Automatic Feeding System Research Articles

Novel Ceramic Clay Automatic Feeding System and Simulation Analysis

This study aims to verify the feasibility and effectiveness of an automatic feeding system in the ceramic clay-forming process. Through a series of clay-forming experiments, the system’s performance under various process parameters was examined. Precision sensors and data recording devices were used to monitor and record key data during the experimental process in real-time. The results demonstrate that the automatic feeding system can supply clay steadily and continuously under set parameters, ensuring a smooth forming process and significantly improving efficiency. Quantitatively, the system achieved a 30% increase in Vickers hardness, reflecting enhanced mechanical properties of the formed clay bodies. Additionally, there was a notable improvement in axial stress–strain characteristics, indicating better structural integrity and consistency. These improvements reduced human errors and material waste, enhancing production efficiency and product quality. Future research will focus on further optimizing system design and exploring its applications in a broader range of ceramic manufacturing processes.

Implementasi Sistem Pemberian Pakan Ikan Hias Otomatis Menggunakan Esp32 Berbasis IoT (Internet of Things)

This study aims to design and implement an automatic feeding system for ornamental fish using Internet of Things (IoT) technology, with the ESP32 microcontroller and servo motor. Given Indonesia's extensive water resources and the importance of its fisheries sector, ornamental fish farming has gained significant popularity. Fish owners often struggle with providing timely and consistent feeding. IoT technology offers an effective solution through remote connectivity. The developed system utilizes the Blynk application to schedule and monitor aquarium conditions in real-time. Test results indicate that the integration of ESP32 and the servo motor functions effectively, enabling scheduled automatic feeding. The system was tested and found to operate punctually, supporting a consistent daily feeding cycle. This study contributes to the advancement of innovative solutions in aquaculture, particularly in the application of IoT technology for more efficient and effective aquarium management.

PSLBI-27 Rumen microbiome dynamics in feedlot steers receiving free-choice garlic-infused mineral supplements

Abstract Garlic (Allium sativum) in its dehydrated or distillate (garlic oil) form has been used as a feed additive owing to its insecticidal, antimicrobial, and organoleptic properties. Commercial mineral mixtures have been formulated to contain a low proportion of dehydrated garlic powder as a strategy to deter pest flies and increase mineral intake in cattle. As an antimicrobial, garlic powder has the potential to alter the rumen microbiome, with possible implications for feed digestibility and the growth performance of beef cattle. This study evaluated the effect of short-term feeding of a garlic-mineral mixture in feedlot steers receiving high-grain diets. Four groups of twenty steers [total = 80, ~14 mo old, body weight (BW) = 599 ± 32 kg] were randomly assigned to either a 5% garlic-mineral (5DGP) or plain mineral supplement (MS). The individual feed and mineral intakes of the steers were measured with an automatic feeding system. Feed and mineral supplements were tracked in different bunks for each group. Baseline rumen fluid samples were collected from all steers at the end of an acclimatization period before administering the trial supplements. Rumen samples were later collected from 10 steers in each group with the greatest mineral supplement intake over the trial period. Total DNA and RNA were extracted from all rumen samples and subjected to metagenomic and metatranscriptomic sequencing, respectively. None of the bacterial species with an overall relative abundance of greater than 0.1% were differentially abundant between the two supplement treatments, nor did the rumen microbial community structures differ between the two groups (PERMANOVA: R2 = 0.02, P = 0.43). Regardless of the dietary supplement, the rumen microbiome of the steers was dominated by uncultured Prevotella spp. (in addition to Prevotella lacticifex) as well as the uncharacterized UBA2810 sp900317945 and UBA2810 sp002351705. Overall, these results show that a 5DGP can be effectively administered to cattle without significantly disrupting the rumen microbiome.

Analysis of structural parameters of stirred engineered composite robots in high-risk environments

Facing the safety of firefighting operators in high-risk environments, this paper investigates a robot for mixing engineering composites, which can automatically monitor the homogeneity of the mixing and, together with an automatic material feeding system, can realize automated production. This Study is based on the numerical simulation method that explored the discrete element model of engineering composites, carried out the multifactorial structural parameter orthogonal simulation experiment of the mixing robot in EDEM software, investigated the effects of different structural parameters on mixing time, mixing uniformity and productivity, proposed a mixing robot concrete uniformity intelligent identification algorithm.

RANCANG BANGUN SISTEM FEEDING MATERIAL KERJA OTOMAT PADA MESIN GERINDA POTONG ELEKTRO-PNEUMATIK

The electro-pneumatic cutting grinding machine at the Mechanical Engineering Laboratory of UNSRAT Manado is used to insert the workpiece to be cut off at this present time, it still used manually or still requires human hands to work out, this makes the cutting process require a longer time, moreover, reducing the efficiency of time. Based on this case, this research conducts sustainable production technology and designs to makes an automatic work material feeding system on an electro-pneumatic cutting grinding machine. This study aims to design, as well as create a feeding system for automatic work control materials on an electro-pneumatic cutting grinding machine. The method used in this study is the design method by designing and manufacturing directly, based on the condition of the electro-pneumatic cutting grinding machine. The manufacturing process starts from identifying working drawings and components to be used using existing tools and machines, placing online orders, and using them from the market or other components. Furthermore, a feeding system of automatic work control materials can be made on an electro-pneumatic cutting grinding machine Keywords: Design, Feeding System, Cutting Grinding Machine1.

Research on non-linear dynamic simulation model of feeding system

Abstract The automatic gun feeding system is an important mechanism for achieving continuous shooting, but due to its complex structure, there is a lot of contact during firing, and its reliability is lower. To improve the reliability of the feeding system and its dynamic characteristics, a multi rigid body dynamic simulation model of the feeding system considering contact nonlinearity was established based on nonlinear dynamics theory. The dynamic characteristics of the feeding system were analyzed for single and continuous firing. The research results indicate that the presence of contact nonlinearity increases the interaction forces between components and also increases the uncertainty of component motion.

Are you ready for a challenge? Personality traits influence dairy calves' responses to disease, pain, and nutritional challenges

Dairy calves routinely experience disease, pain, and nutritional stressors such as diarrhea, dehorning, and weaning early in life. These stressors lead to changes in behavioral expression that varies in magnitude between individuals, where a greater magnitude change would suggest lower resilience in individuals to a stressor. Thus, this study first aimed to quantify the individual variation in magnitude change in feeding behaviors and activity in response to a bout of diarrhea, dehorning, and weaning. The next objective was to then investigate if personality traits were related to this magnitude of behavioral response in dairy calves, and thus their resilience toward these stressors. Calves were followed with 2 precision livestock technologies (e.g.: an automatic feeding system (AFS), and leg accelerometer) to track behavioral changes in response during the time when the stressors were present. The AFS provided daily measures of milk intake, drinking speed, rewarded and unrewarded visits to the milk feeding station, and calf starter intake. The leg accelerometer provided daily measures of steps, activity index, lying time, and lying bouts. At 23 ± 3 d of age, Holstein dairy calves (n = 49) were subjected to a series of standardized personality tests that exposed calf to novelty and fear stimuli. Factors extracted from a principal component analysis on the behaviors from the personality test were utilized to represent personality traits: Factor 1 ('Fearful'), Factor 2 ('Active') and Factor 3 ('Explorative'). The magnitude change in behaviors from the precision livestock technologies were calculated relative to the behavior performed on the day the stressor occurred (i.e., day of diagnosis; day of dehorning; day weaned). Linear regression models were utilized to determine if calf scores on each factor were associated with magnitude change in behavior for each of the stressor periods with day relative to the stressor included as a repeated measure. Models were run independently for the period leading up to and following each stressor. We found that calves varied in their behavioral responses to diarrhea, dehorning, and weaning stressors, despite being reared in the same environment and experiencing consistent management procedures. Additionally, personality traits measured from standardized tests were associated to both the direction and magnitude of change in behaviors around each stressor. For instance, with diarrhea, calves that were highly 'Fearful' had a greater magnitude change in milk intake and drinking speed following diagnosis than the least 'Fearful' calves. With dehorning, calves that were highly 'Explorative' had a greater magnitude change in lying time when dehorned, but a smaller magnitude change in lying bouts and drinking speed following dehorning, than the least 'explorative' calves. With weaning, calves that were highly 'Active' had a smaller magnitude change in unrewarded visits leading up to and following weaning than calves that were the least 'Active'. Each of the personality traits had a significant association with change in behavior surrounding each of the stressors evaluated, although these associations depended on the type of stressor. These results have implications for how individual calves experience each stressor and therefore individual animal welfare.

Automatic Cattle Feeder

The cattle need to be fed. It is a simple statement, but one that resonates with every cattle producer. To make this necessary task easier for farmers, the concept of automatic cattle feeding system came into existence. Automatic Cattle Feeding System is a robotic feeding system which consists of battery operated robotic system that is capable of feeding an equal amount of feed. The feed is manually loaded in the feeder After the feed is mixed in the mixer, it falls onto the conveyer belt and follows a predetermined path until it reaches the last cattle in the fence. To ensure the precise, timely and adequate feeding of each cattle, this project is applicable in an agricultural country where the lack of manpower is there in cattle farming. Due to less man power there is an adverse effect on dairy production. The main objective is to design an automatic cattle feeding system that it moves around the fence to distribute the feed uniformly. With the application of following robotic system , remarkable changes can be brought to this field. . The use of PIC microcontroller helped to control and switch off the whole system whenever there is any issue in the hardware. With the application of Automatic Cattle Feeding system uniformity and hygiene in feed distribution can be maintained

235 Evaluation of an exogenous fibrolytic enzyme combination in forage-based growing diets fed to growing beef cattle

Abstract Crossbred steers [n = 73; 287±19 kg initial body weight (BW)] were used in an 84-d growing study to investigate the effects of feeding an exogenous xylanase and cellulase combination product (EFE) and wheat straw (WS) inclusion level on the growth performance of growing beef cattle. Treatments were arranged as a 2 × 2 factorial with two levels of WS, either 5% (low; LS) or 15% (high; HS) of diet dry matter, and two inclusion rates of exogenous fibrolytic enzymes, 0 (none; N) or 750 g/ton (enzyme; E; Bovizyme CX; Danisco Animal Nutrition and Health; Wilmington, DE) of diet. Body weights and blood samples were collected every 28 d. Individual intake data were collected using an automated feeding system (Insentec Roughage Intake Control, Hokofarm B.V., Marknesse, The Netherland). Average daily gain (ADG), dry matter intake (DMI), gain to feed ratio (G:F), plasma glucose (GLU), plasma non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) were analyzed using PROC MIXED (SAS Ins. Inc., Cary, N.C.). Animal was the experimental unit and fixed effects included blocks of body weight (n = 3) and original source of steers (n = 2). The model included the level of WS (LS, HS), level of EFE (N or E), and WS × EFE interactions. There were no WS × EFE interactions (P ≥ 0.31) for all measured traits. Supplementing EFE resulted in no differences (P ≥ 0.16) for ending BW, ADG, DMI, G:F, NEFA, and PUN. However, within HS diet, inclusion of E numerically increased ADG by 0.05 kg/d compared with N (1.29 vs. 1.24 kg/d; HSE vs. HSN, respectively; P > 0.31). Steers consuming E diets tended to have greater GLU compared with N (4.92 vs. 4.80 µmol/L, respectively; P = 0.10). Between levels of straw inclusion, ending BW was greater for steers consuming LS diet compared with HS diet (413 vs. 393 kg, respectively; P < 0.0001). Resulting in greater ADG for steers consuming LS diet compared with HS diet (1.49 vs. 1.26 kg, respectively; P < 0.01). Dry matter intake was greater for steers consuming LS diet than HS diet (9.06 vs. 8.33 kg, respectively; P < 0.01). Therefore, G:F was improved for steers consuming LS diet compared with HS diet (0.165 vs. 0.151, respectively; P < 0.01). Steers consuming LS diet had decreased NEFA compared with HS diet (311 vs. 376 µmol/L, respectively; P < 0.01). Results from this study indicate that regardless of the inclusion level of WS, supplementing growing steers with EFE did not influence growth performance. However, replacing ten percent of corn silage with WS reduced the energy concentration of the diet, decreasing growth performance.

Automatic Pet Feeder Using Assistant

Nowadays most of us fascinated to have pets at their home. But these pets have to be taken care properly. Their feeding on time is an important task as they become part of our family. But in our busy schedule we fail to pay attention on our pet thus it doesn’t get proper food on time. This paper addresses the above issue by introducing an Automatic Pet Feeding System to ensure feeding pet on frequent interval of time. In our project we used two methods to feed the Pet, one is by Camera and another by using Google Assistant. When the DC servo motor runs, the motor rotates the propeller which is in the feeding device, which drops down pet food through the pipe into perforated feeding bowl. The water pump will be kept in a tank containing water. When the water pump runs, the water is pumped into the water bowl of pet. The user in order to feed their pet have to give a command on their Smart Phones such as “Okay Google”, “Feed my Pet”, with the help of this command the machine will do its following work. The user can also specify the time to feed their pet on schedule using Google Assistant

Online feeding behavior monitoring of individual group-housed grow-finish pigs using a low-frequency RFID electronic feeding system.

Early identification of animals in need of management intervention is critical to maximize animal health and welfare and minimize issues with productivity. Feeding behavior, captured by automated feeding systems, can be used to monitor the health and welfare status of individual pigs. Here, we present a framework for monitoring feeding behavior of grow-finish pigs in real time, using a low-frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) system. Using historical data, an autoregressive linear model for predicting daily time at the feeder was developed and utilized to detect anomalous decreases in feeding behavior associated with health status of the pig. A total of 2,826 pigs were individually monitored with our warning system over the entire grow-finish period, and health warnings were compared to caretaker diagnoses. The system detected 55.7% of the caretaker diagnoses, and on average these events were detected 2.8 d earlier than diagnosis by the caretaker. High numbers of potentially spurious health warnings, generated by the system, can be partly explained by the lack of a reliable and repeatable gold standard reference data set. Results from this work provide a solid basis for monitoring individual animals, but further improvements to the system are necessary for practical implementation.

Review on Automatic Pet Feeding System

Abstract: Automatic pet feeding systems have gained popularity in recent years due to the convenience they offer to pet owners in ensuring regular and timely feeding of their pets. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of automatic pet feeding systems, including their design, functionality, benefits, and potential drawbacks. The study examines various types of automatic pet feeding systems available in the market, ranging from basic gravity-fed dispensers to more advanced programmable devices with portion control and scheduling capabilities. Furthermore, the paper discusses the technological aspects of automatic pet feeding systems, such as the use of sensors to detect food levels, timers for scheduling feedings, and remote access features for monitoring and controlling feeding sessions. The benefits of automatic pet feeding systems, including the ability to maintain feeding routines, prevent overfeeding, and reduce the risk of obesity in pets, are also highlighted. Moreover, the study addresses potential drawbacks of automatic pet feeding systems, such as technical malfunctions, reliance on electricity or batteries, and the lack of human interaction during feeding times. Recommendations for pet owners considering investing in an automatic pet feeding system are provided, emphasizing the importance of choosing a system that suits their pet's dietary needs, size, and feeding habits. Overall, this paper serves as a valuable resource for pet owners, veterinarians, and researchers interested in understanding the functionality and implications of automatic pet feeding systems in enhancing the well-being and health of companion animals.

Effects of feeding difructose anhydride on the mineral status and milking performance of transition cows

The objective of this study was to assess the potential effect of difructose anhydride III (DFAIII) on calcemia, magnesemia, and milking performance of dairy cows. Sixty-six multiparous Holstein cows in late pregnancy (gestation days = 253.8 ± 2.13 d) were blocked according to their expected calving date and randomly assigned to either receiving no supplementation (Control) or receiving 40 g/d of DFAIII (DFA) between -14 and +7 d relative to calving following a complete randomized block design. Cows on Control received 640 g/d of a pellet containing no DFAIII, whereas DFA cows received the same pellet but containing 6.25%DFAIII. Pellets of each treatment were top-dressed on a daily basis while cows were dry, and were fed via an automatic feeding system twice daily (320 g each feeding) during milking. Dry cows were fed once a day, whereas lactating cows were fed twice daily. Dry matter intake was individually monitored on a daily basis. Cows were milked twice daily and milk production and milk protein and fat contents recorded at every milking. Cows were kept on the study until they reached 21 d postpartum. Cows were weighed at dry-off (about 45 d before study enrolment) and twice daily after calving at the exit of the milking parlor. Three days before the expected calving date and 6, 12, 24, 48 h and 7 and 14 d after calving cows were blood sampled for subsequent determination of serum Ca and Mg concentrations. There were no differences in DMI before calving, but DFA cows consumed more feed than Control cows about 15 DIM. All cows lost BW after calving but DFA cows lost slightly less BW during the first 5 DIM than Control cows. Cows on DFAIII produced more milk around 10 DIM compared with Control cows, and DFAIII cows produced more milk protein than Control cows after 3 d post-calving. Serum Ca concentrations were not affected by DFAIII supplementation; however, serum Mg concentrations at 6, 12, and 24 h after calving were greater in DFA than in Control cows. In conclusion, DFAIII did not affect postpartum calcemia but improved magnesemia between 6 and 24 h post-calving. Milk production in DFA cows was improved around 10 d post-calving and milk protein yield after 3 d postpartum compared with Control cows. The mechanism leading to increased Mg availability is not clear and warrants further research.

Development of an Automated Feeding System for Hydroponic Plant Nutrition Using Arduino Uno

Hydroponic farming has been a promising alternative to traditional farming, but providing plants with proper and consistent nutrition remains challenging. The issue in the research is the inaccuracy of the nutrients provided to the plants, resulting in growth that does not meet the expectations. This study aims to develop an automated nutrition system for hydroponic farming using Arduino Uno and total dissolved solids (TDS) sensors. In conducting this research, the study began with a preliminary exploration, followed by the design and integration process. Subsequently, testing and experiments were conducted on a small scale. Preliminary studies were conducted to understand existing hydroponic practices and challenges in manually supplying nutrients. The design of an automation system with Arduino Uno and a TDS sensor is made to control nutrition automatically. Automation systems are tested and calibrated to ensure accuracy and proper response. Implementation on a small scale was done with a test group and a control group in hydroponics. Growth and yield data were collected and analyzed. The results showed that the automated system provided precise and consistent nutrition, increasing plant growth and yields compared to manual methods. This research makes a scientific contribution to developing sustainable and efficient agriculture. In conclusion, nutrition automation using Arduino Uno and TDS sensors is an effective solution to increase the efficiency and productivity of hydroponic farming.
 Keywords: hydroponics, automation, plant nutrition, Arduino Uno TDS sensor

88 Impacts of trace mineral source and ancillary drench on steer performance during a 60-day backgrounding phase

Abstract This experiment evaluated the impacts of supplementing organic complexed Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn on productive and health responses of high-risk beef cattle during a 60-d backgrounding phase. Crossbred steers (n = 120) were purchased at auction and transported to the experimental facility. Steer BW was recorded at arrival (d -1; initial shrunk BW = 227.7 ± 1.3 kg). On d 0, steers were ranked by BW and allocated to 1 of 8 groups (8 steers/group) and housed in drylot pens (6 m x 12 m) equipped with GrowSafe automated feeding systems (Model 8000; 2 bunks/pen; d 0 to 60). Groups were randomly assigned to receive a total mixed ration (TMR; 47% corn) containing: 1) sulfate sources of Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn (INR; n = 40); 2) organic complexed sources of Cu, Mn, Co, and Zn (AAC; Zinpro Availa 4; Zinpro Corp., Eden Prairie, MN; n = 40); or 3) AAC and an organic complexed trace mineral drench (APF; 30 mL/hd; Zinpro ProFusion, Zinpro Corp.) on d 0 and ancillary to morbidity treatment (n = 40). Diets provided the same daily amount of energy, protein, macro minerals and trace minerals based on 7 g/steer daily of Zinpro Availa 4. Steers were assessed for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) signs daily. Liver biopsies were performed on day 0, 28 and 60. Final BW was recorded on d 60 and 61. Blood samples were collected on d 0, 2, 6, 10, 13, 21, 28 and 45. No treatment differences were detected (P ≥ 0.23) for TMR intake, final BW, ADG, feed efficiency, or BRD incidence. Mean liver Co concentrations were greater (P = 0.02) in AAC and APF compared with INR steers. Mean liver Cu was greater (P = 0.02) in APF compared with AAC steers. Liver Zn tended to be greater (P = 0.10) on d 28 but less (P = 0.05) on d 60 for INR compared with AAC and APF steers. Plasma cortisol was least (P = 0.05) for steers supplemented with AAC on d 6, whereas AAC steers tended to have greater (P = 0.09) plasma cortisol on d 13 compared with APF. Plasma haptoglobin tended to be greater (P ≤ 0.10) for INR steers on d 28 and 45 compared with AAC and APF. While supplementing cattle with AAC or INR results in similar animal performance and clinical disease, AAC and APF reduces stress and acute phase protein responses.

Sistem Pemberian Pakan Ikan Otomatis Berbasis IOT

Pond fish farming requires regular care and feeding of the fish. Fish feeding is usually done manually by spreading the food over the entire surface of the pond. Spreading feed manually will take a long time to feed and drain energy. It is not uncommon for owners to sometimes forget to feed the fish at the specified time. Based on these problems, the NodeMCU ESP8266-based automatic fish feeding system with blynk time setting is able to assist fish farmers in the process of feeding automatically according to the desired time. This automatic fish feeding device can act as a timer for fish feeding and the amount of food released per time is determined automatically in the Arduino ide program. This automatic fish feed has a time input which is then processed by the NodeMCU ESP8266 as a microcontroller and an internet connection (Wifi) connected to the blynk. This automatic fish feed is very useful for consumers in terms of feeding fish regularly and regularly, and most importantly to avoid forgetting or even overfeeding.

The distinguish between cats and dogs based on Detectron2 for automatic feeding

With the rapid growth of urbanization, the problem of stray animals on the streets is particularly prominent, especially the shortage of food for cats and dogs. This study introduces an automatic feeding system based on the Detectron2 deep learning framework, aiming to accurately identify and provide suitable food for these stray animals. Through training using Detectron2 with a large amount of image data, the system shows extremely high recognition accuracy in single-object images. When dealing with multi-object images, Detectron2 can generate independent recognition frames for each target and make corresponding feeding decisions. Despite the outstanding performance of the model, its potential uncertainties and errors still need to be considered. This research not only offers a practical solution to meet the basic needs of stray animals but also provides a new perspective for urban management and animal welfare. By combining technology with social responsibility, this innovative solution opens up a new path for solving the stray animal problem in cities, with broad application prospects and profound social significance.

Pemberdayaan Masyarakat LKSA Aisyiyah Balikpapan melalui Pengembangbiakkan Ikan Lele dengan Pakan Otomatis

Catfish breeding using an automatic feeding system involves four crucial stages to achieve success in this endeavor. The first stage in this process is the survey stage, which involves a field survey by visiting the Aisyiyah Children's Social Welfare Institution (LKSA). The second stage is the tool preparation stage. This process begins with purchasing the necessary equipment based on the results of the survey that has been conducted. The third stage is the tool installation stage. This stage begins with the land preparation, including leveling the land where the catfish ponds will be installed. As a further step, bricks are used around the perimeter of the catfish pond to support the pond foundation and prevent collapse. Then, an automatic feed device was installed to support the automatic feeding system according to a predetermined schedule. The last stage is the equipment handover stage. This stage marks the completion of the installation and preparation process and signifies the start of the active phase in catfish farming using the automatic feed system. Success in the implementation of each of these stages has direct implications for the success and sustainability of the catfish farming business at LKSA Aisyiyah.

Comparison of Mechanized and Automated Technologies in the Scope of Cumulative Energy in Sustainable Milk Production

The labor and energy inputs for milking and milk cooling, the preparation and distribution of feed, and manure removal were analyzed on eight farms in the Masovian, Podlaskie, Lower Silesian, and Kuyavian–Pomeranian voivodeships. In these facilities, milking was carried out using milking robots, which were also employed during feed preparation and discharge. The cleaning of manure channels and walking corridors were also automated. Based on labor, fuel, energy consumption, weight of machinery and equipment, and building area, the cumulative energy intensity of the farms was calculated, taking into account the average density of cow herds. The lowest energy input, 0.974 kWh∙LU−1∙day, and the lowest cumulative energy intensity, amounting to 19.601 MJ∙day−1∙LU−1 were observed in a farm with AF-AM5 technology, that is, an automated milking system (AMS) and an automated feeding system (AFS). The second lowest total energy intensity was measured in a farm utilizing the AF-AM7 technology and amounted to 22.505 MJ∙day−1∙LU−1. The highest cumulative energy intensity was measured in a farm practicing conventional milking in a fishbone milking parlor, with a traditional feeding wagon powered by an agricultural tractor. A high level of cumulative energy intensity, for the majority, was connected with a high energy and fuel consumption, especially during the preparation of feed and feed distribution.

Impacts of trace mineral source and ancillary drench on steer performance during a 60-day backgrounding phase

Nutritional approaches to optimize cattle health and performance during the receiving period are warranted. This experiment evaluated the impacts of supplementing organic complexed Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn on productive and health responses of high-risk beef cattle during a 60-day backgrounding phase. Crossbred steers (120) were purchased at auction and transported to the experimental facility, where BW was recorded (day−1; initial shrunk BW = 227.7 ± 1.3 kg). On day 0, steers were ranked by BW and allocated to one of eight groups and housed in drylot pens equipped with GrowSafe automated feeding systems (Model 8000; two bunks/pen). Groups were randomly assigned to receive a total mixed ration containing: (1) sulfate sources of Cu, Co, Mn, and Zn (INR; n = 40); (2) organic complexed sources of the same minerals (AAC; Zinpro Availa 4 based on a metal:amino acid complex ratio of 1:1 for Zn, Cu, and Mn in addition to cobalt glucoheptonate; Zinpro Corp., Eden Prairie, MN; n = 40); or (3) AAC and an organic complexed trace mineral drench (APF; 30 mL/hd; Zinpro ProFusion, Zinpro Corp.) on day 0 and with morbidity treatment (n = 40). Diets provided the same daily amount of all nutrients and minerals based on 7 g/steer daily of Zinpro Availa 4. Steers were assessed for bovine respiratory disease (BRD) signs daily. Liver biopsies were performed on days 0, 28 and 60. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 2, 6, 10, 13, 21, 28 and 45. No treatment differences were detected (P ≥ 0.23) for feed intake, final BW, average daily gain, or BRD incidence. Mean liver Co concentrations were greater (P = 0.02) in AAC and APF compared to INR steers. Mean liver Cu was greater (P = 0.02) in APF compared to AAC steers. Liver Zn tended to be greater (P = 0.10) on day 28 but less (P = 0.05) on day 60 for INR compared to AAC and APF steers. Plasma cortisol was lowest (P = 0.05) for AAC steers on day 6, whereas AAC steers tended to have greater (P = 0.09) plasma cortisol on day 13 compared with APF. Plasma haptoglobin tended to be greater (P ≤ 0.10) for INR steers on days 28 and 45 compared to AAC and APF. While supplementing cattle with AAC or INR results in similar animal performance and clinical disease, AAC and APF reduce stress and acute phase protein responses.