Liquid and viscous feed dispenser connected to the milking robot helps to optimize and individualize animal feeding and prevent metabolic diseases. The individual dosing of feed ensures the cow's full daily ration, it also helps to prevent certain metabolic diseases, and protects the cow at the milking site from competitive fighting in the herd.

Liquid and viscous feed dispenser was tested under natural production conditions by JSC Dotnuva Experimental Farm. The feed dispenser in a milking robot has been used in three milking parlors: one tank for liquid and viscous feeds with two separate dispensers for two milking sites, and one tank for liquid and viscous feeds with one dispenser for one milking site. The feed is automatically pumped from the tank into the dispenser. Dosing pumps are controlled by a computerized herd management system. The feed dispenser was used to distribute liquid minerals, molasses, supplements that prevents certain metabolic diseases. Liquid and viscous feeds were distributed individually to each animal via the feed dispenser. First of all, when a cow enters a milking box the device scans an individual animal number recorded in the tag. Then the prepared feed is poured to the feeder via a computer system. In the opinion of the Chief Zootechnician of the Farm (more than 30 years of work experience), the use of liquid and viscous feed dispenser to distribute the feed to cattle ensures accuracy and work safety, and it does not cause any stress to the animal. It is also easy to set dose rates.

Effect: Sustainable Farming

Argumentation: The dairy cows (taking into account their productivity) were individually supplied with all the essential nutrients needed to maintain a normal physiological processes and produce milk. This explains the 24 percent reduction in metabolic diseases of cattle on the farm. The applied innovation - the liquid and viscous feed dispenser did not have any influence on feed consumption on the farm.

Dotnuvos_eukis_methodology.pdf