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Cows in milk
Supporting farmers to optimise cow body condition score for optimal milk production, fertility and improved feed efficiency.
Explainer Videos
Ideal Weight Feeding integrates seamlessly with Afimilk, DelPro (Farm Manager), and GEA (DairyPlan), and can be installed on farms worldwide.
Our system feeds each cow individually and correctly to:
Achieve good milk production.
Restore positive energy balance quickly after calving, helping her to conceive more easily.
Maintain the correct body condition score (BCS) by the end of lactation, ensuring she’s ready for the next cycle.
Improve cull cow value by keeping them in optimal condition.
Maximise profitability sustainably.
This is done automatically every day, taking the following factors into account for each cow:
- Is she still in the lead feed period? The length of the lead feed can be set for each group according to farm requirements.
- How many days remain until she is dried off?
- Is her current BCS below, on, or above target? BCS targets can be set for each group according to farm requirements. Each cow must have her BCS measured three times per lactation (if no BCS camera is available). For the rest of the lactation, her average body weight is used to estimate BCS. In smaller herds without a scale, BCS can be measured at least once a month.
- The quality and quantity of feed each group receives per cow/day outside of the dairy. A feed menu is set for each group, and combined with the other factors, this determines the feed each cow receives. Essentially, the more and better quality the feed outside the dairy, the less she will receive in the dairy, and vice versa.
- Default milk production (MP) and body weight (BW). The system allows for default values, so if a cow has no MP or BW average, she will still be fed.
- Flexible feed adjustments. It is easy to make temporary changes to feed menus for each group (e.g., increasing feed for a day or two during bad weather), which automatically adjusts the feed each cow receives.
- Rotary and robotic systems. On a rotary dairy, IWF can manage multiple feeds simultaneously – for example, providing higher-producing cows with a higher-quality meal and lower-producing cows with a lower-quality meal. Energy, minerals, and protein can also be fed separately, allowing each cow to receive her own combination. Liquid pumps can be integrated into these menus.
- Maximum feed per group. A maximum kg/day can be set for each feed per group. If the IWF calculation exceeds this maximum, the cow will receive the maximum amount.
- Minimum feed per group. A minimum kg/day can be set for each feed per group. If the IWF calculation falls below this minimum, the cow will receive the minimum amount.
Who needs this system?
Any dairy farmer looking to improve feeding efficiency and manage cows individually in the dairy through a system that can export cow data and import feed data. The system is already compatible with:
AfiFarm 5
DelPro
DairyPlan (GEA)
Currently, Ideal Weight Feeding calculates daily concentrate levels for
About the system
What about Ideal Weight feeding set-up?
Because Ideal Weight feeding (IWF) is cloud-based, it is easy to install it via the internet on a computer anywhere in the world. We only need remote access to the client’s computer. We currently install all the new IWF systems in South Africa remotely. We also have IWF systems set up in New Zealand.
What about backup?
We daily check if the client’s management system has exported the cow data to the cloud and imported the new feed data from the cloud. If it doesn’t happen, our team will sort it out remotely. When there are problems that we can’t sort out we will contact the supplier of your management system for help for example Affimilk/Delpro.
When it comes to nutritional support, we can set up the feed menus for you and help with adjustments as the need arises. Ideally, we will train your feed adviser on how to set up the feed menus and make the necessary changes independently.
Need more information?
Client Reviews
Goedehoop Dairy has been using Ideal Weight Feeding on the rotary for the past 7 years with the following benefits: Precision feeding. The ration in the dairy is adapted to each individual cow’s requirements and performance, therefore saving in feed cost. Cows are kept at an ideal weight and body condition score which contributes to a healthier herd. Individual feeding of cows in the dairy helps with nutritional management to optimize fertility.
We have been using Ideal Weight feeding since we installed Afi in 2009. It eliminates unnecessary feed costs; cows produce to their maximum capacity and are dried up on the correct BCS. Great service.
Visitors
Four years ago, Ideal Weight Feeding helped guide us out of a difficult situation. We had many animals who weren't in optimal condition that had to be milked and become pregnant again. Ideal weight feeding has enabled us to get our animals in prime condition in a cost-effective manner, ensuring optimal milk production.
The Ideal weight feeding allows one to optimally allocate the correct amount of feed to your cows on an individual basis. Be it energy, protein, mineral, or a high or low spec ration. By being able to feed on production, condition, and weight, it gives better control of the condition of the cows throughout their lactation and dry off. This is an invaluable tool in our dairy operations.
With Ideal Weight Feeding, cows are dried in a good condition at the end of each lactation. IWF ensures that each cow is optimally fed to reach her full potential within the herd.
I cannot imagine feeding my cows without Ideal Weight feeding. It takes all the guess work away from me and allows me to focus on other aspects of the business. There is a misnomer that individual cow feeding, and herd management is expensive and time consuming, well, Ideal Weight feeding is neither, the time-consuming part is dealt with by people who understand cow nutrition better than I do and I think it is really affordable. It gives me peace of mind knowing that each cow is being fed the way it should be and that every kg of expensive feed that I purchase is being used effectively.
There are 3 things that stand out for us: I appreciate the high level of service offered to us as users of this program. Johan personally attends to his clients, ensuring each farm's needs are met through Ideal Weight Feeding. The program is continually updated and can adapt to the unique farming conditions of individual farms. The program is unique in that it considers and calculates the requirements of individual farms and their cows. This ensures that each cow is in top-notch condition to produce high quantity and quality milk.
Good fertility and milk production ultimately comes down to managing a cow’s condition correctly. Ideal weight feeding is the perfect tool to help accomplish this.
Solid current nutritional science coupled with exceptional algorithmic software enables precision feeding of up to four separate concentrates to cows. Each individual cow is fed to her own personalized menu and the results are monitored and feed adjusted automatically.