Lely North America has standardized the installation of the 'commodity feeder' on the Lely Astronaut A5 robotic milking system, which makes it possible to feed non-pelleted feed. Two years ago, the commodity feeder was introduced as an option and it is currently used by hundreds of robotic milkers worldwide.
The milking robot is the ideal place to supplement the PMR (partial mixed ration) at the feeding fence with individual portions per cow. The taste of this concentrate is an extra incentive for many cows to visit the milking robot. Lely now offers the commodity feeder as the standard solution in order to save feed costs.
Optimal rations at a lower cost
By using loose raw materials (such as barley, oats, corn or a combination) instead of the relatively expensive compound feed, it is possible to feed more economically. This solution can result in considerable savings, especially for self-sufficient dairy farms. In addition, the farm is less dependent on feed processors and price fluctuations.
The operation of the system depends on the dry matter percentage, the particle size and the stickiness of the feed type. The commodity feeder is also available as an upgrade kit and can easily be mounted on already installed Lely Astronaut A5 and A4 models (in operation from July 2013). The upgrade kit is now available from the local Lely Centers.
