Precision supplementation
PitstopPLUS is a smart farming technology for automated, targeted and precise supplementation of transition cows with mineral feed or feed additives.
PitstopPLUS is for dairy farms that have recogniosed the importance of extra supply of minerals, trace elements, vitamins and effective feed additives for a high performance of their cows during the critical transition period.
High performace of dairy cows ⬅ optimal animal welfare ⬅ a minimum of diseases and self dead cows ⬅ high immune status in the critical transition period ⬅ PitstopPLUS for individual and restricted supplementation concept.
PitstopPLUS is a market disruptive invention that results from rethinking the way dairy cows should be supplemented in the context of increased use of TMR and increasing productivity - it is advantageous to separate a part of the supplementation from the Total Mixed Ration.
PitstopPLUS is by default configured to identify cows via their electronic ear tag, which according EU regulation 1760/2000 for identification and registration of bovine animals is based on worldwide HDX/FDX open standards for electronic ear tagging, namely ISO standard 11784 and 11785 according test methods given by point 7 in ISO standard 24631-1. Use of electronic ear tags for tagging of cattle is mandatory in some countries, and possible in other countries at a small extra cost. ICAR is in its capacity as the Registration Authority of ISO maintaining an ICAR Registry of RFID Devices with ISO . PitstopPLUS can be configured for identifying cows via neck mounted transponders that are based on the same ISO standards.
Dairy cows' intake of additional supplements via the PitstopPLUS system corresponds to the gap between need and supply of a typical cow during the critical transition period. These are the conclusions from an analysis made within the frames of the Iof2020 Use Case 2.6 of data records from the use of the PitstopPLUS concept in a Danish, TMR-fed Jersey herd through April 2019. Read the whole analysis at ResearchGate .
PitstopPLUS tackles the challenges The challenge in feeding dairy cows is that the feed intake is about 20% below needs in the critical transition period, and approximately 10% above in the remaining two thirds of the lactation. The challenge is amplified by offering all cows a standardized ration throughout the lactation.
PitstopPLUS makes it possible to give individual cows in the critical transition period the needed type and quantity of extra supplements to ensure a good immune status and optimise health, reproduction and production in the herd.effective feed additives , such as natural selenium and rumen protected choline, etc. Characteristically, their cost-effective use is limited to the critical transition period, or a part of it. PitstopPLUS makes it practical and economic to use such feed additives.
The PitstopPLUS concept for dairy cow supplementation is due to the effects associated with animal welfare, environment and resource economy.
Impressive effects of precision supplementation with the PitstopPLUS concept The effects of the PitstopPLUS concept was tested under practical conditions at six dairy farms in Germany, Latvia, Lithuania and Denmark with a total of about 2,700 dairy cows.
Tests in the Danish and German herds were more or less comparable, as the uptake of mineral feed was at an
expected level, and both herds used apart from mineral supplements also a choline product for a larger or smaller part of the test period. The average results from these two herds are shown here.
In addition to the economic gains shown, the Danish herd switched after the testing to the use of mineral supplements costing € 1.00 per kg and decreased the amount of mineral supplements in the TMR mixture with 13%, which increase
the net profit by a further € 20 per cow per year.
Read more about the tests at https://www.microfeeder.com/news_specific?id=376 .
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PitstopPLUS Manager
Pitstop
PLUS is managed via Pitstop
PLUS Manager, which you find at
https://www.pitstopplusmanager.com/ .
In addition to and dashboard that provides a quick overview of the system's function, the app has three parts with more details:
Status is where you get a quick overview of system usage. Among other things, it will inform about the cows' consumption of supplementary feed and how much they have eaten within the last few days or weeks, at herd level and at cow level. The Cow list is where cows with access to additional feed supplements are listed. The list is formed automatically by transferring data from the Cattle Database or if the system is running in auto mode. The cows can also be registered manually. Colors (red or yellow) quickly identify possible cows that presently do not visit the feeders and that should be checked to determine the cause.
Settings is where you enter default values, such as the period in relation to the calving date you as a standard wish to give your cows a certain mineral feed supplement.
In fact, the Pitstop
PLUS system runs by itself as soon as you have set it as you wish. It is therefore up to you how much you want to use the app. You can use Pitstop
PLUS Manager in your browser or install the app on your mobile, PC or tablet.
PitstopPLUS Manager makes it easier for you to monitor cows during the critical transition period in the weeks before and after calving.
PitstopPLUS pics & clips
PitstopPLUS Manager
PitstopPLUS is managed via the PitstopPLUS Manager app, which is a dynamic and responsive app for all platforms. PitstopPLUS Manager makes it easier for you to monitor cows during the critical period in the weeks before and after calving.
On the way from the pasture to the milking robot
In this organic dairy farm, two PitstopPLUS feeders are placed so that the cows pass them when they go from the pasture to the milking robot.
Packing of PitstopPLUS feeders
PitstopPLUS feeders are always with a large protection frame and are stacked on pallets with 3 or 6 units per pallet. A pallet with 3 feeders takes up 120 cm x 80 cm x 200 cm (l x w x h) and weighs approx. 150 kg.
Location where there is traffic and water
PitstopPLUS feeders are best placed where there is light, frequent cow traffic, and preferably near a water trough. Furthermore, for the sake of the low-ranking cows' use of the feeders, it is important that there are escape possibilities, i.e. that it is best not to place the feeders in, for example, a corner.
Flavor and flowability are essential
The mineral feed used must have a particularly good taste and flowability.
Weekly routine
PitstopPLUS feeders are re-filled in a weekly routine. In return, the time spent on sick cows is reduced. Work smarter - not harder.
Prepare calving and lactation better
With PitstopPLUS , an optimal mineral supply is ensured for the CloseUp dry cows and additives can be used with a beneficial effect on calving and the start of the upcoming lactation, for example rumen-protected choline.
PitstopPLUS dosing
The design and material selection for the dosing units in PitstopPLUS has been well thought out with a view to operational safety and food safety.
Saves 26% of TMR minerals
With PitstopPLUS , Heden Jersey saves 26% of the TMR minerals and the cows sign off with better results.
PitstopPLUS upgraded
Hof Arendse-Peters GbR has replaced its PitstopPLUS feeders with new ones with a number of improvements, eg larger capacity.
Rumen protected choline
PitstopPLUS is suitable for allocating products such as rumen-protected choline, which is typically given for a few weeks around calving and has a considerable effect on the cows' well-being and production.
Positive effects
Results from tests of the PitstopPLUS concept in a Danish herd show a positive effect on both milk yield, cell count and fertility.
New concept
PitstopPLUS will change the way we supplement dairy cows with mineral feeds and it opens for some fantastic perspectives for use of advanced and profitable feed additives with effects on productivity, animal welfare, nature and climate.
For transition cows
PitstopPLUS is a mineral feeder for dosing extra mineral supplements to dairy cows in the critical transition period in a targeted and restricted way
PitstopPLUS download materials
You must be logged in as customer to download this document.
You must be logged in as customer to download this document.
The product card is meant for a quick introduction, and it holds the most important facts and information about the PitstopPLUS feeder.
The user instruction is integrated into the PitstopPLUS Manager application for managing and mponitoring the use of the PitstopPLUS feeder.
You may of course also download pictures from this page by opening them, right click and select download.
Innovation support for PitstopPLUS development
EASME has via EU's Horizon2020 SME Instrument supported the production of a Feasibility Study, including a Business Plan. Read more at
https://sme.easme-web.eu/?p=761491 .
The Danish Innovation Fund has provided support via the Innobooster Programme for advancing PitstopPLUS to a stage where the technical function of prototypes could be tested in practice.
PitstopPLUS was a Use Case of the Internet of Food and Farming 2020 (IoF2020) project. Read more at the homepage of Iof2020 .