At the heifer hotel in Skjern, OK Plast’s feed-slide feed alley trough no. 1300 leads to quieter animals and less work in the cowshed
Niels Peter Gosvig runs the heifer hotel Pedersminde with 270 animals near Skjern in western Jutland. He breeds the heifers for a milk producer in the area. In addition to the livestock on the farm, he grows crops.
Decided against epoxy
When Niels Peter needed to renovate the coating on the existing feed table in the cowshed, he decided against epoxy and chose OK Plastic’s feed-slide feed wall instead. In September 2016, Niels Peter therefore bought 100 OK Plastic feed-slides no. 1300. With the plastic feed-slide feed walls installed, he no longer needed a new surface for the old feed table, as the feed-slide troughs sit on top of the concrete. And he soon discovered that the heifers are keen to eat from the new, easy-to-clean plastic troughs.
Two birds with one stone
In purchasing the feed-slide feed walls, Niels Peter also wanted to make the most of a trough in relation to the feed table. Now he has in effect renovated the feed table while simultaneously reducing his workload and introducing more calm in the cowshed.
Heifers push the food away
When the cows eat from a conventional feed table, as they used to at Niels Peter’s farm, they invariably push the feed away. And once the feed is spread across the feed table, it is far harder for them to reach it. This is why the farmer has to go into the cowshed several times a day and push the feed back towards the animals. Even when the feed is pushed back towards the animals frequently, there will be periods when it lies on the feed table and some cows will be unable to eat enough.
Feed is always right in front of the animals
Once the feed-slide feed walls are installed, the cows can no longer push the feed away. In future, there will always be feed well within their reach. In this way, the farmer is spared having to push the feed back towards the animals several times a day, while he can be sure that the animals always have food to eat.
Calmer in the cowshed
Any lack of food always leads to increased competition among the animals as they will fight to get to the feed table first. With the troughs, the feed is always within reach, which leads to more calm in the cowshed. The animals no longer race forwards to be first when they are fed, or when the feed is pushed towards them.
