Power at Work: World-beating innovations on display at Europe's agricultural fairs

Sunday, January 4, 2009

From forage-feeding robots to automatic brushing of cows' hooves, Europe's farm equipment companies are offering hundreds of new ideas to improve efficiency on the farm

by NORMAN DUNN

November was show time for farmers in northern Europe with two major farm events – EuroTier in Germany and Denmark's Agromek exhibition – vying to attract international exhibitors, world-beating farm and livestock innovations and, naturally, paying visitors from all over the continent.

This winter, EuroTier drew 1,800 exhibitors from 46 different countries. Some 240 exhibits were registered as completely new ideas for farming and around 130,000 visitors from more than 80 countries came to enjoy the fun.

Denmark's national winter agricultural event attracted a little over 51,000 farming visitors from all over Europe and as far away as eastern Russia and China. There were "only" 110 exhibitors there, but 177 new ideas for farm equipment and management tools.  Here's a small selection of the brightest innovations picked from both events. 

Forage-feeding robot
Another step towards full automation of feeding and milking comes from Dutch livestock feeding specialist Schuitemaker with a fully robotic machine which loads itself with silage and other forage and feed components, mixes the rations in a six-cubic-metre tank and then feeds the cattle with predetermined amounts. Cables slotted into the barn floor and laser steering guide the Schuitemaker Innovado robot.

An on-board computer controls loading with an integrated silage cutter which can move laterally along the clamp face if required. A diesel engine powers the pumps for four-wheel hydrostatic drive and all mixing.

The first commercial Innovado feeding robots are expected to be on European farms by May 2009.

For cleaner and healthier hooves
German farm equipment maker Schmidt has come up with an active floor mat for continual cleaning of cows' feet. Counter-rotating self-cleaning brushes working through a floor-level grill guarantee a thorough job, even up between the toes, according to the maker which won a silver innovation medal at EuroTier with the new idea.

The first half of the brushing process is carried out dry and then water is added to the last rows of brushes to offer a shiny-clean finish.

Flexible and adjustable freestall rails
The "Green Stall" concept from Denmark features flexibly mounted freestall side rails which move with the cow as she lies down and gets up. The rails are also coated in soft foam and plastic for added animal protection. The cubicle neck bar is also fitted with springs to give way to a certain extent when the cow lunges forward as it lies down in the stall. It is also height-adjustable to suit the actual size of cattle in the herd.

For even more comfort, "Green Stall" freestalls are also available with a cushioned brisket bar. Cost is the equivalent of between $250 and $300 per complete freestall.

A thicker freestall mat for extra cow comfort
Freestall mats are usually two to three centimetres thick, but the revolutionary "Blister 2006" freestall bed introduced at Agromek by Dutch company Swaving Stalinrichting is 11 centimetres thick and involves a unique concept in cow hygiene and comfort.

Each 155x110 centimetre mat is made from recycled car tires and is in honeycomb form with the interiors filled with sand. According to the manufacturer, this gives a very soft and hygienic bed when covered with a few centimetres of sawdust or straw.

The sand has to be of irregular grain size for the system to work properly, but this type of aggregate is easily ordered from builders' stores, according to Swaving. The irregular grain size stops sand from consolidating too much and aids absorbance of cow sweat. This absorbance is one of the benefits that the Blister 2006 offers over simple mats which cannot absorb moisture and so often leave the cow coat wet.

A heel stone is required to stop loss of sand into the gutter. Around 6,000 of the Blister Beds have already been sold to Dutch farmers where reports indicate that the cows choose this type of bed rather than standard mats. Cost: the equivalent of around $140 each.

Keeping continual track of cow movements
CowDetect has been developed with support from the innovation fund of the Danish Veterinary and Food Administration to apply industry-standard electronic components for optimum cow management. Scanners in the barn pick up continual signals from cow transponders. Messages sent to a central computer then give 3-D positioning of each animal. The information is also available at any time on a hand-held receiver, which has icon signs for calling-up each item of information.

The software was developed according to a "wish list" prepared by Danish dairy farmers. Data continually collected include the periods spent by individual cows in feeding, resting and high/low activity, including bulling activity. And, from this information, software can analyze what exactly the behaviour might mean in health terms, with warnings then given on such conditions as possible oestrus, failing appetite and bullying problems.

Additional capabilities of this system include an automatic check on human inspection of problem cows. The "inspected by stock person" message is only activated if the hand-held receiver of the stock person is within five metres of the animal.

New IQ cluster for separate quarter milking 
An historic name leaves the dairy scene this year as WestfaliaSurge marks its move to full-line producer by henceforth calling itself GEA Farm Technologies. GEA will have three divisions covering milking equipment, barn equipment and manure handling systems.

Just in time for this year's EuroTier exhibition, GEA also launched what is claimed as the world's first four-way milking cluster.

The so-called IQ cluster allows each quarter to be milked out with milk piped away separately. There's no "back-splash" possible, so no way an infection can move via milk from one quarter to another. If a teat cup slips off, a ball valve immediately blocks the vacuum for that particular cup. The IQ design, including new easy-fit liners, also gives faster milk flow, according to GEA.

IMA system offers continuous analysis of milk quality
In its IMA (Inline Milk Analyzer) system, Lemmer Fullwood is offering a way to measure milk components during milking with real-time analysis not only of fat and protein but also lactose content. On top of this, the IMA innovation gives warnings of increased blood presence and a complete cell count result before the milking is finished.

The concept of continuous analysis and documentation of milk quality during every milking provides improved monitoring of cow health as well as of milk quality, points out Lemmer Fullwood.

Multi Swing weighs, measures and takes birds' temperatures
New technology for the poultry rearing and broiler-feeding sector includes "Multi Swing" from German firm Big Dutchman, a system which not only continually weighs poultry automatically but also measures height and body development and even takes the birds' temperature.

Multi Swing features a weighing plate of around half a square metre suspended just above the barn floor, with integrated sensors which record the temperature of the birds' feet. Small towers at each side of the plate emit laser beams from which the height and body development of the birds can be assessed. BF