PrecisionFEEDING

Harvestore FeedScan™ PrecisionFEEDING systems increase milk production and decrease feed cost by taking the guess work out of feed rations.

Focus on PrecisionFEEDING

New Harvestore® FeedScan™ Precision Feeding System Delivers Instant On-Farm Analysis of Dry Matter Content For Improved Feed Efficiency

A new innovation in precision feeding for livestock that automatically adjusts rations for variations in the dry matter content of feed entering TMR mixers was introduced at World Dairy Expo today by CST. The new Harvestore® FeedScan™ Precision Feeding System’s infrared technology helps dairy producers to more precisely match nutritionist recommendations by instantly measuring dry matter and other nutrient content of feed flowing over a Harvestore feed conveyor.

FeedScan is for use only with Harvestore Storage Systems. CST is also the North American distributor for the dg precisionFEEDING™ System manufactured by dinamica generale® of Poggio Rusco, Italy, which brings the same real-time, on-farm feed analysis to dairy producers with concrete bunker silos and storage in plastic bags.

FeedScan brings the real-time accuracy of NIR technology to the farm versus an off-site laboratory where results may take days. With FeedScan, producers instantly know dry matter content and can increase feed efficiency by not under- or over-feeding dry matter based on aging data.

By using real-time information, it’s now possible to decrease the more expensive ingredients in the ration, cutting costs, while improving herd health and boosting weight gain, production of milk, butterfat and protein, while minimizing feed refusal.

Forage Variability Can Make Feeding Pure Guesswork

Every day, producers across North America lose thousands of dollars through inefficient feeding because of the time lag between testing moisture and laboratory nutrient analysis and actual ration mixing — an average default measurement for nutritionist rations — but they will not reflect the higher or lower actual moisture content and nutrient value of the feed fed days or weeks later.

At best, nutrient value of feedstuffs is generally within a range, but is not precise. Ingredient moisture varies as it’s loaded into storage, components may be inaccurately weighed and dry matter and nutrients may be only a general guess based on old information.

As a result, nutritionists are required to recommend overfeeding essential nutrients to provide a safety margin to account for an anticipated variability in feedstuffs — they want to assure their ration recommendations meet the herd’s minimal nutritional needs. If the nutritionists know dry matter targets will be accurate, they can fine-tune rations to reduce feed costs, and not risk production drops.

Oftentimes, sending a forage sample into a laboratory for analysis is done only after the fat test or milk production has dropped, providing a retrospective analysis of why.

PrecisionFEEDING system addresses these issues by providing real time analysis and feedback to optimize feeding.