Many feed innovations at EuroTier 2018

Indoor pigs on straw

Big Dutchman: Hall 7, stand B21

German company Big Dutchman will present a concept for indoor pigs on straw. Their solution will be displayed as the Xaletto concept, combining odour reduction with higher animal welfare. The concept has a nutrition as well as a ventilation component and an automatic straw dispensing system. The aim is to let biology do her work and encourage ‘aerobic decomposition’ of manure. Once the pigs have left, a scraper takes all the straw and slurry, ready for use on land.

Feeding for less boar taint

Dumoulin: Hall 22, stand C13 (silver medal EuroTier)

Belgian feed company Dumoulin will showcase a feeding concept aimed at reducing boar taint. That is achieved by feeding certain carbohydrates, in particular inulin or starch with a low small intestine digestion. The silver medal winning feed concept influences bacterial digestibility in the large intestine and the related production of skatole and indole. It is said to lead to a considerable reduction of skatole contents, and therefore to much lower odour levels in meat.

Innovative bypass energy concentrate

Fanon in cooperation with GFT – Gesellschaft für Tierernährung mbH: Hall 20, stand B29 (silver medal EuroTier)

The energy supply of dairy cows, especially in the first third of lactation, can only be ensured by concentrated feed that does not burden the rumen digestion. The feed supplement Rupiol Sunline can provide protein and energy in the small intestine in rumen-protected form and subsequently can serve as an alternative to the use of palm oil. By using a new processing technique, a product was created that contains highly digestible nutrients, sulphated amino acids and an outstanding fat quality. The product is already being used and tested on dairy farms.

The feed supplement Rupiol Sunline comes in a rumen-protected form. – Photo: Fanon

Novel yeast combinations added to portfolio

Leiber: Hall 20, stand B51

German yeast company Leiber has been marketing its brewers’ yeast for animals to high fibre carriers from grain origin, i.e. As from this year, there will be an addition of this portfolio, with several non-grain sourced fibres, which could be for instance from plant origin. The exact components will be revealed at the show. The entire range shall be sold under the new Yeast Fibre concept.

Easy feeding of colostrum

Martin Förster: Hall 12, stand C31a (silver medal EuroTier)

The All-In-One Colostrum Feeder from Martin Förster GmbH now combines major innovative developments for the initial provision of newborn calves with first milk. The innovative basic unit consisting of a special hexagonal container is equipped with a lid with a handle and a teat for drinking. A central innovative special feature of this product is the possibility of freezing the container equipped with the described stainless-steel spiral tube in a space-saving manner for colostrum storage in order to gently and simply thaw the drinker as required.

The All-In-One Colostrum Feeder makes colostrum feeding easier. – Photo: Jens Hagen

Speedy vacuum cleaner for feed

Meier-Brakenberg: Hall 16, stand G04 (gold medal EuroTier)

The manual emptying of a trough can be cumbersome and ineffective, paving the way for bacteria or mould. The Speedy trough cleaner, winner of the only golden medal this year, connected to the gun of a high-pressure cleaner, can remove dry and wet feed remains from troughs quickly. Once the feed is sucked out, it can be caught in a container or through the slats. After emptying, the trough can be cleaned quickly with the washing lance by switching over to the cleaning nozzle.

The trough cleaner in action in a trough. – Photo: Meier-Brakenberg

New feed ingredient for rumen re-development

Palital: Hall 3, stand B32

Feed additive company Palital will launch Rumen-Ready at EuroTier. This feed ingredient is specifically designed to stimulate rumen re-development in dairy cows during the transition period. After calving, the rumen is often not ready to handle extra feed. Rumen wall stimulation is therfore key. Often, a butyrate formulation in the form of calcium or sodium salt is used for this. However, the cows cannot handle any extra calcium or sodium. Rumen-Ready is therfore based on magnesium butyrate, that becomes available in the rumen without the need for digestive enzymes. It supplies extra magnesium, which helps to prevent milk fever in the transition period.

Rumen bolus to measure what is happening in the cow

SmaXtec animal care: Hall 11, stand C20 (silver medal EuroTier)

SmaXtec 360 is a further development of the rumen bolus already commended in 2010 with a wireless pH and temperature probe. The bolus enables almost life-long progress monitoring of physiologic behavioural patterns of feed and water consumption, rumination, rumen motility, movement activity as well as the heart rate of the carrier animal. Due to the completely revised operating principle, the smaXtec 360-Bolus positioned in the reticulum has a service life of at least 3 years and can therefore help farmers to manage their cows through their lactations more quickly and in better health.

Spray to cover up and air-seal silo

TFZ Technologie und Förderzentrum im Kompetenzzentrum für Nachwachsende Rohstoffe, Hall 26, stand B22 (gold medal EnergyDecentral)

As particularly for biogas plants, the silo heaps have especially large dimensions. To make life easier, an innovative silo cover has been developed that can considerably reduce the workload and provide a major improvement in occupational safety. The process is based on a self-hardening material made of renewable resources that is mixed locally from 2 components and sprayed onto the silo. It then cures to form an air-tight protective layer that achieves values similar to a silo foil with regard to gas permeability and tensile strength.

To make life easier, an innovative silo cover has been developed. – Photo: TFZ

Dust valve to prevent dust layers

Weda: Hall 17, stand D04

This innovation of Weda, called ‘Dust Control’, is a valve that can be added to an air outlet in a feeding kitchen. With all the air blown out during liquid feed production, often feed dust particles come out as well, covering everything in the kitchen with a layer of dust in no-time. The metal valve, mounted on three legs, will lift up slightly with overpressure and allow air to go through, but 95% of the dust will stay inside the tube.

Taller trough: one size fits all

Verbakel: Hall 16, stand A04

Dutch metal equipment company Verbakel is a supporter of lactation and growing in the same pen. So weaning occurs by just taking out the sow. As a result, piglets can learn the art of eating from their mothers and will continue to do so when she has left. Experience taught Verbakel that sow and piglets can manage with exactly the same trough, so to keep things simple, they designed a taller version of its KZB feeder: one size fits all.

Fully automatic feed removal in the bunker silo

Wasserbauer, Hall 12, stand D22 (silver medal EuroTier)

With the ‘NANO’ feeding concept, Wasserbauer has developed an autonomous feeding system for cattle. It consists of the Shuttle Eco manoeuvrable, an automatically moving feeding robot and the new, unique lift for fully automatic feed removal in the bunker silo. The feeding robot moves freely and is routed via magnets in the ground. As a result, it can easily be used in several barns and can move to several silos. In the silo the Shuttle Eco feeding robot is filled with the direct, fully automatic lift, an intelligent system comprising a milling and a blower unit.

Wasserbauer has developed an autonomous feeding system for cattle. – Photo: Wasserbauer

Prevention of feed sticking in pipe chain sytems

Witte Lastrup, Hall 16, stand G22 (silver medal EuroTier)

With the Bypass Clean 9T. an innovative further development or a supplement to elbows on pipe chain systems is now available. With this award winning innovation, the falling feed can fall back into the feed stream and does not collect in the elbow. As a result, automatic cleaning of the elbows is achieved, which increases the operational reliability of the conveyor system by up to 20%. In addition, this prevents the remaining feed in the corner from becoming mouldy, contributing to improved animal health. The corner bypass can be installed at a later time on most elbows currently on the market.

A siulver medal for an automatic cleaning systems for feed pipes. – Photo: Witte Lastrup

Thanks to Vincent ter Beek for reporting on the pig related innovations.