Hans Mathias Ulberg is a dairy farmer in Norway, who has 110 head of cattle altogether, including milk cows, heifers, bulls and calves. Since he first started using a milking robot and a stationary mixer feeder, milk yields have gone up and the amount of working time has dropped considerably.
Ulberg uses a stationary mixer with a conveyor belt feeding system for feeding, a combination that practically amounts to an automatic feeding system. That way, the farmer can feed his cattle several times a day without much effort on his part. Ulberg: “Feeding takes me fifteen minutes a day at most. All I have to do is to load the bales, everything else is automatic. Another great benefit is that I can offer my cows a ration of the same quality all year round. I have many small pieces of land distributed over a large area, so there is a lot of variation in the grass quality. The ration stays consistent despite these differences.”
Frozen bales no problem
The Trioliet mixer can also process frozen bales, allowing Ulberg to optimise his feed strategy. “In Norway, we are used to saving dry bales for winter, because these do not freeze as quickly as the wetter ones. This is not always the best choice for feeding, but, as a cattle farmer, it does mean you do not have to cut frozen bales. Thanks to the stationary mixing system, we can now use wet bales even in winter. Frozen bales are no problem for the Trioform cutting blades.”
Increased milk yield
Since the introduction of the milking robot and stationary mixer feeder, milk yields have increased from 7,500 kg to 11,000 kg per cow. “This is not just due to the milking robot, but also to the the feeding system. The mixer ensures a consistent, high-quality ration all year round. Thanks to the conveyor belt feeding system, I can feed the cows more times a day, maximising the benefits of automatic feeding. I am sure that around 1,000 kg of my increased milk yield per cow is due to this stationary feed system.”
Why Trioliet?
“Of course, I compared several brands, three or so,” Ulberg continues. “I think that it is important that all the parts come from the same firm. Trioliet supplies the entire system, from the electric motor to the controls, ensuring that everything is of the same quality. It was a significant investment for me, so I needed it to last for many years. That has proved true so far. At any rate. I have been using this stationary feed system without problems already for eight years now.”