To mark 10 years of the Lely Vector, beef farmer David Millar explains how the Lely Vector has revolutionised his enterprise, and why he believes that it is a real value-for-money investment.
The Lely Vector automatically selects, mixes and feeds ration to animals 24 hours per day.
Automated feeding ensures that animals receive the same concentration, quantity and quality of feed every time. Frequent feeding stimulates fodder ingestion, benefiting herd health, fertility and production.
David Millar
Hailing from Strabane in Co. Tyrone, David Millar operates a poultry unit, grows forage maize and finishes 600 Aberdeen Angus cattle every year.
With beef margins being tight, David wanted to streamline feeding efficiencies on his farm. As a result, he decided to install the Lely Vector automatic feeding system five years ago and hasn’t looked back since.
Before installing the Lely Vector, David used a feeder wagon attached to a tractor and fed using a trough system.
“My system of feeding the cattle was much more labour intensive. I would have spent a large amount of time just feeding the cattle.
“In terms of animal performance, I found that the stronger animals would come to the barrier to get fed first, with the smaller animals struggling for space and access to feed. This would widen the gap between them,” David said.
“The Lely Vector allows for a much more even daily liveweight gain. Previously, the daily live weight gain ranged from 0.5kg per day to 1.6kg per day.
“Since installing the Lely Vector, the growth rates are more even, ranging from 1.1kg to 1.6kg. This has resulted in cattle finishing earlier and feed costs are lower, therefore leaving the beef enterprise more profitable.”
Feed Kitchen
When it comes to how the Lely Vector operates, the feed kitchen is the area where the feed is stored, selected, picked up and loaded into the robot for mixing.
In the feed kitchen, a Lely feed grabber is installed which automatically moves above the kitchen to select the correct type and amount of feed used to make up the ration.
Using weight and height sensors, the grabber makes up the ration to around 98% accuracy. David believes that the ‘feed kitchen’ is the hub of the operation.
“We have an open floor with squares painted on the ground which is mapped on the computer. I can alter between different squares for different types of feed that I want to include, whether that be grass silage, straw, forage maize or sugar beet.
“The grabber knows exactly where every square is located and what feed type is in each,” he said.
Feed Grabber
To improve functionality and reduce maintenance, Lely have engineered a new and improved feed grabber. The bucket itself has been designed to reduce the loss of small feed types, with an improved scraper that ensures loading accuracy.
To help load long feed components, new bucket teeth are also available. All components of the bucket are made from stainless steel, reducing ware and tare. The new feed grabber replaces the current one and is also available for existing Vector users to upgrade.
Improved feed quality and herd performance
Since installing the Lely vector, David admits that the overall quality of his feed has increased substantially.
“The Lely Vector is working 24 hours a day. It means that the feed is mixed consistently every time. It’s key in terms of performance and getting the nutritional balance right for my herd.
“The feed is more evenly mixed, its fresher, its delivered more often and it is pushed up all the time. We have seen a massive reduction in wastage.
“When we were using the troughs, fresh feed went on top of older feed. This isn’t the case with the Lely Vector. It allows me to give different diets in the same shed. That is crucial in maximising feed efficiencies,” he said.
The mixing and feeding robot of the Lely Vector system is a self-contained battery-operated robot, that is capable of automatically mixing and feeding a ration. Loaded in the feed kitchen by the grabber, the robot first mixes the ration and then sets out to the feeding barrier.
Lely have introduced a new auger in the robot, which ensures faster and superior mixing of the feed ration. This time saving can be used to feed more often or to feed more animals. The faster auger comes as standard with all new Lely Vectors.
The Robot has 3 main functions. Firstly, it collects and mixes the ration from the feed kitchen. Secondly, it monitors the feed quantity in front of the animals as it passes, dispensing more ration as necessary. Lastly, as it moves past the barrier, the Vector actively pushes the feed towards the animals, ensuring no feed is wasted.
Time Saving
The time that the Lely Vector has saved David is one of the biggest benefits of the machine.
“The Lely Vector has freed up time for me to focus on other areas and aspects of the herd such as herd health. It also allows me to spend more time with the family and pursue off-farm interests also.
“On average, the Lely Vector saves me 2 hours feeding every morning and evening,” David said.
Cost saving
In addition to the amount of time that the Lely Vector has saved, David has witnessed a massive reduction in his fuel costs.
“The Lely Vector has reduced my fuel costs by 50%. When I was using the feeder wagon, the tractor would have to be left on at high revs to mix the feed in the wagon. In comparison, the Lely Vector collects, mixes and feeds the ration over the course of the day and is not under the same pressure.”
Lely Horizon
The Lely Horizon software provides David with complete oversight of what his cows are receiving and can easily make adjustments to his nutrition plan if needed. “The Horizon software is very user friendly,” he said.
“I can see what the cattle are consuming, what they are being fed and when they’re being fed. It gives me peace of mind that they are getting what they need and when they need it.
“One of the biggest benefits of the Lely Horizon is when I sell cattle and have to re-adjust the feed to a certain pen, I can do it straight away with ease.”
Lely Horizon allows you to monitor herd performance and make any changes if necessary. It gives you quick access to all the data you need.
Overall, David believes that the Lely Vector has been a massive cost and time saving investment and will continue to create massive efficiencies on his farm for many years into the future.
“I feel that the system is a value for money investment and is a viable option for those looking to maximise feed efficiencies on their farm,” he concluded.
To learn more about the Lely Vector, Horizon or other Lely products, click the button below.
