SMART FEED - Smart measurements in cattle feeding and health

Enhancing Cattle Well-being and Dairy Farm Productivity

Proper feeding is essential for both cattle health and dairy farm productivity. Since the quality of silage directly affects the need for purchased feeds, improving silage quality and optimizing the feed mix are key goals of this project. Our initiatives aim to boost farm productivity and sustainability while reducing feeding costs and improving cow health.

Innovative Solutions Developed:

1. Comprehensive Feed Monitoring System: The project has introduced a cutting-edge system for monitoring feed dry matter (DM) content, especially in silage. This system features:

   • A sampler integrated with a bale gripper.

   • A halogen dryer for rapid DM determination.

   • FeedApp, a mobile app designed to refine Total Mixed Ration (TMR) recipes based on DM results.

These innovations ensure:

1. Consistent feed quality.

2. Reduced costs.

3. Enhanced sustainability and cattle health.

4. Biosensor Development: We also developed a biosensor for measuring ketosis markers in milk, although further optimization is needed for practical farm use.

Collaboration and Impact:

Farmers played a crucial role in this project, participating in study visits and providing valuable feedback. The Operational Group (OG) included ProAgria, a rural advisory organization, which played a key role in gathering silage samples and communicating results to farmers. Additionally, a small metal workshop enterprise led by former farmers and a veterinarian contributed expertise in nutrition and animal health.

Our project’s findings have been shared widely through over 30 events, agricultural and machinery trade journals, newspapers, and scientific publications. We achieved notable recognition through collaborations with two Estonian EIP projects, the EIP-AGRI website, and the AGRI Innovation Summit in France. The dry matter monitoring system was highlighted in the FAO and UN ITU "Digital Excellence in Agriculture" report and presented at the 2021 AgEng conference and an EIP-AGRI workshop on farm data.

Ongoing Developments:

• Halogen Dryers: Widely available and easily integrated, these dryers have proven effective in various applications beyond their original scope, including manure dry matter monitoring. Following the project, a Finnish distributor offered discounts, leading to nine purchases in a few months. The halogen dryer is expected to remain a valuable tool on dairy farms.

• FeedApp: Designed for easy distribution via app stores, FeedApp is available for free but requires ongoing maintenance for cloud services. A single administrator per country can initially manage user accounts and password security. Although there is interest in FeedApp and its potential uses for bale storage and TMR recipe management, maintaining the cloud service remains a challenge.

• Silage Sampler: While a potential manufacturer is identified, scaling up production and marketing requires additional resources. The device’s simplicity in manufacturing is a positive factor for future development.

Conclusion:

The OG has successfully developed two innovative products: the silage sampler and FeedApp. Both offer substantial value and potential for further application in cattle nutrition and feed management. Our collaboration with farmers and industry experts has ensured practical, user-friendly solutions, paving the way for continued advancements in dairy farm management.

For more information: 

https://ec.europa.eu/eip/agriculture/en/find-connect/projects/%C3%A4lyrehu-%C3%A4lykk%C3%A4%C3%A4t-mittaukset-karjan-ruokinnassa-ja.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG224ujFmqY