Calf Expert
The new trendsetter among calf feeders
Calf feeders from Holm & Laue are sturdy, easy to operate and always guarantee healthy and strong calves thanks to individual mixing and hygienic preparation of the milk diet. The CalfExpert is a new feeder to the market and sets new benchmarks. The result: even more intelligent, even faster and even more functions to make your work easier and guarantee optimum feeding of your calves.
Menu
Individual Animal Feeding
Always Freshly Mixed
The milk for each calf is always freshly mixed by the CalfExpert. Any residual milk is kept warm and fl ushed out of the system following longer drinking breaks. Other calf feeders work with a pool of milk. In milk stored this way at 40 °C, the germ count doubles every 20 minutes. In contrast, the CalfExpert guarantees maximum hygiene and feeding suitable for every individual animal.
Individual Adaptation
A central milk pool has another decisive disadvantage: modern feeding programs (e.g. the metabolic programming) require a higher CMR concentration at the start of rearing (e.g. 160 g/l) to give a power pulse. In the weaning phase however, a lower concentration is needed (130 g/l). This individual animal feeding can only be achieved if the mix is prepared individually for each calf, as is the case with the CalfExpert!
"Quick Change" logic for more performance
With the new CalfExpert we have designed the mixing process and calf changeover to be even faster and thus optimised utilisation of the HygieneStations. The fast mixing ensures that the milk is at the stall after only 3 seconds. After the last mix, the system changes immediately to the second stall and a further calf is fed. In addition, priorities can be specifi ed in the CalfExpert menu so that young or sick calves are given preferential treatment. The tried-and-trusted fl exitime program is an additional guarantee that the calves’ feeding times are spread very evenly throughout the day without the animals clustering around the stalls. This reduces waiting times for high animal capacities and ensures calves have a positive “visit experience”.
Enjoy calm and compliant calves
Since the CalfExpert does not restrict feeding to certain times of day, calves can come and drink at any time. The calves will no longer see you as a nurse and will therefore remain calm when people enter the barn. Younger and weaker calves have all the time they need to drink their full ration. And since the CalfExpert works with an intelligent credit logic, all the calves have drinking credit at different times. This means fewer animals crowd out the stall. And the anti-pirate valve ensures that stronger calves do not steal milk. The result: an extremely uniform, relaxed groups of calves!
Milk reduction process
The CalfExpert is very gentle as it prepares the calves’ transition to concentrate and forage feed. At the end of the milk diet stage, it reduces the allocated quantity in small steps of 0.2 l per day, thereby stimulating the development of the forestomach system.
Flexible Feeding Programmes
Modern feeding programs should always be adapted to the age, race, personal rearing target or health of the calves. You can implement all this ideally at the CalfExpert.
8 feeding curves for maximum flexibility
Flexibility in feeding also means that a variety of milk replacers and additives can be used. It is important to ensure that the milk is prepared optimally and the powder is thoroughly dissolved. The H&L PowerMixer stirs the milk powder in seconds. And the calf receives her freshly mixed milk directly in the teat after just 3 seconds.
Metabolic programming
Intensive feeding in the fi rst few weeks of a calf’s life will usually lead to signifi cantly higher milk production later. However, the right weaning for calves e.g. after an ad libitum phase confronts every calf owner with special challenges. With the CalfExpert, every calf is weaned slowly off a high milk consumption in terms of both volume and concentration.
Effective mixing of milk replacer powder
Flexible feeding also means that a wide range of CMRs and additives have to be prepared in an optimum and lump-free way. The steplessly controlled PowerMixer guarantees a soft start to avoid splashes and then stirs the milk replacer powder intensively. This means the calf receives its freshly mixed milk directly at the teat in just 3 seconds.
And if things should take longer?
The feeding process can sometimes take longer where young or weak calves are involved. We prevent the separation of the milk replacer powder by slow permanent stirring. And if it gets colder, the heater in the mixer always ensures the mix is kept at a constant temperature, no matter how long the calf needs.
Specific additive feeding
Minimal doses of feed additives can be added to the milk diet in order to stabilise the gastro-intestinal system. Medicines can be added to the milk diet of sick calves, or electrolytes can be supplied with a specifi c dietetic program. You can use two powdered additive dosers and two liquid dosers. As with the milk program, you can program different feeding curves for these additives as well. This means maximum fl exibility for top calf health!
EvenMilk: intelligent whole milk feeding
Whole milk is ideal for calves to digest and leads to top performances. With the CalfExpert whole milk program you can set whole milk proportions or supplement the whole milk in the feeing programme fl exibly. What happens with your feeder when the whole milk supply has been used up? Does it then feed powdered milk? This causes changeover stress with your calves and is likely to cause digestion problems. “EvenMilk”, our intelligent whole milk control, knows how much whole milk is available and how much is to be fed. It makes sure that whole milk and CMR are mixed in balanced proportions even when whole milk quantities fl uctuate daily.
Clean & Reliable
A calf feeder is designed to make your work easier and perform continually for 24 hours. To achieve this it has to work reliably under the rough conditions of a calf barn, like the
CalfExpert does
Tube cleaning including the teat
All tube systems used to have deposits of contaminated milk because they had not been cleaned often enough or thoroughly enough. The HygieneStation rinses the entire milk tube through to the teat during longer drinking breaks. In addition, the complete milk system is cleaned several times every day. When the DoubleJug is used, the supply line to the CalfExpert is automatically cleaned with it. This will reduce a calf’s exposure to bacteria, improve the health of the calves and save on manual cleaning.
Two cleaning agents
To optimise cleaning even further, the CalfExpert can use two different cleaning agents: Either alternatively for each cleaning cycle or combined in one cleaning process: (alkaline, rinse, acid, rinse). The cleaning agent pumps are fitted on the outside. They can thus draw directly from the tanks. This is safe and convenient. In addition, the CalfExpert generates automatic messages as soon as a canister is empty.
Fly shield as standard
Two large doors protect the critical compartment in which the mixer bowls are installed. This keeps flies away from the milk and avoids problems in the milk system. The doors can be locked so children cannot get harmed or injured.
Integrated operating instructions
The 7″ display is not only for the convenient reading of all calf data. Pressing the key with the book icon opens help texts and information from the operating instructions on every program level.
Ready to work whatever the weather
Calves love the outdoor climate, your CalfExpert does too! It is equipped with an anti-freeze program that is activated automatically as soon as there is a risk of frost. Sensors in every HygieneStation and in the CalfExpert mixing chamber measure the ambient temperature and then adapt the mixing temperature and intensity of the anti-freeze program accordingly. You can wash the outer surfaces of the automatic feeder with water, since all the sensitive components are water spray-proof.
Simple maintenance
Regular inspection of the technology is easy: you can test all the important CalfExpert components quickly and easily in the maintenance menu. You can also carry out calibration quickly yourself, because the software always tells you exactly what to do. We recommend that you have your CalfExpert serviced by a qualified technician at least once a year. This provides you with the peace of mind that the automatic feeder will be ready for the next rearing cycle.
Smarter Work – Better Performance
Kill two birds with one stone: the CalfExpert not only relieves you of tiresome and hard jobs, it also increase feeding quality.
CalfExpert Software
The completely new control software offers maximum clarity and simple operation of the CalfExpert. All calf data with individual feeding curve, alarm lists, technical parameters etc. can be opened on the 7″ display. Via the Wi-Fi connection you can also access individual data on mobile devices or receive push messages in the event of fault messages.
SmartKeys
By consciously doing without touch technology and using so-called SmartKeys, the CalfExpert can be operated reliably even in frosty conditions, in the rain, through gloves or even with dirty fingers. The illuminated SmartKeys guide you through the program.
More income thanks to improved performance
Calves which are supplied with a lot of energy start lactation an earlier age and produce more milk later on! With the CalfExpert you also have the best pre-conditions for perfect animal health. This means a lower death rate and more animals in the herd reared from your herd offspring. In turn, this provides you with the possibility of selecting , your offspring systematically and selling off surplus heifers at a profit. And last but not least: by saving working time, you are freeing up capacities on your farm that can be use profitably.
Gain time and flexibility
Look after your calves on YOUR OWN time rather than allowing the calves to rule how you organise your day. There are often other jobs and responsibilities to be taken care of in the mornings and evenings in particular: milking and feeding the cows, making breakfast for the family or getting the children to school… The CalfExpert feeds your calves. You only have to manage the machinery and the animals. And training is reduced to a minimum with the new HygieneStation.
Automated work routines
With the CalfExpert, all employees know when they have to do what. They carry out inspections, teat changes etc. at regular times. The CalfExpert generates empty messages for milk replacer powder, whole milk or cleaning agent in good time. And to avoid a hectic rush, the CalfExpert does not inform you that the “milk replacer powder tank is empty”, it reminds you a few hours in advance of the low filling level.
CalfGuide
The optional CalfGuide software, with the CalfGuide Cloud on request, makes things even more convenient. Here, calf data can be evaluated even more clearly, information supplemented and exported later. Further information can be found from page 22 onwards. CalfGuide also offers helpful “To-do management” and tells you or your employees in the morning what jobs need doing during the day.
A feeder that has growing potential
With 4 feeder stalls, your CalfExpert is capable of feeding up 100 calves, in certain circumstances even up to 150 calves! If the number of calves you are feeding now is lower, the intelligent modular design of our automatic feeder system allows for future upgrades at any time, with all available options. So you save money now but can still make use of all the possibilities later.
Options & Features
- 1 PowerMixer with SoftStart logic and heater
- Milk freshly prepared on an individual basis for each animal
- CalfExpert feeding software with integrated operatinginstructions and help functions
- 7″ display with SmartKeys
- 8 feeding curves pre-set (incl. metabolic feeding curve), with adaptation possibilities for individual animals
- Rinsing of mixing tank and suction line
- Two detergent pumps for the automatic cleaning of all milkcarrying components with automatic empty message
- Wash temperature up to 65 °C
- Easy-to-clean surfaces made of stainless steel or plastic
- Powder store for 50 kg CMR with only 112 cm fi lling height
- Powerful powder-conveying auger suitable for various CMRs
- Early empty warning for milk replacer powder
- Automatic registration of new calves
- Flextime feeding capabilities, to avoid stressful regular feeding hours
- QuickChange logic for faster credit changeover between the calves
- Up to 250 calves’ data in memory
- Anti-freeze program that is activated automatically
- Fly shield supplied in the standard model
- Wi-Fi as standard in the calf feeder
Hygiene Station
- Up to 4 feeding stalls per CalfExpert possible
- Pump as an automatic and manual training tool for calves, as it delivers milk diet to the teat
- Anti-pirate valve to prevent stealing of milk
- Distance of up to 7 m between feeder and stall possible
- Animal recognition via H&L collars or ISO-compliant ear tag identifi cation (half-and full-duplex mode)
- Can be tilted away for mucking out
- LED teat lighting
- Saliva bowl
Teat cleaning
- Teat is rinsed by water following every visit
HygieneStations-Display
- Display of animal number and alarm status
- Indication of alarm and credit calves
- Release of an extra mix
Animal weighing scales
- Forefoot weigh scale in the feeder stall for individual
calf management and individualised weaning
function
Concentrate feeder stall
- Concentrate feeder stall with recording of quantities and
weaning function
CalfGuide (available from Spring 2019)
- Management software with own server
- Bidirectional control of the CalfExpert
- Locally functioning variant (without internet), integrated Cloud connection
CalfGuide App (available from Spring 2019)
- The most important information on your smartphone
- Push messages for warnings (e.g. CMR empty soon)
Second PowerMixer
- Simultaneous feeding of two calves
- With SoftStart logic and heater
QuadroFlex (available from mid-2019)
- Smultaneous feeding of 4 calves, with fl exible adaptation to individual calf needs
Additive doser
- Two powder dosers for powdered additives and medicines, with dietetic program to prevent diarrhoea
- Two liquid dosers for liquid feed additives and medicinese
Extension of powder chamber
- Stacking frame for another 25 kg CMR (fi lling height 138 cm)
Whole milk diet options
- Whole milk system for variable dispensing of whole milk percentages from 35 – 100 %, equipped with an effective heat exchanger spiral and automatic cleaning as standard
Milkboy
- Storage tank (110 l) on wheels
- Agitator started at set intervals by the CalfExpert
- Cooling with water (no power needed) controlled by a thermostat
DoubleJug milk cooling tank
- Double cooling tank (2 x 190 l or 2 x 380 l)
- Control via the CalfExpert
- Fully automatic cleaning of the supply line
| Technical Specifications | |
|---|---|
|
Power Supply and Heating Performance |
400 V 16 A (6 kW) or
230 V 16 A (3 kW) |
|
Capacity with 4 Feeder Stalls |
Up to 100 calves
(up to 150 calves under certain conditions |
|
Identification System |
Multireader HDX
and FDX |
|
Storage Tank for Milk Replacer Powder |
90 l / 50 kg |
|
Powder Filling Height |
1.12 m |
|
Heater Capacity |
12 l |
|
Dimensions of CalfExpert (W x D x H) |
0.6 x 0.7 x 1.21 m |
|
Space Required for CalfExpert |
1 x 1 m |