Up to this point, we have learned that the H&L 100 always mixes and prepares a fresh milk diet, at the right temperature, for each individual calf. And of course the H&L 100 automatically cleans all tubes and hoses.
However: To date, the area where the calf drinks the milk has been gravely neglected when conventional automatic feeders are used. That is why many veterinarians are concerned that the teats on automatic feeders harbour the risk of transmitting diseases.
This is where the HygieneStation from Holm & Laue sets THE new standard, not only in terms of hygiene, but also when it comes to making work easier.
Do you know where the highest level of bacteria and germs are in the calf pen? Right! The place where all the calves access and drink the milk several times a day. Now, the HygieneStation ensures that the area is kept clean.
Every calf produces mucus when they drink. With the HygieneStation, this is collected in a mucus bowl together with the teat cleaning water and washed away after each feeding process. As a result, the entire feeding area stays hygienically clean and dry.
The teat at the feeding station is positioned so that it slants downwards in a similar way to the teats on the suckler cow. This encourages the natural drinking position of the calf. When the head is stretched, it encourages the natural reflex of the oesophageal groove and reduces the risk of milk passing into the rumen.
Practice has shown that calves can orientate better when the teat is illuminated. This increases the intake of milk during the night and the feeding process is evenly distributed over 24 hours.
For many farmers, a lower workload is an argument in favour of the automatic feeder. The new HygieneStation now makes the rest of the work considerably easier as well.
All components can be reached at a comfortable working height. This facilitates monitoring, inspection and maintenance tasks. Parts that are relevant for maintenance are highlighted in yellow. The design of the station also allows it to be placed in a natural-climate outdoor pen, because all of the parts are frost-proof.
All dairy farmers wants their calves to gain plenty of weight. Yet weighing calves is strenuous and requires a lot of discipline. An animal weighing scale at the HygieneStation collects important information almost in passing.
The CalfExpert records the daily growth of calves using the forefoot weigh scale. Calves that grow quickly start feeding concentrate and hay at an early age and can thus be weaned off milk early on the basis of their individual weight development. This supports the development into a ruminant and saves money!
At the end of rearing, you obtain valuable information about the development of each individual calf. This will help you make important decisions about which female calves should supplement your herd of dairy cows and which animals should be sold due to poor growth.
When you are in the pen, during animal training for example, you often wish you could take a quick look at the feeder display. This wish has now been granted thanks to the new
display on the HygieneStation.
Mounted directly on the HygieneStation or even on the wall, the HS display indicates relevant information about the calf in the calf group. The calf number is displayed in very large digits. In addition, you can read off the remaining quantity and the alarm status. At the push of a button you can also have the calves with credit or alarm displayed sequentially. This means it is no longer necessary to move constantly between the calf pen and the CalfExpert display. It is also possible to stir an extra mix for a calf directly at the HS display, and feed this or pump it into a bucket.
You can read off the remaining quantity conveniently and estimate how much longer the current visit is going to take. The alarm status is also easy to recognise on the basis of a scale.
It is also possible to stir an extra mix directly at the stall via the HygieneStation display, and feed this or pump it into a bucket.
Several equipment variants of the HygieneStation have already been presented. You will fi nd a few more helpful options below.
There are calves that tend to suck one another. Although the entire functional principle of the CalfExpert and HygieneStation is designed to prevent this, it can sometimes be helpful to lock the animals in while they are feeding at the station so that they can feed in peace. The lockable door works pneumatically and needs a compressed air connection at the HygieneStation.
Alongside the HygieneStation, concentrate feeder stalls can feed concentrate or cereals to the calves. How much feed each calf has eaten is precisely recorded, since residual quantities are taken into account. A particularly interesting aspect is that individual weaning off milk according to the current consumption of concentrate is possible too. So calves whose digestive system has already adapted to the consumption of dry feed can be weaned off milk at an earlier stage, leading to signifi cantly reduced feed costs.
Even in small amounts ammonia irritates the calf's mucosa. In the long run this can lead to bronchitis which quickly becomes pneumonia. Only when the concentration of ammonia gets to a harmful level, it can be perceived. AmmoniaDetect is an electrochemical sensor permanently measuring the ammonia concentration in the air of the barn. Protected by a pipe the sensor is put directly within the resting area. The CalfExpert constantly analyses the measured values and documents them in a graphic evaluation. Thus you can optimise the ventilation in the calf barn and determine the best timing for mucking out.
Power supply voltage [VDC] | 24 V |
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Water inlet | ½" |
Optional teat and grate rinsing: permissible water pressure | 1.4 - 8.2 bar |
Weight of fully equipped HygieneStation | approx. 50 kg |
Continuous noise pressure level | < 70 dB |
Dimensions of HygieneStation | 0.47 x 1.31 x 1.61 m |
Required space for HygieneStation | 0.50 x 2.3 m |
* Technical specifications subject to change!