Smart Ways to Manage Cattle – EID and Precision Scale Systems

 By Heather Smith Thomas

There are several companies that specialize in producing new technology to make livestock producers’ cattle management more efficient and easier.  

C-LOCK INC – Dr. Patrick Zimmerman created C-Lock Inc. in 2005 in Rapid City, South Dakota.  At that time he was the Director of the Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and a professor in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.  He specializes in engineering education, technology development, and research.  At C-Lock Inc. a staff of professionals work together to utilize cutting-edge science and engineering to monitor, analyze, and control cattle biological parameters. 

Through a systematic approach that incorporates intelligent data-mining techniques, measurements, and numerical modeling, the products created by C-Lock can detect problems in cattle that lower efficiency and productivity.  This company’s capabilities to pinpoint problems, identify opportunities, and offer cost-effective solutions saves their clients’ money.

Dr. Meredith Harrison is the Chief Scientific Officer for C-Lock and earned her PhD in Animal Biology (with an emphasis in feedlot production systems) from the University of California, Davis.  Her research focuses on the combined application of precision livestock technologies and mathematical models to improve beef and dairy production, and biological and economic efficiency.  

Meredith has substantial experience with statistics, experimental design, data management, and modeling. She has developed models to predict methane emissions, dry matter intake, feedlot cattle growth and composition, and to optimize profitability.  In addition to her modeling experience, Meredith has significant knowledge of feedlot cattle nutrition and management.  She believes in continuous improvement of livestock production efficiency and sustainability through technology, data, genetics, and management.

“At C-Lock we have a weighing system that can be used for animals in a pasture or in a feedlot or dry-lot setting.  This is our Smart Scale system that can be located in front of an existing water trough, so it’s easy for producers to integrate our scale into their operation.  Any time the animals come to drink water, this system will capture a front- end body weight.  Our algorithms have been developed to convert that partial body weight to a full body weight,” she says.

“On any given day, a producer might get 4 to 8 body weight measurements on an individual animal.  With this scale system, which is built with an RFID antenna, we capture that individual animal’s ID and can associate that body weight with that animal in the records.  Over a period of a week, we can calculate average daily gain and determine how those animals are performing,” says Harrison.

“These scale systems are handy in extensive grazing systems where there is no access to a chute facility that has a scale, and even for operations that do have access to a working facility, static chute weights would require a lot of animal handling and man power to get cattle weighed.  This is an easier way to monitor animals without any extra labor or stress for the cattle,” she says.

This system can also be useful to gain insights on animal health.  “If a certain animal doesn’t come to water, producers will get notification sent to them, stating that steer number 462 hasn’t visited water in the last 12 hours.”  Either that animal is sick or lame and not traveling much.

“We also have systems for offering supplement for cattle grazing on pasture.  We have a Smart Feed pasture trailer that has four different bays, with the same RFID reading technology.  Rather than measuring body weight, you can measure how much supplement that animal is consuming and even control supplement access with our SmartFeed and Pro system that is built with a manual exclusion gate,” she says.

“We are starting to see a shift at the cow-calf level toward more individual measuring and management.  This real-time data helps provide meaningful insights so producers can make better breeding and culling decisions as well as monitoring animal health and welfare.”  It also helps monitor and manage intake and feed efficiency.

These systems are being used now by seedstock producers in bull performance evaluation tests, as well as grazing systems.  “It’s a single tool that will work, no matter what your operation is,” says Harrison.

These versatile systems work very well.  “The support that our group provides the producers helps them become comfortable with the technology.  From speaking to different producer audiences, I know that technology and all the apps we have today can be overwhelming.  All of our equipment at C-Lock is manufactured in the U.S. in South Dakota, and you can get a real person on the phone, if you have questions or need help.”

With the SmartScales the producer gets a report with all the weights, and the average daily gain.  “If they are using both C-Lock SmartScale and SmartFeed systems (that measure dry matter intake) we can calculate the animal’s feed conversion rate.  The producer can then have a measurement for that animal’s efficiency.  We also calculate residual feed intake, as well, and provide them with a report so they can start to gain more insight on their cattle,” says Harrison.

“We currently have both of those systems with cattle producers across the U.S. and in Australia.  These tools have been tested and in use for 10 years.  All of this data is accepted by breed organizations including Angus, Hereford, and Charolais producers.  They are all using our equipment and it is widely accepted across all platforms,” she says.

“It will also integrate with any other software the producer is using.  They might be using another software platform from BreedPlan to log some of their data and metrics, and our system can automatically communicate with some of those.  The producer wouldn’t have to manually transfer any data; our application programming interface (API) would simply send that information to whatever platform they are already using.  Sometimes they fear that since they are already using such-and-such web platform they don’t want to switch to another user and try to make it work.  We can streamline that process, and this is something that is unique to C-Lock and our technology.  We have the in-house data team that can handle all of that,” she says.

DATAMARS LIVESTOCK – Wes Schroeder, Senior Sales Territory Manager, at Datamars Livestock says monitoring systems are important for livestock producers.  “We can’t manage what we can’t measure,” he says. Datamars has been in the Livestock weighing business for almost 50 years and Tru-Test scales have been a staple in the cattle weighing industry. 

“We capture livestock weights, put them in a useable form that producers can use, to evaluate that cattle data.  Electronic identification has helped us manage that data. Typically, producers will use visual identification, type it into the Tru-Test scale indicator.  Utilizing the Tru-Test EID reader, Bluetooth into the Scale indicator, allows us to seamlessly enter an EID (electronic identification) into the Tru-Test scale indicator with the push of a button.  Data entered in the scale indicator can be uploaded to the PC or stored in the cloud for retrieval at later date with the Datalink PC software, which is included with the Tru-Test systems,” says Schroeder. 

An option on the Tru-Test XRS2i EID reader is custom alert notification. “If we are working processed cattle and have some antibiotic concerns and want to be notified at the headgate of the chute, we can preload those alerts into the Tru-Test EID reader, and it gives us that notification.  This notification is visual, sound and vibration recognition.”  

The animal Life Data information is stored in the scale indicator.  “We can utilize that information in the next cattle working session.  We can take weights on the animals, evaluate average daily gain, and enter specific animal information that the producer needs.”  The information is saved into the system and available for evaluation.  This makes every step customized and seamless at the chute to process cattle, and the data collection won’t slow the cattle processing any longer than necessary.  

“Tru-Test scales indicators have an option to link injections to the data record. The Tru-Test XR5000 has a built-in weigh dosage calculator. Weight-sensitive drugs can be calculated and the cc’s displayed, recorded then administer to the livestock. Also fixed doses can be entered and recorded.” says Schroeder.

Datamars offers 2 stick reader options, the XRS2i and the SRS2i. “The SRS2i is a basic reader typically used with a Scale setup. The XRS2i is a more advanced EID reader; it has a keyboard so you can type in information and use it as a stand-alone unit,” says Schroeder.

“We also have the XRP2i system which is a chute-based or alley-based EID reader. With the XRP2i, we permanently mount a large or small antenna on the chute or alleyway and tie it into the XRP2i reader box.  It will forward that EID to the scale head or to a computer if you prefer, without you having to pick up an EID wand or push a button,” he says.

“We select the indicator that best fits the customer’s needs. “The Tru-Test S3, is our basic indicator that will collect the weight and blue-tooth that over to your Datalink phone app.  You can then type in the visual ID. The EZWegh 7i is an entry level EID indicator that allows the producer to record EID, VID and one open code field along with the weight. It will also calculate an ADG.  If you want something that’s more of a ruggedized, chute-side computer, the Tru-Test ID 5000 or the XR 5000 may be more what you need. The 5000 series adds additional record collecting customization and numeric and alpha keys tactical keypads. They are very easy to work, even with gloves on,” he says.

“We also have a full line of Tru-Test weigh bars.  The weigh bars themselves are matched to the customer’s alleyway, cage or chute system, so scale system will work the most efficiently for their operation.  With the Super Damp weighing technology, the scale along with the load bars are not trying to balance and land on a weight.  It is taking several readings and averaging them.  “It will do this in 3 to 5 seconds.  If the animal walks in, it has the weight in 3 seconds.  If the animal is jumping around and won’t stand still, it might take 5 seconds.  If you don’t think the weight is correct, you can hit a reweigh feature and weigh it again without backing the animal off the scale to start over.

“We have 25 sales reps across the U.S. who are trained in the Tru-Test systems. We have support staff at our main office in Texas as well as on-line support.  When the product is sold, that’s just the beginning; we are there to help get the Tru-Test scale indicator, load bars and the EID readers working according to the way the producer wants it to work for his or her operation. Each producer needs a little different data so we can help customize it.  We keep it user-friendly; it’s not one size fits all,” says Schroeder.  “Remember… You can’t manage what you can’t measure!”

 

GALLAGHER – Wes Chism, Business Development Manager for Animal Performance and Traceability at Gallagher, says Gallagher offers an array of EID readers.  “Whether we are providing customers with an EID reader, scale or fencer, we try to find solutions we can tailor to them.  With our EID reader we currently have two models, a lower end and a higher end, with a new economy reader coming next spring.  Our HR4 is an entry-level model now, but will then be the middle level,” he says.  The new model will be available at the NCBA convention for anyone who wants to look at it.

“We are excited about what it will do; it will fit a lot of people and provide solutions for those who are trying to get up to speed with traceability and EID requirements,” he says.  The HR4 is not just an EID wand.  It does collect some data, as well as reading an EID.  For cow-calf guys just starting to put EID tags in calves at birth, they can capture some data as well.  It is very simple and easy to use in a robust design.

“Our other model is the HR5 and it’s the Cadillac version with all the bells and whistles.  It takes 9 data points and an EID.  Producers running stocker calves who are still roping and dragging calves in a pasture where there isn’t a chute facility are able to use this device.  We are seeing more producers using mobile corrals and chute systems to take to remote pastures and the guys who have those systems are using a very basic kind of scale.  They can use that scale with this wand and still collect all the data they would ever want.  The HR5 is a stand-alone device but can also be paired with a simple scale and do as much with it as you can with one of our advanced scale units,” he says.

“One of the things I like about it, from a cow-calf standpoint, is a feature called mothering.  You can pair up calves with their dam’s ID at birth with just an EID.  It’s really handy if you have the mother’s visual number such as an ear tag, brisket tag, freeze brand, etc.  You can pair that calf with a visual or an EID at birth, in this system.  Both of those models have a pistol grip, rather than a true baton.  This is handier and you can use it all day long and not wear yourself out,” he explains.

There are also some exciting changes in recent years, regarding precision scales.  “We try to hit the sweet spot for each customer’s needs.  We offer an entry-level WO scale and a top end WR5, and three that fit between those two models,” he says.

“The WO will only capture weight, but it is a blue-tooth enabled scale head.  It can blue-tooth to mobile devices if you are using a third-party app, integrated with CattleMax or AgriWeb and does this seamlessly.  If a producer is just getting started using a scale or if this is their secondary unit on the back forty, and that working facility doesn’t get used as often, this is an adequate unit and it does pair to the third-party devices and software very easily,” says Chism.

The next step above it is the W1 scale.  “We are the only company that offers wireless blue-tooth load bars, and offer two models—and they only work with our equipment.  The W1 scale is our entry-level EID and wireless load bar.  If a producer doesn’t want cords and wants to go wireless for a mobile chute system, this works great,” he says.

“We partner with several companies on these scales.  Pearson made a model called the Cow Boss that can be hydraulic or manual.  This chute is designed with those wireless load bars integrated into the chute system.  If you are pulling it down the road to another location, you don’t have to worry about cables getting run over or pulled off.” The W1 scale fits with the wireless load bars and can also pair up with a blue-tooth EID reader.  “If a person wants to start doing EID they can easily do it with wireless load bars,” he says.

The next step up is the TW1.  “It has the same functions as the W1 but is a touch-screen model.  We are the only company that offers a touch-screen scale now on a Tru-Scale head.  It will do a 9-way drafter.   In other countries they do more with automated drafting off a weight.  They draft off other traits collected as well, and focus heavily on trying to minimize weight gaps; they try to get contemporary groups’ weight variation as small as possible.  The TW1 can do that with its touch screen.  It’s still blue-tooth enabled for our load bars and EID reader,” says Chism.

“The Sweet Spot, the TW3, is our best seller, right in the middle.  It does everything we’ve talked about and can collect 3 data points chute-side.  For most producers, this is where they need to be.  The TW3 has a full keyboard and is very easy to use.  I’ve seen anyone from a 10-year-old to 80-year-old walk up for the first time and intuitively use it.  With a full keyboard they can figure it out readily and don’t have to hit a number 3 times to get to the letter c, for instance.  It’s very simple,” he says.

“We offer a software upgrade with that unit.  It has the software functionality of our biggest scale head, at less cost.  This allows a producer to future-proof.  If they don’t know where they’ll want to be in 3 years or 5 years, it’s a good unit to choose because they still have some room to grow with it,” he says.

“Our TWR 5 is our Cadillac.  It does 9 traits chute-side and has an integrated panel reader hookup.  If you want stationary panel antennas to run in the chute or through an alleyway, you don’t need to have a control module, like we did a few years ago.  The panel reader will plug directly into that scale head and it has an integrated control module inside it.  This will run a scale as readily as the stationery EID panels.  It will do a 9-way draft as well, just like the other touch-screen models, and a full keyboard,” he says.

“A nice thing about it is the software.  We offer a free everyday version and a paid subscription version.  Ours is integrated with our hardware.  If you have the AP-plus subscription with your TWR5 you will have pedigree information chute-side as well, and can access this when a calf comes in; you use your EID reader or type in the visual ID and it will pull up that animal.  You can tap a button and see the pedigree,” says Chism.

“Another component with that is called historical view or custom view.  We have customers doing a lot of AI work on commercial females, trying to create extra value for those.  They can look back and see that this group of females was sired by X bull or bulls.  If they want to mate them to a certain bull, that info can be preloaded into the scale.  They may not be weighing those females, but just wanding them, and there’s a guy thawing out semen, three head behind the guy in the chute that’s breeding and wanding.” They can just pull up data on the scale head to tell them what the next mating is going to be, saving time and eliminating error.

  “People also use this at preg-check, to get those cattle in and out of the chute quicker.  This reduces stress on the cattle, and makes life easier for everyone.  You don’t have one person sitting there, wearing out a notebook trying to figure out what something is.  It saves a lot of time,” he says.

“We worked cattle recently with one of our producers who uses our equipment to the max, and we averaged 30 seconds per head on cows going through the chute.  That producer has been with us a couple years, so a lot of data was in there.  We were taking weight, checking ID, recording whether or not that animal should go into a certain group, and sorting two different ways based on age, body condition score and weight.  As dry as our pastures are here, the cows that needed a little more care went into a different group, to receive better nutrition,” says Chism.

“Those guys were sending the thinner cows—older and younger—to what decent grass they had left, and the cows in pretty good condition were going to a lesser-quality pasture.  They were trying to balance out the resources they had,” he says.

“With these records, they can look back in the spring when they start calving and look at weights.  When they get to weaning they can look for trends on the ones that went to better pasture versus the ones to lesser pasture and see how it worked,” he says

“Everything we are trying to do on our scale heads, software, EID, etc. empowers our producers, to be able to manage everything within their realm, whether they are cow-calf guys running 30 head and needing just a basic scale, or someone with a large herd.  We work with some big corporate operations running 1000 head or more in multiple locations and they have one central data base and have 5 satellite ranches.  We cover the entire spectrum,” says Chism.

“This is all I do—work with producers and figure out ways to meet their needs with the scale and EID segments of our company.  I look after the U.S. and Canada for Gallagher Global, and everything I do is focused on scales, EID equipment or software.”

The technology has evolved tremendously in the last 10 years.  “I am originally from Kentucky.  My family ran Charolais and Angus.  I finished college at University of Kentucky, then worked for the International Charolais Association as their Southwest Rep for almost 6 years.  I’ve been with Gallagher 9 years,” he says.

“We have a Gallaher scale system at home on the ranch and we’ve had it for 20 years.  You look at it versus where we are today, and it’s a night and day difference.  I keep telling my dad and brother we could upgrade that one a little and my dad says it’s still ok, doing everything they need to do.”  The younger generation takes to new technology a little quicker sometimes.

“It’s interesting, looking at various operations.  Since 2010, I have spent most of my time on ranches across the country, and in Canada.  The generational changes are very interesting.  We often miss the mom and dad generation.  I am almost 40 and guys my age and younger are the ones coming back to the ranch. It’s grandpa and grandma still on the ranch; we are missing that generation in between.”  Some of the middle generation left to try to do something that makes more money than ranching!

“It is heartwarming to see the younger generation coming back to try to keep the ranch going, so it won’t have to be sold.  My brother stayed on our ranch and is making it work.  In many situations we are unable to make it an easy transition for some folks because grandpa is doing it one way and we missed that next step and now we are having to take a huge leap,” he says.  This can be frustrating and challenging for some of the older folks because they don’t want to have to learn anything new at their age.

“When we are at a trade show or producer event, often the patriarch of the ranch comes to our booth with his grandkids, and sometimes great-grandkids.  Grandpa will tell you what he wants, and then grandma will tell you what he actually needs, and we talk to him a little.  He usually says it sounds really interesting, but we need to talk to that kid—and points to the grandchild!”  The kids can do all the technical things with apps and computers that baffle many older folks.

“On the other side of the coin, we see some producers, especially in the Midwest, who are accustomed to a high level of technology in the crop side of their operations.  They have more experience (with precision farming) and dive right into it.”  

Now precision technology is moving into the cattle industry.  “We are a little behind, but we are making big strides now, embracing technology and embracing change,” says Chism.

Whole Cottonseed Can be Beneficial in Beef Cattle Rations

Whole Cottonseed Can be Beneficial in Beef Cattle Rations

By Heather Smith Thomas

Whole cottonseed and alfalfa are two of the very best feeds for growing calves,” according to Ron Gill, PhD (Texas A&M).   “We also mix a lot of cottonseed hulls into cattle rations.  There is very little nutritional value in those hulls but adding these to the ration increases feed intake because cattle like them.  It’s a really good roughage source if you need to add fiber to a ration,” he says.

“There are many competing uses for those products, however.  The dairies use a lot of cottonseed in feed rations, and other industries use the hulls and lint.  The fracking business uses some of those products to plug wells, for instance. 

Cottonseed has been fed to cattle for a long time, but in recent years there has been renewed interest in this highly nutritious byproduct of the cotton industry.  Cotton Incorporated now has a Beef Advisory Council to help beef producers understand the benefits of feeding whole cottonseed.

Alisa Ogden, a member of the Beef Advisory Council for Cotton Incorporated, farms and ranches in southeastern New Mexico.  “In addition to having a cow-calf operation, we also raise cotton and alfalfa.  Some of us on the Cotton Board realized that not many beef cattle producers were using whole cottonseed, so the Cottonseed Beef Advisory Council was formed.  Whole cottonseed had been fed to dairy cattle for years because it increases production of butterfat and has other benefits, but beef cattle had never been targeted in educational efforts about this feed.  As a rancher and a cotton farmer, our family has utilized whole cottonseed for decades to feed calves after weaning, and feeding yearlings.  Benefits of cottonseed include the oil (fat) and protein,” she says.

One of the goals of the Beef Advisory Council is to educate nutritionists who work with feedlots, and also to dispel some of the misconceptions about use of whole cottonseed with beef cattle.

Blake Wilson, another Beef Advisory Council member and Associate Professor at Oklahoma State University at Stillwater specializes in ruminant nutrition and beef cattle nutrition. “I’ve conducted several research projects with whole cottonseed in feedlot cattle as well as in the cow-calf sector,” he says.

There are many potential benefits in using this feed as a supplement or in a ration for beef cattle.  “This is the seed, left over after the cotton has been harvested for fiber.  The seed left behind contains some residual lint or fiber, which helps give whole cottonseed some of its unique composition as a feedstuff for cattle diets,” he says.

“Old school terminology described whole cottonseed as a ‘triple-20 feed’, meaning it was approximately 20% fat, 20% protein, and 20% fiber, and all of these are important for a beef cow or feedlot animal.  Cottonseed is unique compared to other feed ingredients in that it is very high in those three characteristics; no other feed has that same nutritional profile.”

There was a lot of early research on cottonseed, but there wasn’t much new research in the past 20-plus years.  “Interest in this feed picked up again about the same time the Beef Advisory Council was formed.  There is renewed interest, as the dynamics within the feed industry have changed—not only with the COVID pandemic but also with fluctuations in the supply of other feedstuffs,” he says.

When feeding a total mixed ration in a feedlot, whole cottonseed can be included at about 15%-20% of the mix. “It can replace protein, fat and fiber from other ingredients in a feedlot ration, with either no detriment to performance or in some cases improved performance compared to the ingredients it replaces.”  In some situations, the standard ingredients of a ration become too expensive or harder to come by, and whole cottonseed might be a viable alternative.

“It may not make sense in every ration or for every feedlot operation, but it gives us another option, another ingredient we can bring into a ration and get those valuable nutrients.  It’s also an effective supplement for beef cattle on pasture.  At OSU we’ve been comparing whole cottonseed to what would be a traditional winter supplement for cattle, such as a 20% breeder cube.  People in this area often use a supplement on weathered mature pasture or medium or low-quality hay.  With various supplements, we compared differences in animal performance and rebreeding,” Blake says.  

“We are also looking at methane emissions.  We’ve seen data in stocker cattle that showed supplementing whole cottonseed can reduce methane production, perhaps due to the high fat content.  There could be several benefits to feeding this product, so we are trying to collect more data on that aspect, as well.”

Whether or not a beef producer uses whole cottonseed may depend on location and transport costs.  “The farthest north that cotton is grown is in Kansas and Missouri in the Midwest, Virginia in the East, and California (mainly in the San Joaquin Valley) in the West,” says Alisa.  “Many feedlots are in areas where cotton is being grown, so that’s another reason it makes sense for whole cottonseed to be fed to beef cattle,” she explains.

 

Dispelling Old Myths

Some beef producers still worry about potential risks of cottonseed on bull fertility, but this is not a big issue.  Blake says there is new research coming out of universities in the southeast, like Georgia and the Carolinas.  “They are investigating reported issues with gossypol and bulls.  There was a study in the past few years in Georgia in which they supplemented bulls with various levels of whole cottonseed for a 60-day period and didn’t see any negative impacts to semen quality or on breeding soundness exams,” he says.

“In that study they fed young bulls three different diets.  One group got 7 pounds of dried distillers grains, another group got a blend of distillers grains and whole cottonseed, and the third group got 7 pounds of whole cottonseed.  They compared those groups, tracking them for 60 days–the equivalent of a normal breeding season.  They didn’t find any difference in the percentage of normal sperm among any of those groups, out to 60 days.  They didn’t go any longer than that, but even at a fairly high level—7 pounds—they didn’t see a negative impact on sperm quantity or quality,” Blake says.

If a person still wants to play it safe and is using a defined breeding season (45 days, 60 days, or even 90 days) the bulls are not with the cows year-round and you can plan the diet so that the herd is not being fed cottonseed at a time it might possibly impact the bulls.  “The sperm present in those bulls at the time they are turned out with the cows were being produced 60 days prior to that.  Even if the bulls are eating along with the cows during the breeding season, the sperm would not be affected during a short breeding season, and only at the very end of a longer one,” he explains.

“In our studies, we’ve shown that at normal supplementation levels, there is either no detrimental effect, or only a minimal effect.  A person might have problems, however, if overfeeding whole cottonseed.  In the feedlot, for instance, we’ve seen animals start to eat less or back off feed due to the high fat content when fed at very high levels.  There’s no point in feeding levels high enough that would cause problems, but there’s been some interesting research in recent years that helped dispel that old belief that you can’t use this feed in a cow-calf operation because the bulls would have fertility issues.  That idea was based on very old research, and we are now realizing this is not an issue.”  Even if there might be minimal effects, those could be eliminated by not allowing bulls access to this feed year-round.

The amount you’d want to feed is about 0.5% of the animal’s body weight, which can vary from 5 to 8 pounds of feed per head per day. “You don’t need to feed any more than that,” Alisa says.  In terms of the cost of feed and efficiency, if you feed too much it can be counterproductive—and a waste of money.

Feeding Cows, Calves And Yearlings

“We background our calves and have always fed cottonseed,” Alisa says.  “When we have cottonseed in our ration, it is the first thing the cattle eat.  They like it and sort it out to eat first.  They nuzzle through the rest of the feed in the bunk to find it; you can hear them crunching on cottonseed before they go back and eat the roughage.  They want the best first!” she says.

“We also found that whenever we had sick animals, if we fed cottonseed meal or whole cottonseed, it seemed to help them recover faster.”  It was probably more palatable than other feeds and could entice them to eat when they were off feed.  Her father also felt that it would pull toxins out of the gut.  This might be due to the ability of the fiber to keep everything moving through and the gut working properly.

Her family usually only fed cottonseed to calves being backgrounded so it could be fed in bunks.  With cows out on range pastures, some would be wasted fed out on the ground.  “We’d want to feed it in bunks, and that method is impractical out there on big range pastures,” Alisa says.

 “Back when we had a cottonseed oil mill in our little town, they produced old-style cottonseed cake—which cows can readily eat off the ground.  The cows flourished on that product, because the mill ground up whole cottonseed and put it with the oil to make the cake pellets.  When we had to change to a different pellet that was grain based rather than cottonseed base, cows would not eat it.  If a person feeds cake (something that can be spread on the ground for cattle) if you can get the old style with cottonseed in it, cows do much better on that.  It’s easier for a processor to make the other kind of pellets, however,” she says.

Blake says whole cottonseed makes an ideal receiving diet for young or stressed calves, partly because it does contain a little roughage.  “Whole cottonseed is a good source of nutrients and a good source of energy, but where that energy is coming from is different compared to a cereal grain.  The animal is not getting energy from starch (which can be detrimental at high levels) but from fat and fiber.  You can provide the nutrients and energy the animal needs, but the mechanism for delivering it is a little different.  This influences what’s happening in the rumen.  Acidosis can be a problem when adapting cattle to high-grain feedlot diets; if you can get more energy into cattle while feeding less starch, you have a lot of benefits,” he says.  

TMR Mixers

TMR Mixers

 

The advantage of feeding a TMR (total mixed ration) diet is that each cow can consume the necessary level of nutrients in each bite. The mixed ration should include good quality forages, a balance of grains and proteins, vitamins and minerals. There are many different mixing strategies available and several companies that sell TMR mixers.

Alltech Farming Solutions

(Ireland) – Mick Keogh (Manager, Distribution Markets) says their KEENAN products are unique and sold around the world. “Our KEENAN Systems have the only two-chamber system for TMR mixers on the market. Feed is mixed in the larger chamber, which contains a paddle system—which is not very common. Globally, most mixers today utilize a vertical auger and some use horizontal augers. Paddle mixers are seldom seen,” he explains. KEENAN is the largest manufacturer of the paddle mixer worldwide.

The second, smaller chamber is the discharge chamber which contains the feed-out auger that carries feed from the paddle chamber to the discharge point at the front left-hand side of the machine. This puts it into feed troughs or onto a conveyor system or whatever the farm is using for feeding/distributing the feed.

“Our mixing system is all about ensuring the best mix for the animals. Most mixing systems focus on ability to grind down forage and packing a lot of feed into the machine, but we focus on animal performance, and how the feed going into that animal affects performance. We start at that point (animal performance) and work backward to see how we can get the mix best suited to the animal at hand whether it’s a dairy cow, feedlot steer or cow-calf herd.”

It’s important to have a physically-effective fiber in the diet with some structure, mix consistency, and evenness of discharge, with no variation from the start of feed-out until the end of feed-out.

“These are the areas we focus on, and the mix that comes from the KEENAN mixer is a patented mix called Mech Fiber. Our philosophy over the past 40 years has been centered on physical appearance of the mix presented to the animal and ensuring that it optimizes the performance of that animal.” In grower systems, in terms of rumen development in young animals and transitioning to finishing phase, the producer wants them to efficiently gain frame size so they can put on the needed weight in the finishing stage. The young, growing animal needs a different ration than a finishing animal.

“The KEENAN is a very simply-built machine, operating off a chain-driven system. The input shaft drives a primary drive-chain, which in turn drives a secondary chain. The primary one drives the discharge auger and the secondary chain drives the main rotor sprockets. They turn very gently, so the rotor that turns the paddles is only doing about 7 to 8 revolutions per minute. This non-destructive mixing action is how we protect the physical structure of the TMR,” says Keogh.

“Because of the drive system and gentle mixing action–lifting up the feed and letting it fall–the power requirement is low. For the smaller-capacity machine you need only 90 horsepower, which is easy on the tractor. The machine is running at low revolutions, with slow-moving mixing action. We generally tell farmers that the mixing time is one minute after the last ingredient has been loaded, to allow that last ingredient to be mixed in,” he explains.

These machines come with blades for cutting the material and these blades are fixed to the bottom of the machine. The paddles have indentations (like the top of a castle) and as they push the feed across those knives this produces the cutting/shearing action. “The material is cut rather than torn like you’d see in other mixers. Ours creates a crisp, sharp, straight edge on the cut material, which stimulates rumen function.”

These machines have just a few bearings which are all externally mounted and easily accessible for greasing and maintenance. The maintenance requirements are low. “On the larger machines and newer ranges, these moving parts are working in a constant oil bath, keeping chains lubricated. The greasing points are all brought to an externally-mounted central manifold so you have only one point to grease all those driveline elements—at the front of the machine—without having to open up the machine.”

Regarding size, these machines range from 280 cubic feet up to 1000 cubic feet. A customer can get the proper size to fit a certain operation—everywhere from feeding 30 dairy cows a mix for 24 hours, to feeding 200 cows from one load. The standard model is suitable for most operations and can be adapted to suit just about any farm situation. “If you have low buildings or need to feed into a concrete trough or a conveyor system, we have the option to adapt the machine to suit the situation,” says Keogh.

Time is a big factor for farmers today, and labor can be an issue. “They are often looking for larger, faster machines. We still believe that even though we may not have the largest capacity machines available on the market, the animals’ performance is worth more to the farmer in the long term than saving 5 minutes every day.” The end product—the animal performance, is what the farmer is getting paid for.

“The more consistent the feed, the more contented the animals, and the better they produce milk or meat, or growth. We’ve had our own in-house nutrition team since the early 1990’s, supporting farmers and providing advice in terms of optimizing the mix and getting best results. We also get feedback from farmers using our machines,” he says.

“In the early 2000’s we started some research ourselves, and then appointed a scientific advisory board with members from the US, Europe and Australasia who analyzed our data over a number of years and looked at the effects of our Mech Fiber system on animal performance—specifically in the dairy industry. They published a paper in 2011 in The Professional Animal Scientist looking at the positive effects of the KEENAN Mech Fiber system on production efficiency, herd health and environmental impact in terms of reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” says Keogh.

When milk production was energy-corrected to values of 4% fat and 3.3% protein the system resulted in 4.05 pounds extra milk per cow per day, from 1.72 pounds less dry matter intake. This was about 10% improvement in efficiency, due to the machine’s gentle mixing action, and a consistent mix every day with the Mech Fiber mix.

“Taking this a step farther, we also reduce potential impact of human interaction on the mixing process. We now have a system that fits onto the KEENAN controller which advises the operator how to load the machine and what order to load ingredients and how long to leave it mixing. This optimizes the mixing process and the ingredients at hand, and can repeat it every day, regardless of who the operator is—because the controller is guiding them through the feeding process,” he explains.

“With this software the manager can also input feed costs and see exactly how much feed is used each day, and its cost, compared to what they should have used, and the impact of any deviations that may occur.” These machines have been fine-tuned over the years, in terms of the mixing process and ability to feed the animals the same every day. If you have variations, changing the diet of the animals, you are changing the environment for rumen bacteria—and we try to keep that as consistent as possible.”

KEENAN sells mixers into 80 different countries, with a core market of about 30 countries on a regular basis. “We’ve come across just about every type of feed and forage, and our machine has been shown to handle these, no matter where we go. It can mix everything from rice straw and elephant grass to more typical forages, silages and concentrates and create consistency of mix,” says Keogh.

“Our focus is not on producing a piece of metal, but more on performance of the animal, and ultimately profitability for the farmer,” he says.

Highline Manufacturing

(Saskatchewan) – John Maltman, M.SC, P. Ag, Highline’s Corporate Ruminant Nutritionist, says self-loading TMR technology has been around for about 10 years in Europe. “Highline took a look at this, since some producers in North America are starting to realize that these machines can fit their own operations. These mixers contribute not only to quality mixes but also can improve efficiency on the farm. So our company began to figure out how we could modify that machine and make it even better, from a North American perspective,” he says.

The AccuMix™ AM1000s loads itself, which turns a two-person two-tractor job into a one-person job. This saves labor, and improves accuracy. “This is what’s really nice about it. Highline has an independent mixing tub sitting on load cells which means that the arm is not part of that weigh system. We are weighing exactly what’s going into the mix. The material still sitting on the conveyer and the arm is not being included in that mix weight, so we gain accuracy,” he explains.

“We can also reverse that conveyer so we can unload the material when or if it’s not required to bring that weight to exactly what we’re looking for. This is how our self-loading machine works, and we’re also looking at machine mobility.”

In North America, unlike European situations, producers don’t put much concrete in facilities if they don’t have to, because concrete is expensive. “We simply put big tires on our machines, like we would on any other piece of equipment that has to go through mud, snow or water. This allows us to get to silage bags that might be on the far edge of a field, or a pile we had to make that doesn’t have a concrete access,” says Maltman.

Regarding steering, the operator needs to be able to move this big machine in tight spaces and in a barn. “That’s where the 4-wheel-drive 4-wheel crab steering comes into play and allows us to move a very large, heavy piece of equipment around in a very small area,” he says.

Another element that was important in developing the machine was keeping the operator in mind. “That person may be in the cab for many hours each day and we want that person to be comfortable and have easy access to the control screens,” he says.

The unload options are also nice. “Our unload conveyer is right in front and directly under the operator cab, allowing visual contact with it at all times. You can unload to the left or right, or out the back on the left side of the tub. This provides options for whatever feeding situation you might have.” This can generally fit the facility, rather than having to modify the facility to fit the machine.

“In some cases, however, facilities may need to be modified to fit the newer technology. A producer who has been in business a long time may not have a high enough door opening, for instance, or maybe the eaves of a building are in the way.”

In developing their self-loader, Highline® looked at many things including the time it takes to load and accuracy of loading ingredients, which affects quality of the mix. “What the producer is primarily concerned about is quality—particularly for lactating dairy cows. We want a specific cut length; we don’t want it shorter or longer than ideal length for palatability and quality,” explains Maltman.

“We want all those ingredients thoroughly homogenized even with a wide range of ingredients. Some are fluffy and light and some are heavy and dense. Some are dry, some are wet, some are long and some are short.”

To deal with these discrepancies, some producers pre-process some ingredients, but some don’t. “For the ones who don’t, we have knives on the twin screws in the mixing tub, which can be used if the forages are put in first—to reduce particle size down to what the producer wants, and then we can add all the other ingredients. We can make a very quick mix that is accurate and consistent,” he says.

“We’ve tested this a number of times in farm situations, but farm conditions are always dynamic, with new ingredients coming in.” Many things today are used in cattle rations including food byproducts like citrus pulp, and outdated foodstuffs like bread, candies, etc.

Highline’s AccuMix™ self-loading TMR is available in the US and being tested for processing many different feedstuffs. “We run into ingredients in the U.S. that we don’t see in Canada so testing products of similar densities is helpful. Our primary focus is dairy producers and larger beef units or feedlots, and we want to make sure the transition from whatever technology the producer is currently using, to this one, is a smooth one—with no interference with milk production or growth, and, the cows are happy with what they are eating,” says Maltman.

Doug Seland, one of Highline’s Territory Managers, says the Accu-Mix™ 1000s has a 1000 cubic foot tub. “It has a big cab, similar to a combine cab, with good visibility and easy access to get into it. You can easily see the feed being unloaded in front of you. It’s powered by a 300-horsepower CAT engine, with North American-built drive trains, hydraulic pumps and local access to parts. It’s built here in Saskatchewan and easier to access parts than having to get something from overseas. This is a major factor for many producers, knowing that their support is local, with better turnaround time and easy access to parts,” he says.

The cab is spacious, and easy to operate. “The touch screen is friendly and they can easily figure out what they are doing with it. It’s a lot like driving a combine, but the self-loading part takes a little practice and getting a feel for how it goes. Depending on your mix ingredients, sometimes you are loading this 1000-cubic-foot tub in 7 or 8 minutes. As its being loaded and mixed into the tub, then you are mixing and driving to where you’ll unload. The operator can stay in the cab and doesn’t need to jump out and go to a loader tractor; everything is right there, which saves time,” he says.

As an example, one producer with a small feedlot operation was able to change from a towed TMR and pay-loader and cut feeding time in half and also take one guy out of the equation. “Their normal feeding time had been 4 hours daily, and with the self-loading machine it only took 2 hours a day and feeding was accomplished with just one person,” says Seland. Not having to continually get in and out of various machines is also easier on the operator. One person can do all the feeding without leaving the cab.

Another thing that’s built into this machine is flexibility. The loading arms, for some of the larger operations, may not be needed if they already have Pay-loaders or are feeding several thousand animals. The self-loading arm is optional, if they don’t need it.

New Direction Equipment Company

(South Dakota) – Ron Weiss, factory representative at New Direction Equipment Company says NDEco offers both vertical and horizontal mixers. “The parent company does custom fabrication for different companies, but our high-performance vertical mixers and readily available parts are the main reasons we’ve been able to grow the company so much in the past 20 years. We currently have 15 different models and are coming out with 2 new models soon. These include a variety of discharge door, conveyor, and axle, configurations,” says Weiss.

“Our machines range in capacity from 350 cubic feet up to 1700 cubic feet. We only have a couple horizontal mixers, and they range from 360 cubic feet to 570 cubic feet,” he explains.

“One of the biggest advantages of using a vertical TMR mixer is that you can put a high proportion of long-stemmed material in the ration and continue mixing while processing that feedstuff down to shorter lengths. Long hay or bales do not need to be pre-cut before being placed in the mixer although doing so will speed up ration preparation time. This provides versatility because it can process the long-stemmed material as it mixes, or just mix pre-chopped ingredients.”

“The material can be dry or wet—many kinds of commodities—and it will mix even when the mixer is completely full, because it pulls feed from the bottom and pushes it up into the middle. Some mixers start to have dead spots when you fill them up (more characteristic of the horizontal mixers). A vertical mixer won’t have this problem if it’s working properly,” says Weiss. “Our brand has a few trade secrets that help ours work better. It’s just a little different design that allows it to work better when it’s full.”

The discharge door is also different. “We have the largest front door that we know of, available in a vertical mixer. The big advantage is unloading a fluffy, high-roughage ration, which applies more to cow-calf operations or feeding dairy heifers but also quickly unloads dairy lactation or feedlot rations that are higher density,” he says.

The side door offers the option of eliminating any conveyor, which means fewer moving parts, or utilizing discharge conveyors up to 9’ long. “These allow you to feed into portable self-feeders, feed carts, bale rings, turned tires, or in certain muddy conditions where you need extra length or reach to hit a variety of bunk heights and widths. This is an option our mixer has, that many others don’t,” says Weiss. There is a lot of versatility in unloading and feed delivery.

“The advantage of the TMR is that you are putting all the ingredients together, feeding the cattle what they need, versus them choosing what they like.” You’ve selected ingredients to create a balanced diet for that particular class of animal, making a palatable mix that they can’t sort. You can utilize marginal quality forage, chop it and mix it with higher-quality ingredients in a balanced diet, to increase cattle production.

“If you get it cut to a certain shorter length, calves and younger animals can eat it. They have smaller mouths and don’t like coarse feed so you need to get it down to a smaller particle size,” he says.

Duratech Haybuster

(North Dakota) – Bob Strahm, Vice President of Sales says his company in central North Dakota builds tub grinders and bale processers and decided to get into the vertical mixer business. “These mixers can grind, mix and feed all in one process. We started with a couple of models and now have 6 different sizes,” he says.

“We also have a variety of conveyers—standard conveyers with hydraulic conveyor, for putting feed into bunks, and a dogleg, fixed conveyer that can be moved out to the side, with a taper up that can reach certain bunks or for feeding on the ground. We also have some single-screw units available (430 cubic feet capacity, and 590). Our 710, 830, 980 and 1150 all utilize twin screws, with more capacity.” The customer can choose a unit that best fits their own operation.

“If you have 1000 head to feed and your budget for a machine is $40,000 (for a smaller unit) you may have to spend a lot of time feeding. If you don’t have time to feed all day, you can buy a larger, more expensive piece of equipment with more capacity and just feed one or two loads per day,” he explains.

“We call this our CMF series, which means cut, mix and feed. These machines basically cut up the hay and mixes in the other ingredients like silage, distillers grains, etc. Whatever your ration calls for, whether you are feeding dairy or beef cattle, this will chop it all up and thoroughly mix it.”

“We have a four-point scale system on all our mixers which we think is more accurate than a three-point system. This keeps it from fluctuating and is easier to read and you know exactly what the weight is,” says Strahm. This is important; farmers wants to make sure they are feeding only what the cows will eat and not wasting any feed.

“These are all pull-type machines; we don’t offer anything in a truck mount at this time. We are not a huge company and we want to figure things out and walk before we run. We are very reactive to our customers and what they need. We have customers in the Dakotas, Nebraska, Kansas, etc. with cow-calf herds, feedlots, etc. and dairies in Wisconsin and California,” he says.

“We build a lot of grinders and other feeding equipment and make them strong and durable. Some of our machines have 1500 pounds more steel than our competitors’ machines and we do a lot of demonstrating and show people what we have. We put the weight where it needs to be, and these machines will last a long time. When a person buys one of our vertical mixers it will probably be the last one they will ever need.”

Kuhn North America

(Wisconsin) – Mike Tranel, Mixing Technologies Product Specialist with Kuhn North America, says his company offers several different TMR mixer options. “We offer multiple different mixer options including reel mixer, 4-auger Botec® mixers, as well as vertical and self-propelled mixers,” he says.

With the most complete TMR mixer line on the market today, Tranel says KUHN has the right mixer to meet your needs, whether you are mixing 100% hay or 100% grains or any ration in between.

Reel mixers provide a fast, gentle mix of pre-processed feedstuffs while maximizing efficiency and minimizing expense. “On our reel mixers, one thing many of our customers like is the helix reel. This has a patented 5-star design with a little twist in it. As the reel goes around it is picking up material providing a gentle tumbling action, while a mix bar is eliminating dead spots. This method works very well,” he says.

The Botec 4-auger mixers work well for rations with less roughage—in the 20 to 40% range for roughage. These work nicely for a feedlot or backgrounding operation, for people who are not breaking down entire round bales.

“KUHN Knight vertical mixers offer versatility to process and mix the widest variety of feedstuffs. These feedstuffs include whole round bales, square bales, forages, small grains and other hard-to-handle materials. KUHN Knight vertical mixers provide a uniform mix with no dead spots. Consistent processing of long-stemmed material, along with a uniform mix ensures the animal is getting the nutrients it needs,” says Tranel.

The self-propelled mixers are a 4-in-1 solution. A single operator can face and load ingredients, mix a full TMR and feed the ration, all without ever leaving his/her seat. “With this type of mixer the producer can cut down on the number of machines he uses to feed livestock, which can help cut costs,” he says.

KUHN offers a variety of configurations to customize mixers for each operation. Customers can choose between trailer, truck mount or stationary units, multiple discharge options, and a vast range of sizes—whatever best fits each unique operation. “Having the correct configuration is critical to decrease inputs-whether time, labor, or fuel, allowing producers to increase their bottom lines and become more profitable,” says Tranel.

“Longevity and durability are features farmers look for when purchasing a machine. Our machines are rigorously tested to ensure many years of use. To make our mixers last even longer, we have additional high-wear options available such as stainless steel liners and heat-treated augers,” he says.

“At Kuhn North America we care about our customers, their livestock, and their bottom lines. We build machines to fit their needs and wants, while providing a high-quality TMR for their livestock.”

Jaylor

(Ontario) – Jaylor is a Canadian equipment manufacturing company in Orton, Ontario, northwest of Toronto. Dr. Alan Vaage (Ruminant Nutritionist) provides sales training and technical support to the Jaylor Sales and Dealer network, as well as to users of Jaylor TMR mixers.

Owners are Jake and Lorraine Tamminga, the “Jay” and “Lor” of Jaylor. “Jake started making mixers in 1993, specializing in vertical mixers, so this was one of the first manufacturers of vertical mixers in Canada,” says Vaage.

“We’ve grown the company since then, selling mixers to 50 different countries. We weren’t the first; I think the first one was in Italy and then in Holland. They became popular in Europe before that idea came to North America.”

One of the biggest advantages of the vertical mixers is simplicity. “There is very little adaptation required, to fit various production systems. It was initially developed due to the advent of round bales, and a need to develop a way to process those bales,” he explains.

Some of the first mixers were called cutter/mixer/feeders and were not as good for actual processing compared to other processing equipment, but were more effectively developed over time. “A lot of the interest at first was in the cow/calf market, but this technology was quickly adapted to dairies and feedlots. Any operation that feeds large amounts of forage using round bales is where you’ll see feed mixers,” he says.

“We are seeing vertical mixers now into the feedlot industry because of their capacity, especially the stationary mixers. These can be double the capacity of horizontal style mixers,” says Vaage. If they are set up as stationary mixers, the feed can be dumped into delivery trucks or smaller mixers.

Jaylor is a family operation that has grown a lot and is still growing. “We now have about 7000 mixers operating on various farms. Even today, the first mixer Jaylor sold in 1993 is still operating, on the farm that bought it. This shows the simplicity of operation (not so much to go wrong) and longevity of these machines.”

Anderson Group

The advantage of feeding a TMR (total mixed ration) diet is that each cow can consume the necessary level of nutrients in each bite. The mixed ration should include good quality forages, a balance of grains and proteins, vitamins and minerals. There are a number of different mixing strategies available.

Anderson Group is an international agricultural products manufacturer that has been making haying equipment since 1988, and more recently started making TMR mixers. “We have vertical mixers in single, double and triple auger configurations, from 280 cubic feet up to 1600 cubic feet capacity,” according to Patrice Desrochers, CEO of Anderson Group.

“We have mixers with side discharge, track or front conveyor discharge, or dual discharge on either left or right of the machine. Many manufacturers offer these options, but where we stand out of the crowd is that we have some patented unique features that can increase the farmers’ profits due to the better mixing homogeneity,” he says.

“We have been in the mixer business for 5 years now, and everywhere we’ve sold them, our mixer has proved to be faster in processing round bales. Ours are the fastest, cutting processing time by 30 to 40%,” he says. This saves time, labor and fuel.

“All the nutritionists we’ve been working with, and comparing the mix with that of other brands and companies, have shown the superior homogeneity of our mix, which aids performance of the animals, whether dairy or beef.”

Anderson Group’s mixers are more expensive than some because they use high-grade hardox type steel on the floor of the auger and sidewall. “As far as I know, we are the only manufacturer in the industry that uses this steel. This adds 5 to 10% more to the cost of our machines but gives a longer lifespan. Instead of only lasting for 8 years, the farmer can probably run ours for at least 12 to 14 years. We almost double the longevity of the product,” he says.

“The second point where we outperform the competition is that for our round bale processing we have a triangular-shaped auger which makes the pattern around the auger irregular. This breaks down the bale and takes it apart a lot faster. The third main feature is our self-sharpening knives on the auger. The knives are tungsten treated and reversible versus all the other brands on the market, and don’t wear out; the others get worn and have to be flipped over. Ours outperform any other knives,” he explains. With other machines you usually have to replace the knives fairly often.

The Anderson Group machines are a little more expensive up front, but ultimately save money in fewer repairs and longer life. “Some people only look at purchase price when comparing products, and don’t look at the costs on down the road. With ours you might pay 10% more but it lasts almost twice as long. Thus the ownership cost is a lot lower than for a machine that you might buy cheaper but only lasts a few years,” he says.

“Here in our area in Quebec we have one of the most famous dairy farms in the world, called Comestar. They sell a lot of genetics worldwide, with embryos. The owner of that farm was entered into the Holstein Wall of Fame last January as the most influential Holstein producer of the last 25 years worldwide. They started using our feed mixer three years ago and said they’d never seen any better mixer on the market in terms of feed homogenizing, resulting in higher milk production,” he says.

Home – American Cattlemen

October 2020

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