Continuity is not only important for the feeding process, but also for the mixture of the feed itself. In former times, one had to rely on their eyes in order to find the right structures of feed that were necessary for forming the forage mat in the rumen. Nowadays, shaker boxes are widely used for this kind of work.
This activity seems to be superfluous and unnecessary in the eyes of many farmers, but the animals in our Fütterungswelt prove that such kind of “controlling” is essential for guaranteeing animal health. Furthermore, it contributes to a remarkable increase in productivity.
Our shaker boxes are stacked particle sieves equipped with holes in different sizes. These holes help separate the silage into its individual components.
Thanks to our shaker boxes, you can always make sure that there are enough long components in the feed that help build and maintain a forage mat in the rumen. Nowadays, it is common knowledge that 10 % of particles with a size of more than 1.9 cm (0.75 inches) per feed ration are enough for building a forage mat in the rumen. This decreases the volume of the feed ration; thereby the cows are able to eat more. We also know today that the bacteria in the rumen need a physically effective neutral detergent fiber (peNDF), i.e. all particles smaller than 4 mm (0.16 inches), in order to grow in number. For this simple reason, Wasserbauer’s Shaky has, unlike most other particle separators, a third sieve equipped with holes of 4 mm (0.16 inches) in diameter.
In our Fütterungswelt, the Shaky is used on a weekly basis in order to check the structure of the feed rations. If the structure has changed over time, we first check the blades within our mixer. At the same time, we readjust the duration of the mixing process. This makes our top-productivity livestock a model example for continuity. A high feed quality, a permanent controlling of the dry mass of the feed rations, a precise, well-balanced and well-timed mixing process, as well as continuity in the analysis and composition of the feed rations; all these factors result in an incredible average milk yield of 40 litres per cow and day in our experimental cowshed.