C4-Uncaster Farming, Saturday. April 16, 1994
UNIVERSITY PARK (Centre
Co.) A computerized concen
trate feeder developed and tested
at Penn Slate may help farmers to
feed well-timed supplements to
cows on pasture. The mobile feed
er is designed to help dairy farm
ers cut feed-costs through more ef
ficient use of pasture.
‘To sustain high milk produc
tion when a hod is on pasture,
farmers need to ensure that their
cows get adequate nutrition
through grains or concentrates."
said Dr. Dennis Buckmaster, as
sistant professor of agricultural
engineering in the College of
AgricultiAal Sciences. “But the
timing of concentrate feeding is
very important.”
Grazing often forces farmers to
feed cows concentrates at milking
time, because grain feeders usual
ly are kept inside the bam. “But
feeding cows two or three large
meals of grain each day upsets the
cow’s digestive system and keeps
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Penn State Tests Mobile Concentrate Feeder
it from using nutrients efficient
ly,” he said. “Offering grain or
concentrates to cows while they’re
actually on pasture may help sta
bilize digestion and maintain high
milk production.
“Computer feeders allow farm
ers to control individual cow ra
dons, monitor feed intake, and
break up grain feeding into several
small meals during the day,” said
Buckmaster. “But they’re design
ed to stay in the bam. The Penn
State prototype feeder can be
wheeled into the pasture, allowing
the cows to eat feed supplements
when they feel like it.”
The prototype was designed
and built by Mark Gardner, who
received a master’s degree in agri
cultural engineering from Penn
State in 1994. Gardner received
the 1994 Young Scientist Award
from the American Forage and
Grassland Council for his work on
the feeder.
The prototype feeder looks like
Top Lancaster DHIA Cows By Protein
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149
(Continued from Page C 3)
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a short grain bin attached to a trail
er. The feeder’s stalls have sensors
that detect identification lags worn
by each cow, telling the computer
to dispense grain or concentrate
according to the farmer’s ration
plan for that animal.
The device was tested last sum
mer in a joint effort of the agricul
tural and biological engineering
and dairy and animal science de
partments. “We know the feeder
works and that cows on pasture
will use it,” said Buckmaster.
Dr. Larry Miller, professor of
dairy science, graduate assistant
Douglas Hongerholt currently are
gathering more detailed data on
dairy cows’ feed intake, milk pro
duction. and general behavioral
responses to the feeder.
Researchers also are looking at
ways to make the feeder more
energy-efficient. “Because it
would be used in pasture, away
from easily accessible electric out
lets, the prototype was built with
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Buckmaster is a member of
Penn State’s Center for Pasture
Research and Education, a colla
borative effort with the USDA
Pasture Research Laboratory on
the University Park Campus. The
center brings together 18 agricul
tural scientists dedicated to lower
ing feed costs cm Pennsylvania'
farms by improving the utilization
of pasture.
Federation Honors Educator
CHAMBERSBURG (Franklin District. Chairman Richard Stoner
Co.) —Charles White, Chambers- presented the award,
burg, was recognized by the Penn- White is the director and en
sylvania Wildlife Federation as vironmental education specialist
the state winner in the education for Tayamentasachta: A Center
of the year, classroom category, for Environmental Studies. As
He was nominated for this award director of the center, Charles’ re
by the Franklin County Conserva- sponsibilities include teaching,
tion District. site development, maintenance,
White, a teacher with the curriculum development, program
Greencastle-Antrim School Dis- development, energy education,
trict, accepted his award at the and community education for
April monthly meeting of the teachers, students (K-12), and citi-
Franklin County Conservation zens from the community.
two power sources, a diesel gen
erator and an experimental solar
powered battery,” Buckmaster
said. “The solar modules couldn’t
provide enough power to maintain
an acceptable battery charge with
the current design, but if we can
make the electrical system more
efficient, solar power could be a
very viable option.”
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