Dairy farmers planning to renovate an existing milking parlour or resume in-parlour feeding are often restricted in their choice of feeding system.
Most modern feeders simply will not fit into older buildings with limited headroom so at only 114cm high the new, shorter PipeFeeder from Hanskamp AgroTech is the solution.
Ever more dairy farmers are discovering the advantages of in-parlour feeding, which ensures cows come forward for milking, release their milk faster and milk out more completely. Of the modern feeding systems currently available the CrisyDos, PowerDos, Black V and PipeFeeder all score highly. These systems from Dutch company Hanskamp AgroTech dispense the concentrate in small doses to encourage peace in the milking parlour.
Lack of headroom
However, when modernising an existing dairy unit producers are often confronted with this practical problem that many modern feeding systems will not fit into older parlours. “In order to offer these farmers the advantages of in-parlour feeding we have made a variant of our new PipeFeeder feeding system especially for existing parlours with limited headroom,” said Henk Hanskamp of Hanskamp AgroTech in the Netherlands.
“Thanks to its shorter stock tube this PipeFeeder measures only 114 centimetres. The normal height is 144 cm. The reduced length means this PipeFeeder fits into any milking stall between the transport screw and the feeder.”
The same pluses
The first of these shorter PipeFeeders have already been installed in existing milking parlours and are proving very successful. Technically the 114cm variant of the PipeFeeder dosing unit is identical to the longer version with the robust stainless steel pipe of the unit containing both the stock of concentrate and the ingenious dosing system.
The dosing system is built right inside the bottom of the unit thus minimising the disturbing noise of falling pellets. Thanks also to the built-in motor this dosing unit is remarkably quiet. Fitting can be done quickly as only four bolts are needed to attach the PipeFeeder to a wall.
Similar to the existing, longer PipeFeeder this 114cm version dispenses with great precision. During the milking very small portions of pellets are supplied continually at an accuracy of 25 grams. The result is that animals remain calm during milking, the dairy farmer does not have to leave the milking pit to fetch them and feeds costs are cut as less is supplied. The dosing unit can be linked to any type of feeding system and can be operated for each milking stand or one side of a parlour.
