Mobile Feed Pushers
If you are considering the idea of investing in a feed pusher, you want to be confident in your decision. Ensuring that it will work in your barn and be beneficial to the farm. Adding a feed pusher to your program could:
Before V.S. After
Increase feed intake
Increase milk production
Decrease labor time and costs
Help to stabilize rumen pH for healthier cows
Waste less feed
Give you greater quality of life (do you enjoy pushing up feed at 10 P.M.?)
The distinct types of robotic feed pushers work in many ways. Please refer to our ‘Runaway Robots!’ article to learn about how to track mobile robots. Knowing all the specs on how they work can help to influence your purchasing decision. https://www.gomilkbarn.com/articles-and-faqs/runaway-robot
As your mobile feed robots follow the track of either induction lines and RFID’s or transponders, it connects to takes commands like:
When to turn the auger on/off
When to turn the concentrate dispenser on/off
When to turn
When nearing a charger
Your feed pusher will also run four different tracks after the first feeding, moving in each run as feed amounts lessen. The run times are entirely customized to best fit your schedule. You can have 8-12 routes in a 24-hour period depending on the robot and length of the barn.
If you are interested in having a concentrate dispenser on your feed robot, you can buy those as well. They hold up to 100 pounds depending on product weight, held in a 3.2 cubic feet box.
Mobile feed robots travel at 20-40 feet per minute while pushing and or remixing the feed. If you need more runs scheduled, a faster robot may be the better choice. If you have multiple barns, you may need to consider a robot with the lift feature to travel. The mobility is slightly limited but can move along smooth surfaces/driveways. A potential factor in your buying decision may be the surface on which your robot will need to travel. Tile can be too slick or unlevel and alter the track setting. Rough or bumpy concrete may need some smoothing prior to considering a pusher. Whatever the floor, it is best to take a walk through the barn with an equipment dealer to ensure all details are checked.
The equipment is built with a standard deep cycle battery. Typically needing 2 hours of uninterrupted charging every 24 hours. Most battery chargers are powered by a 240V power supply. You will want to consider where the robot will sit during this charge time. Can cows access it? Does it need a protection panel between the cows and the charging system? We know how cows love to chew on weird stuff. You will also want to consider other traffic going through the barn and how this might affect flow.
As with any robotic pusher, we suggest keeping a backup plan in your back pocket. You might have been using a plow or skid loader bucket up to this point. Do not get rid of this because it will be a great backup plan should the power go out or other service issues come up. The same goes for manure robots (keep the old scraper around). Having this in place, you can almost, if not entirely, avoid after-hours calls for your feed robot.
Be sure to compare the advantages and disadvantages of investing in a robotic feed pusher to how you currently manage your feed today. There’s pros and cons to every product and decision, make sure to do your research before you buy.
I am sure your modern technology dealer is willing to discuss your options and coordinate what would work best for your operation.