Kuhn Farm Machinery has updated and extended its range of electronic weighing and data management systems for use with its Euromix and Profile diet feeders, and will be demonstrating the new feed tracking systems at this year’s inaugural UK Dairy Day event at the International Centre in Telford on Wednesday 17th September.
Kuhn’s KDW 340 and KDW 360 programmable weighing and feed tracking systems offer increased feeding precision and daily ration recording, with both units being retro-fittable to a range of Kuhn diet feeders. The KDW 340 and 360 units use three load cells (one on the drawbar and two on the main chassis) to weigh the feeder wagon’s contents to the nearest 0.5kg, and can store up to 200 ingredients (equivalent to 25 rations with 8 ingredients per ration).
Both versions can automatically recalculate the required amount of each ingredient as the number of animals or load size changes, and feature backlit, six-figure digital displays with 43mm characters which can easily be seen from a distance in sunny or dark conditions.
The KDW 360 also enables data from the mixer wagon to be transferred to the farm’s main computer via a USB flash drive.
The KDW 340 and KDW 360 can be powered by an ancillary battery which is mounted onto the diet feeder, thereby making the weighing system a totally self-contained system which can still be used even when the mixer wagon is unhitched from a tractor.
The KDW feed tracking systems can also be used in conjunction with Kuhn’s KDR 300 and KDR 400 wireless display units. The KDR 300 (with a 90 metre wireless range) and KDR 400 (with a 300m wireless range) units feature six digit displays with 25mm characters and can be used as secondary cab-mounted displays, making it easier for the tractor driver to view the data being received from the machine-mounted KDW unit.
The KDR units can be synchronised to work with up to 12 different feed wagons, with each machine selected using a unique operating channel.
“The ability to accurately weigh out precise rations is key to efficient and profitable milk production,” explains Duncan McLeish, UK Sales Manager for Kuhn Farm Machinery.
“The KDW weighing systems enable rations to be blended to an accuracy of 0.5kg, with the KDW 360’s data transfer system making it easy to share dietary information with key consultants such as the farm vet or nutritionist.
“The KDW units also make it a quick and simple process to calculate the cost and dry matter content of each ration, with their ability to communicate with multiple mixer wagons making them perfectly suited to larger dairy units. And the new KDR displays now make it easier than ever to view live and stored data from the comfort of the tractor cab.”
