Function

The Pitstop^BASIS feeder is designed to provide access to extra minerals on an ad libitum basis - see our recommendations for composition here - including buffer/sodium bicarbonate, fodder salt and more. In this way, the different needs of the animals are catered for, because they typically have different milk yields, ages or growth rates, even if they are housed in the same group.

It is labour-saving to use a Pitstop^BASIS feeder instead of distributing minerals as top dressing, and it is far more hygienic than placing an open trough in the stall.

The design of the Pitstop^BASIS feeder is unique and well thought out in every detail. Lateral mounting ensures that the animals do not stand across the aisles when they eat, which could otherwise prevent traffic in the barn. The feeder takes up a minimum of space and does not reduce the barn's capacity. The mounting raised from the floor ensures that scraping robots can pass unhindered.

The feeder is equipped with a solid protective bar that ensures long durability. It also provides some protection for the animal eating from the dispenser, and prevents more than one animal from eating at a time. Threaded rods, etc. are included for typical mounting on a (half) wall, e.g. at the end of a water trough.

The feeder itself is made of thick, durable and solid PEHD plastic with an integrated feed magazine of approx. 45 litres - typically corresponding to a capacity of 3-4 bags of mineral feed.

The lid with a one-hand operated snap lock opens to the supplements container. Filling is easy with a bucket or a sack.

The entire form, design and angles of the feeder, including the fodder flap and the top lid, make the feeder closed. The feeder gives thus a good protection of the supplements against rain and other water as well as pollution with dung, and it keeps the supplements fresh and appetizing.

One feeder can serve around 25 animals indoors or 50 animals outdoors. The feeding hole has a size that only allows one animal at a time. The intake of the free-choice mineral supplements is typically 50-150 gram per animal per day, with variation and dependent on the mineral supplement type and the size of the animals.

The feeder is suitable for animals without horns.

Theoretical basis - dairy cows

Access to extra mineral supplements from a Pitstop^BASIS feeder ensures that cows can eat the minerals and vitamins they need according to their performance, despite a too low intake of the mixed feed ration.

It is well known that dairy cows’ feed intake is less than the requirements in the first app. 100 days after calving, also called the mobilization phase. Today, it is also widely acknowledged that the feed intake falls below needs already two-three weeks before calving, as the foetus grows exponentially up to calving while milk production starts and the cow's appetite decreases.

Dairy cows’ problem in the critical period is that they cannot eat enough of their feed ration, no matter how super-optimised it is and how good the fodder quality is. The ration is simply too filling, while cows’ desire for water and minerals doesn’t go down in the period, as the cows feel a need for these things and apparently can sense that it do them well.

It is a long part of the way okay that cows eat too little of their feed ration for a period because they are able to mobilise energy from their body, but it is not okay with regard to micro minerals and vitamins for which their body stores are extremely limited. Undersupply with micro minerals and vitamins is a major reason for the unwanted clinical and subclinical conditions with negative effects for the production, reproduction and health almost queuing up to be expressed in the critical period, resulting in large economic losses.

Clinical or subclinical outbreak of loss-causing conditions such as acidosis, digital dermatitis or retained placenta, will easily cost 20-25 per cent of the gross margin for the cow in the given lactation, and losses are of course bigger for cows that die.

In line with this, the performance and gross margin is lifted throughout the entire lactation for cows that are managed to go smoothly through the critical period.

Access to extra mineral supplements from a Pitstop^BASIS feeder ensures that cows can eat the minerals and vitamins they need according to their performance, despite a too low intake of the mixed feed ration.

Technichal details*