Reference Delivery
TMR precision feeding for 1,800 dairy cows — Netherlands
Illustrative scenario: converting a 1,800-cow Dutch dairy from twice-daily mixer wagons to a fully automated TMR (Total Mixed Ration) kitchen with weighed loading, in-parlour concentrate top-up and a robotic feed pusher, targeting a 1.2 L/day milk uplift and lower feed refusals.
- Netherlands
- Country
- Dairy cattle (Holstein-Friesian)
- Category
- 1,800 milking cows · TMR + robotic push
- Scale
- 3
- Reference outcomes
Load requirements
Design loads used to size housing, utilities and equipment.
Ration dry matter
23.5 kg DM/cow/day
Mix accuracy
±1.0% per ingredient (weighed loading)
Push frequency
Every 2 h, 24/7 (robotic)
Concentrate top-up
0–8 kg/day, milk-yield driven
Silage face management
≥20 cm/day face advance to prevent heating
Peak feed throughput
42 t/day fresh weight
System design choices
Why each subsystem was specified the way it was.
| Area | Choice | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| TMR kitchen | Overhead crane + weighed loading hopper, 4 ingredient bays | Weighed loading holds mix CV <3% batch-to-batch; overhead crane removes tractor-loader labour. |
| Mixer | Twin-auger vertical, 24 m³, load-cell verified | Handles long-fibre forage without over-processing; verified batches feed the herd-management API. |
| Robotic push | 2 autonomous pushers on wire-guided path, 2 h cycle | Cows sort TMR within 45 min — 2-hourly push keeps fresh feed at the barrier and lifts intake ~4%. |
| Concentrate top-up | In-parlour + out-of-parlour feeders, RFID-driven | Individual cow curves target high-yielders without over-feeding late-lactation animals. |
| Data | Ration → tank-milk integration via herd-management API | Links every ration change to bulk-tank fat/protein 24 h later for closed-loop nutrition. |
Results
Representative KPIs achieved on projects of this scope.
Milk yield
36.1 L/cow/day (+1.3)
Feed conversion
1.55 L milk / kg DM
Feed refusals
2.1% (was 5.8%)
Concentrate cost / L
€0.087 (−9%)
Labour on feeding
1.4 h/day (was 5.2 h/day)
Representative outcomes
- Typical scope: automated TMR kitchen + 2 robotic pushers
- Typical outcome: milk yield +1.3 L/cow/day (34.8 → 36.1)
- Typical outcome: feed refusals cut from 5.8% to 2.1%
Note: This case study is an anonymized reference scenario. Specific client identities, contract values and commercial terms are withheld under NDA. Figures reflect typical outcomes for projects of this scope and are not a guarantee for your project.