Dairy and beef producers wanting to upgrade their cattle feeding management with digital technology can retrofit a new Topcon data system to an existing mixer-feeder.

It is compatible with current Digi-Star scale installations or any brand of feed wagon equipped with load cells.

The £3,665 TMR Flex Pro package comprises a Digi-Star 2010 Bluetooth scale link and Digi-Star FD1 tablet display with mounting brackets and an interface cable to set up and operate the system on the feeder.

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A Topcon CL-55 data transfer device then provides a wireless connection with the company’s TAP cloud-based subscription management platform, which hosts the Feed Lite, Feed Pro and Feed Feedlot systems for data recording, reporting and analysis at subscription rates of £290-£470 a year with two- to five-year terms.

In addition to the feeder-mounted display, users can also opt for a duplicate FD1 monitor in the loader cab for £1,090, with a £115 a year subscription charge kicking in after the first 12 months.

Less wastage

Richard Reed of LH Agro, Topcon’s preferred UK distributor and installer, says that with 50-60% of dairy and beef variable costs contributed by feed, producers who improve feeding accuracy can make significant savings.

These will come about through reduced wastage at the feed barrier and improved feed conversion rates, which start with accurately recording what the cattle are fed and how much they consume.

Apart from making it easier to load quantities of mixed ration ingredients accurately, Topcon’s system is said to provide simple record-keeping and access to the information needed to make data-driven decisions.

Herd feed data can easily be share with relevant third parties, such as a nutritionist, vet, feed supplier, and so on, as preferred.