CalfExpert
THE modern calf feeder with individual calf feeding, whole milk system, intuitive control of the graphic display and many other features.
Improved work flexibility: data analysis via an app assists professional management.
Better rearing performance through weighing. Early inspections and alerts reduce veterinary costs.
Natural drinking behaviour: healthy development thanks to multiple personalised feeds.
CalfExpert is a calf feeder that has been developed to meet the latest standards in calf feeding. State-of-the-art feeding technology ensures that the milk for the calves is always freshly mixed. It does not matter whether milk replacer or pasteurised whole milk is used. CalfExpert prepares the milk automatically and individually for each animal.
You, as farmer, remain completely flexible in your work schedule while calves are fed 24/7. The calf feeder takes your calf rearing management to a whole new level.
Intuitive operation via the graphic display and the link to the CalfGuide mobile app make it easier for you and your team to monitor your animals. All the information about your calves, status reports and alerts are at your fingertips in the app and directly on the calf feeder at all times.
Different feeding programmes form the basis of successful and performance-oriented calf rearing in automatic calf feeding. Labour savings and complete supervision included.
What can the CalfExpert do? How does it improve calf welfare and working conditions? What are its key functions? You can learn about all this here in a nutshell:
A central milk supply has another major disadvantage: modern feeding programmes (e.g. metabolic programming) require a higher CMR concentration (e.g. 160 g/l) at the beginning of rearing to stimulate performance. However, a lower milk replacer powder concentration (130 g/l) is necessary in the weaning phase. This individual animal feeding can only be achieved if the mix is prepared individually for each calf, as is the case with CalfExpert.
Since CalfExpert does not restrict feeding to certain times of day, calves can come and feed at any time. Your calves will no longer see you as a nurse and will therefore remain calm when people enter the barn. Younger and weaker calves have all the time they need to consume their full ration.
As the CalfExpert also works with an intelligent credit logic, all calves have a feeding credit at a different time. As a result, fewer animals crowd around the station. The anti-pirate milk valve ensures that stronger calves do not steal milk. The result: extremely uniform, relaxed groups of calves.
We have accelerated the mixing process and the change of calves in the CalfExpert, thereby optimising utilisation of the HygieneStations.
Milk is mixed quickly and can be called up at the feeding station after just 3 seconds. Once the milk meal is finished, a switch is immediately made to the second feeding station. Here, a second calf can be fed immediately while the first is still satisfying its need to suckle.
In addition, priorities can be specified in the CalfExpert menu so that young or sick calves are given preferential treatment. The tried and tested flexitime programme ensures that meals are distributed very evenly throughout the day without clusters of visits to the stations. The result is reduced waiting times with high animal occupancy and a positive “visiting experience” for the calves.
Flexible feeding also means that a wide range of CMRs and additives have to be prepared in an optimum and lump-free way. The continuously variable PowerMixer ensures a soft start to avoid splashing and then stirs the milk replacer powder thoroughly. This means the calf receives its freshly mixed milk directly at the teat in just 3 seconds.
The feeding process can sometimes take longer where young or weak calves are involved. We prevent the separation of the milk replacer powder by slow permanent stirring. And if it gets colder, the heater in the mixer always ensures the mix is kept at a constant temperature, for no matter how long the calf needs.
The new option allows the CalfExpert to feed two different types of milk replacer (CMR).
The milk powder compartment is at a 90° angle to the CalfExpert and feeds milk powder into the PowerMixer of the machine via a dosing augur on the side. The volume of 50 kg of CMR can be supplemented by a further 25 kg via the additional powder chamber. This gives the CalfExpert the largest milk powder storage capacity of any automatic feeder on the market, with a maximum powder storage capacity of 150 kg (2 x (50 + 25 kg)). Ideally, this is done in such a way that one type of milk replacer slowly takes the place of the other. This can make sense, for example, if a high-quality skimmed milk replacer is to be used in the first few weeks of life in order to promote the early development of the calves with highly digestible CMR.
Later, cheaper milk replacers can be used, whose ingredients (e.g. certain proportions of high-quality vegetable proteins) are intended to support the transition to ruminant.
All hose systems used to have deposits of contaminated milk because they had not been cleaned often enough or thoroughly enough. The HygieneStation rinses the entire milk hose through to the teat during longer drinking breaks. In addition, the complete milk system is cleaned several times every day. If the DoubleJug milk tank is used, the supply line to the CalfExpert is also cleaned automatically. This will reduce a calf’s exposure to bacteria, improve the health of the calves and save on manual cleaning.
We deliberately avoid the use of touch technology and rely instead on the use of SmartKeys, meaning that a CalfExpert can be operated reliably even in frost, rain, with gloves or even dirty fingers. The illuminated SmartKeys guide you through the programme.
The completely new control software offers maximum clarity and simple CalfExpert operation. All calf data with individual feeding curve, alarm lists, technical parameters etc. can be viewed on the 7″ display. The Wi-Fi connection also allows you to retrieve individual items of data on mobile devices and to receive push notifications in the event of error messages.
| Power supply and heating performance | 400 V 16 A (6 kW) or 230 V 16 A (3 kW) |
|---|---|
| Capacity with 4 feeder stations | Up to 100 calves (up to 150 in certain cases) |
| Identification system | Multireader HDX and FDX |
| Storage tank for milk replacer powder | 90 l / 50 kg |
| Powder filling height | 112 cm |
| Boiler capacity | 12 l |
| Dimensions | 60 cm x 70 cm x 121 cm |
| Space requirement | 100 cm x 100 cm |
* Technical specifications subject to change without notice.