How to choose the right pellet for a robotic dairy

Today, the most common way to feed in the robots is to use a pelleted feed supplement. One of the biggest myths we hear within the industry is that the pellet is the “candy” that brings the cows to the robots.

Dan Davis

This statement has some merit – we do need a quality, palatable pellet – however, we need to take a look at the bigger picture and understand that the pellet is an essential part of the whole ration.

First off, let’s explain how the process of making a pellet works. It’s important to note that all of the grain sources for the pellet are ground extremely fine, about 500 microns. After that, all of the ingredients, along with the pellet mixture, are weighed and mixed through a standard feed mill mixer.

Once all of the products are mixed together, they are placed into a conditioner. Within this conditioner, heat and steam are applied to allow the physical nature of the feed ingredients to change throughout the pelleting process.

Next, the feed is forced through small holes within a pellet die, which produces a pellet. Finally, the pellets are placed in a combination cooler and shaker, allowing separation of the fines and cooling of the pellet.

This cooling helps prevent them from breaking apart in transportation. Minimizing the amount of fines is critical, as cows cannot consume the amount of fines during the required time to milk.

All ingredients are the same, right? This is not the case if you want a good-quality pellet. Quality ingredients equal the capability to make a quality pellet. The first choice for a quality ingredient would be small-grain cereal feeds along with their related byproducts, which have high pellet quality characteristics.

Some examples include barley, wheat and oats. The soft texture of the ingredients allows them to absorb heat and steam well while in the conditioner and properly hold their form through the pellet die.

Protein sources such as soybean meal and linseed also have this soft and pliable texture for good pellet quality. Molasses is a good choice, as it adds much-needed flavour to the pellet, in addition to helping the whole mixture stick together. Smell is an equally important component for the robotic dairy pellet.

Next, flavouring and aroma stat ingredients such as cherry or apple are great choices in a quality pellet. This is where the “candy” comes in, and it does make a difference to entice cows to enter the milking stations. It is recommended that the farm has less than a 30-day supply to ensure freshness of the pellets and maintain the aroma.

When using corn and corn byproducts, it is essential that they are ground extremely fine. Corn has a very hard and coarse texture that tends not to hold its form well through the pellet die.

Another culprit to a poor-quality pellet is feeds with a high fat content such as distillers or roasted beans. These are poor choices because vegetable fat within these feeds tend to “grease up the system,” similar to using cooking spray in everyday cooking so foods don’t stick to the pan.

With its specific setting, a robot is not an environment that will support any feed quality. One of the most important things to remember when choosing ingredients for your pellet is that fat is your enemy.

Limit or avoid the amount of mineral, animal byproduct feeds and urea in the robot pellet as well. All of these ingredients are not as palatable, and the smell can turn cows away from making milking visits to the robot.

Now let’s talk about the type of flow system you have within your facility as we focus on building a quality pellet. This is largely important and sometimes overlooked. The feedbunk is the primary driver to pass by the robot; therefore, the guided-flow systems are more dependent on the smell and flavour of the pellet.

In these types of robotic systems, cows are guided through a series of gates in one direction into the robots. Within these, the bunk ration tends to be higher in energy density, and the cows are not as dependent on eating a high amount of pellet in the robot.

Pellet for a guided-flow robot will be lower in energy and protein density with focus on higher fibrous byproducts. Typically, the average feed rate is around 1.8 kilograms (4 pounds) per cow.

In a free-flow system, the type of pellet being used is a much more critical part of the ration. In these types of systems, the cows have the choice to visit the robot, eat at the bunk or lie down freely.

The pellets in a free-flow robot system will typically be much higher in energy density, along with the feed rates ranging from 2.7 to 3.6 kilograms (6 to 8 pounds) up to as much as 9 kilograms (20 pounds) per cow.

The ration at the bunk, which is referred to as a partially mixed ration, is then lower in energy; that, in turn, will create the desire for cows to seek out energy at the robot. In a free-flow system, we are individually feeding cows based on production and days in milk versus feeding them closer to a one-group TMR.

Keep in mind that even though a free-flow system is going to be a higher energy-dense pellet, the flavour and smell are critically important as well.

When analyzing the ration for your robotic dairy, it is important to keep in mind the basic fundamentals to feeding lactating dairy cows in these set-ups. The common rule of thumb is to balance the diet 6.8 kilograms (15 pounds) under the bulk tank average.

Here is the caution; we need to pay close attention to the amount of fibre being fed from forage. Even though some byproduct feeds such as soy hulls, wheat midds and malt sprouts are high in neutral detergent fibre (NDF), these products are very low in effective NDF, a critical aspect to maintaining proper rumen health.

This makes it more important, and one should always keep in mind the amount of NDF coming from forage being fed to ensure there is optimal rumen function.

As the dairy industry grows and adapts to new technology, robotic dairies are going to continue to become more popular across North America. Feeding these robotic systems offers new and exciting challenges. Within these challenges, however, come opportunities for all of us to make our dairies more efficient and economically viable in the dairy industry. PD