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Foyle Food Group
18 Apr 2025
The Foyle Farms of Excellence have recently purchased a Self-Propelled Feeder Wagon, representing a significant advancement in livestock feeding technology, offering enhanced efficiency and precision for modern beef operations.
Finishing Farm: The unit finishes approximately 100-120 cattle per week. On arrival, cattle are weighed and sorted into groups (intended finishing period with liveweight; 30 days 640kg+, 60 days 580-640kg, 90 days 520-580kg and 120 days under 520kg). The unit focuses strongly on feed conversion efficiency and works closely with Farm Gate Nutrition. Cattle are fed a total mixed ration (TMR) once per day with target intakes of 2.2% DM in relation to liveweight. Silage is analysed regularly, and concentrates are adjusted accordingly.
| Feeding Plan Example | (KG as fed/head/d) |
| 1st Cut Silage 28% DM | 7.000 |
| 2nd Cut Silage | 5.000 |
| Brewers grains Av 21% DM | 8.000 |
| Northern Extra Moist Fedd | 4.000 |
| Molasses Feed Care- FGN | 1.500 |
| Chopped Hay | 0.500 |
This class-leading cutter head technology is designed for efficient loading of a wide range of materials. Featuring tungsten-coated blades arranged in a crossed pattern it delivers precise, clean cuts while preserving the structure of the fibre. The loading channel allows the cutter head to load in both directions and easily reverse if required. Integrating this machine into a farming system will significantly cut down mix preparation time and reduce fuel consumption by up to 25%. The machine is also equipped with InTouch Technology, a feeding management software and mobile application to manage all aspects of feeding.
Cattle on the Foyle Farms of Excellence are now fed on a Dry Matter (DM) per head basis rather than using fresh weight, providing accuracy and consistency. The feeder wagon utilises Near Infrared Spectroscopy (NIR) to analyse DM content and measure key nutritional parameters including crude protein, crude fat, ADF and NDF. It focuses on feeds such as silage, brewer’s grains and Northern Extra – materials are susceptible to fluctuations in DM due to the elements being exposed during storage. The machine’s ability to produce a homogeneous total mixed ration (TMR) contributes to better animal performance and overall farm efficiency.
The cutter design minimises the risk of heating or spoilage within the silage clamp by ensuring a cleaner, more precise cut. The milling head adjusts its rotation based on the type of feed being processed, rotating downward for most ingredients to draw them in and upward when handling fibrous material like hay or straw. This motion and strategically positioned knives allow the fibre to be chopped to optimum lengths in the TMR.
The integration of the self-propelled feeder wagon on the Foyle Farms of Excellence has significantly reduced labour time, lowered fuel consumption, and enhanced overall efficiency. It delivers a consistent TMR while also providing software capable of monitoring DM intake on a per-pen basis, supporting more precise and informed feeding management.
18 Apr 2025
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