Enhancing feed conversion efficiency

The goal of achieving maximum efficiency - i.e. the ratio of cost to benefit - ranks high on the daily agenda of every enterprise. And, agricultural businesses are certainly no exception in this regard. Utilizing the raw materials used with the highest possible efficiency, economy and effectiveness is an objective of primary importance.
 

What is the meaning of feed conversion efficiency?

In the field of animal husbandry, for instance, feed conversion or feed conversion efficiency serves as a measure to determine the feed consumption per activity unit of an animal. Translated to meat production, this means that you measure how much feed is needed for each kilogram the animal gains in weight.

The “activity unit” measured in dairy cows, on the other hand, is primarily how much milk they can produce. The key performance indicator of feed conversion / feed conversion efficiency thus reflects how many liters of milk a cow produces after consuming one kilogram of dry mass. Consequently, the objective lies in boosting feed conversion and, in turn, the animals’ nutrients intake and digestion as this will ultimately result in milk production with the highest possible efficiency. This supreme efficiency can be attributed to a preservation of resources that leads to savings in feed costs.

Owners of livestock are therefore keen on composing feed rations for their animals that offer the best feed conversion possible. This type of sustainable and efficient feeding hinges not only on a feed composition that is precisely matched to the needs of each animal / group of animals but also on the structure of the components that go into the feed.

Feed that conforms to the animals’ needs

Feed that is not adjusted to a sufficient degree may be a reason why cows "refuse to perform". The solution to this problem is TMR feeding, i.e. a feed mix forming a “Total Mixed Ration” that is perfectly in tune with the performance level of the cows and helps boost milk yields in a way that could not be simpler. The mixer wagons we offer in our “V-MIX” series are a useful tool that can help create a ration offering maximum feed conversion efficiency.

Always tailored precisely to the specific needs of every farm / barn, our mixer wagons are jam-packed with the latest and most innovative feed mixing technology available - to ensure enhanced feed quality at the quantities needed and, thus, achieve higher yields. One element instrumental to optimizing feed quality is our Power mixing auger. Forming the centerpiece in each of your V-MIX mixer wagons, it stands out with its gentle and smooth mixing process. It thereby helps preserve the structure of the loaded feed.

Feed management for improved feed conversion efficiency

Besides using top-quality mixing equipment, employing optimized feed management is a key contributor to feed conversion efficiency. One tool of tremendous benefit in this area is our feed management system V-DAIRY Feeder TMR​​​​​​​, which is both useful and easy to use. This system lets the farmer capture and view at a glance all data that is vital to the feeding process.

The system, for instance, makes it a cinch for the user to manage groups of animals and prepare their rations. Feed management truly shines when dealing with the varied feed/nutrient requirements of the different groups of animals, as it dramatically improves the ease and accuracy of ration planning. This factor makes an immediate contribution to optimized feed conversion efficiency. The reports shown on the associated, password-protected Web-based portal are particularly helpful as they make controlling and evaluating each feeding a breeze and arrange the relevant data in a manner that is much easier to grasp.