”, a change of distributor in 2023 has seen the brand raise its profile, while the recent arrival of the new LDV T60 Max Plus, will undoubtedly open the door to a wider audience for the brand.
Ag and Civil Machinery Direct, a division of Hamilton- based Waikato tractors, has recently been awarded the sole distribution in New Zealand for Kemper’s range of precision forage equipment.
While the name and technology remain unchanged and new machines will continue to carry the Novag name, all the assets, intellectual property and staff of the French manufacturer have been acquired by a new organisation called Agriculture Nouvelle Génération.
Recent rain has offered respite for some from the ongoing drought.
Having already hit the headlines for recycling broken 2.4 metre vineyard posts into 1.8 and 1.6 metre, half and quarter posts for agriculture, Repost recently hit the milestone of one million posts recycled, diverting the CCA treated posts from landfill.
A group of meat processing companies, directors and managers have been fined a total of $1.6 million for deliberately and illegally altering exported tallow for profit.
New Zealand’s top cheeses for 2025 have been announced and family-owned, Oamaru-based Whitestone Cheese is the big winner.
Waikato farmer, and Owl Farm demonstration manager, Jo Sheridan is the 2025 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
New Zealand’s special agricultural trade envoy Hamish Marr believes the outlook for the dairy sector remains strong.
Everyone from experienced veterinarians and young professionals to the Wormwise programme and outstanding clinics have been recognised in this year’s New Zealand Veterinary Association Te Pae Kīrehe (NZVA) awards.
OPINION: The Government's latest move to make freshwater farm plans more practical and affordable is welcome, and long overdue.
