A feed pad is used for regular supplementary feeding and loafing of cattle on an area of land that is either formed with a solid foundation or a concreted permanent facility.
Feed pads are generally sloped to accommodate various cleaning systems to support cow alley washing. Some have the potential to add roof structures or side walls.
Customized Feed pads
More and more farmers are recognizing the many advantages of constructing feed pads. The concrete feed pads mean less pasture pugging and give the farmer more control. Additionally, the feeding out is faster and requires less staff. Hence, this results in 20% less wastage. Moreover, there is greater control of feed and the runoff is also controlled.
The design of the feed pad should be made in a way that it allows all cows to easily access feed bins. To add on, the feed bin placement should take account of machinery movement, feed pad cleaning and feed delivery.
We can design feed bin moulds that will not only save you money but also result in complete control over feed bin placement.
Here at Jenyns & Jenyns Contracting, we specialize in Feed Pad Construction. We can design customized feed pads for you dairy farm requirements. Our vast experience in the design and construction of feed pads ensures a feed pad solution that caters to your needs.
Feed Pad benefits
It may seem to you that Feed Pad Construction has a significant capital cost. But in reality, it will save you money in the future as it offers several benefits.
Maximizing pasture harvested
A key factor to increase dairy farm profits is maximizing pasture harvest. Standing cows off pasture and feeding them supplements means a reduction in both pugging and over-grazing. According to research, pugging can cause short-term decreases in pasture yield of up to 80%.
Increasing range of supplements
One of the disadvantages of relying only on a meal feeding system is that you are locked into feeding concentrates which have a higher cost. But by using a feed pad, you can feed home-grown or brought-in forages such as maize silage or pasture silage concentrate or local by-products.
You can feed a mix of supplements at the prices that you wish.
Minimizing workload
Another benefit of a feed pad is that a large amount of supplementary feed can be fed out comparatively quickly on a well-designed and constructed feed pad. Furthermore, feeding supplements on a feed pad require less work compared to break-feeding a crop.
Improving cow efficiency
Many farmers using feed pads have experienced increased feed use efficiency. Cows do not have to waste energy collecting their feed as they are fed in the feed pads.
A decrease in supplement feed-out losses
There is a much higher wastage associated with feeding supplements in the paddock. The more the wastage, the more cost incurred.
In short, feed pads should be considered a long-term investment. It will deliver you many financial benefits. At Jenyns & Jenyns Contracting, we are expert at Feed Pad Construction so if you want to construct a feed pad, just give us a call.