The Dairyman's LINK is the official software consultant for the North American division of Dinamica Generale. 

We aid in the design and functionality of the system to help ensure the best fit for our way of feeding.  We also train sales staff and are actively involved in each software installation in North America.

What Is The DG Precision FEEDING System?

Dairy and beef producers have long envisioned a way to monitor dry matter and  nutrient content of  their feed.  Now. that vision has become a reality with the  dg 'Precision Feeding' system.  The dg 'Precision Feeding' system allows producers to automatically adjust rations for dry matter variations in real time to match nutritionist recommendations while making each TMR batch.

Forage Nutrient Quality Can Very Widely
This is particularly true in forages stored in concrete bunker silos or bags.  Research from the U.S. Dairy Forage Research Center has shown that  forage nutrient quality will vary over time in storage and will differ throughout the same load.

Taking forage samples and sending them to a laboratory for NIR nutrient  analysis takes days. The dg 'Precision Feeding' system brings NIR technology to the farm with an analysis of every bucket loaded into the mixer.  Producers now have  instant on-farm moisture and  feed analysis. and  feeding system software are that automatically adjusts the  as-is weight to be loaded to meet dry matter targets for the  batch.

The dg 'Precision Feeding' system is easy to operate

Here's How It Works:
1 Set up the default value for each  nutrient in the DTM Feeding Software based upon the laboratory baseline obtained for each  feed component
2   Enter the feeding ratio as defined by the nutritionist
3  Feeding data is then transferred from the DTM Feeding Software to the Top Scale indicator on the mixer via a wireless connection or a memory card
4  During the  loading of each ingredient the NIR Analyzer installed inside the bucket of the front end  loader performs a NIR analysis in real time for the actual values of dry matter, starch. crude protein, ADF, NDF, ash and crude fat on-the-go in less than 30 seconds
5 The analysis is displayed on the Top Scale indicator, which adjusts the as-is target weight for all the ingredients based upon "real" dry matter quantity. matching it with the ideal ration from the nutritionist
6  During the loading and preparation of  the ration the data is saved on the Top Scale and  then returned to the office on the main PC via wireless or memory card.
7  The DTM stores all data and generates detailed
statistical reports based upon quantities of all ingredients, costs, nutrients, manpower time and the benefits received from saved material and labor costs, as well as nutritional performance

Forage Adjustment On-The-Fly

The dg 'Precision Feeding' NIR Analyzer — mounted in a loader bucket — automatically reads moisture and nutrient content and then sends this information to the system’s Top Scale Weighing Indicator.

The dry matter weights of forages and grain going into the TMR are adjusted by the Top Scale. The operator is now able to more accurately duplicate nutritionists recommendations for each batch of feed.

The dg 'Precision Feeding' system gives producers the tools they need to prevent over or under feeding nutritional components – either not giving livestock the nutrient value they need for maximum production or overfeeding them at a loss.

The dg 'Precision Feeding' system is exactly that – A number of key components that work seamlessly together to mix the perfect ration.

Wireless Technology for Today’s Feeding Systems

The  Dina -Tel 2 Remote Control and a Wireless LAN give operators control from the front end loader, mixer or any location within 300 feet to 1 mile of the Top Scale, depending upon the wireless model chosen. Operation of the Top Scale is also controlled from any PC that is part of the wireless LAN network and is loaded with the DTM Professional Feed Management Software.

Operators can choose from up to 100  different rations prepared by  a nutritionist for the entire herd and pens loaded into the DTM. For example, a ration based upon default data from lab  analysis is sent via the IPcom wireless control point to the Top Scale in a truck cab or at the TMR, which is also receiving real-time feed nutrient measurement from the NIR Analyzer.

Through a series of calibrations, weighing instructions to produce the right ration — taking into account dry matter — are sent to the Top Scale at the mixer, where the operator then can load adjusted weight shown on the Top Scale and remote control.

When feeding is completed, the Top Scale indicator sends data to the DTM software which generates reports based on quantities fed, costs, nutrients, manpower time and other reports.

Forage Variability Can Make Feeding Pure Guesswork

Every day, producers across the U.S. lose thousands of dollars through inefficient feeding because of the time lag between testing moisture and laboratory nutrient analysis and actual ration mixing and feeding. Samples taken days prior for lab analysis may provide a good  baseline  — average  default measurements for nutritionist rations  — but they will not reflect the higher or lower actual moisture content and nutrient value of the feed fed days or weeks later.

At best, nutrient value of feedstuffs is generally within a range, but is not precise. Ingredients can change in moisture during storage, components may be inaccurately weighed and dry matter and nutrients may be only a general guess based on old information.

As a result, nutritionists are required to recommend overfeeding essential nutrients to provide a safety margin to account for  an  anticipated variability in feedstuffs — they want to assure their ration recommendations meet the herd’s minimal nutritional needs. If the nutritionists know dry matter targets will be accurate, they can fine-tune rations to reduce feed costs, and not risk production drops.

Oftentimes, sending a forage sample into a laboratory for analysis is done only after the fat test or milk production has dropped, providing a retrospective analysis of why.

Study Proves Dry Matter Variability Affects Performance

Dr. P. Berzaghi, Padua University, Padua, Italy, 2006
Dry matter content in concrete bunker storage can differ depending upon where samples are taken.

In a study at Padua University, Paolo Berzaghi compared traditional corn silage ration with corn silage rations adjusted for dry matter content using the dinamica generale 'Precision Feeding' system which analyzed rations for dry matter content based on  on-farm NIR results and modified dry matter content loaded into the mixer in real-time. Productivity and economic impacts were then measured daily.

The dry matter of corn silage sampled at different points of the bunker and measured for  dry matter by the Padua Animal Science Department was different depending upon where the sample was taken. Samples taken for the dg 'Precision Feeding' group averaged 37.4% dry matter compared to 34.6% for  the control. The system adjusted the corn silage loaded for  dry matter, automatically reaching the 13.9 lbs/dm/day per cow of corn silage expected from the nutritionist’s formulation.

As a result, the cows fed from the dg 'Precision Feeding' adjusted rations produced 3.09 lbs/day more milk and 0.14% more protein than those of the control group due to the better diet formulation. Transformation efficiency — milk produced per pound of dry matter — increased from 1.50 for  the control to 1.64 for  the dg 'Precision Feeding' group.
 

DG 'Precision Feeding' For Healthier Herds and Maximized Productivity
 

The  dg 'Precision Feeding' system and nutritional optimization of rations for  groups of livestock not only can increase daily gains, milk quality and quantity, it results in overall better herd health.

Ideal ruminal pH through consistency in feeding leads to greater productivity. Healthier herds will also require fewer veterinarian visits, reducing animal health costs.