Over recent years, it has become obvious the dairy industry is showing increasing growth in the use of automation, robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) as solutions to many challenges on the farm, particularly as related to labor demands.

The year is 2015, and the philosophy for feeding a robotic milking herd is to feed limited energy at the bunks so the cows go to the robots for the remainder of their nutrient requirements; more energy available in the robot means more visits and ultimately more milk.

A typical dairy operation manages different animal types (from young heifers to lactating cows), intakes and rations characteristics, resulting in a wide range of feed load sizes.

Typical silage loss can run up to 20%. Using a product that is environmentally friendly and that prevents oxygen ingress cuts that loss in half.

Even when a farm does everything right prior to feedout, silage piles that are subjected to less-than-ideal face management have the potential for massive spoilage.

Feed is expensive. The good news is: Successfully implementing feed management protocols can help to lower your feed cost. Feed management encompasses many aspects on a dairy, some of which can’t be controlled like weather, markets and supply chain.

One very important management practice that may be the least expensive with the greatest potential return is proper feedbunk management.

Farming equipment manufacturer Hustler Equipment recently released an innovative range of front-end loader and tractor attachments.