Video: This new Dutch robot will harvest urine from cows
© Tim Scrivener The dairy farm of the future could see the milk tanker accompanied up the lane by a urine tanker.
Cows have been urinating the same way since time immemorial – generally all over a freshly strawed bed – but all that may be about to change.
CowToilet, the latest invention from Hanskamp, a Dutch dairy equipment manufacturer, will collect urine from cattle while they are eating and extract it into a storage tank.
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And no, they’re not taking the piss – watch the robot in action here:
Video courtesy of Hanskamp AgroTech
The company say this is the first step in eventually marketing urine as a separate product to manure for fertiliser and power generation.
Company founder and farmer’s son Hank Hanskamp also says the process has the potential to reduce ammonia emissions as well as providing a potential new revenue source for dairy farmers.