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Feed Mill Solution for 1,400 Dairy Cows at Andekærgaard
Accurate feed mixing, healthier cows and higher yields
At Andekærgaard in Denmark, the goal is to create a highly efficient dairy farm with 1,400 Jersey cows, where all animals, from calves to heifers and dairy cows, are kept at the same farm.
The farm has been designed with a strong focus on logistics, automation and low production costs. The target is to produce milk at a cost of less than 27 euro cents per litre.
A key part of the setup is an automated SKIOLD feeding system, originally developed for pig production and adapted to meet the requirements of modern dairy farming. The system provides highly accurate dosing and mixing while significantly reducing the time required to prepare different feed compounds.
“The mixing accuracy of the system pays off with healthier cows and, with that, higher yields. But the really crucial factor in making different compounds is that we can save more than half the time.”
— Andekærgaard, Denmark
Efficient logistics for modern dairy farming
The farm owner comes from the industrial sector and has brought a strong focus on logistics and efficiency into the agricultural operation.
The entire farm has been planned around efficient workflows and automated solutions. Alongside the SKIOLD feeding system, Andekærgaard has invested in automatic bedding systems while keeping other parts of the operation deliberately simple.
The combination of automation where it creates real value and simple, robust solutions where possible helps the farm minimize costs and optimize daily operations.
An automated feeding system adapted for dairy cows
When investing in feed storage and feeding, the farm initially considered a more traditional solution with open hoppers for supplying feed to the mixer wagon.
However, when the farm investigated whether a feeding system used in pig production could also be adapted for dairy cows, it became clear that the solution made financial sense.
The SKIOLD system was therefore modified to suit cattle production. It allows the farm to mix soda grain into the basic feed compound and deliver the finished compound directly to the mixer wagon.
This provides a flexible and automated way of handling different feed compounds while maintaining accurate dosing of the individual ingredients.
Precise mixing supports healthier cows
Accurate feed composition is essential for maintaining a consistent ration for a high-producing dairy herd.
The SKIOLD system provides precise dosing and mixing of the feed ingredients, helping ensure that the desired feed formulation is reproduced consistently.
For Andekærgaard, this precision is more than a technical advantage. The farm sees the accuracy of the system as an important factor in achieving healthier cows and, consequently, higher milk yields.
“The mixing accuracy of the system pays off with healthier cows and with that, higher yields.”
More than 50% less time spent making feed compounds
One of the most important advantages of the automated system is the significant reduction in working time.
Producing different feed compounds traditionally requires considerable manual work. At Andekærgaard, the SKIOLD solution makes it possible to prepare different compounds much faster.
According to the farm, the system saves more than half the time required to make different feed compounds.
This is particularly valuable in a large dairy operation, where feed production is a daily task and even small time savings can have a significant impact on overall efficiency.
Automation without compromising reliability
The farm owner initially had some reservations about investing in a more advanced automated system.
His preference is generally for simple, low-tech solutions that are unlikely to break down. However, experience from pig production provided confidence that the SKIOLD system could deliver the necessary reliability.
The feeding systems had already been operating in pig production for many years without significant problems.
After 3–4 months of operation at Andekærgaard, the system had experienced no breakdowns.
This combination of automation, precision and reliability has given the farm confidence in the solution as part of its long-term production setup.
Results
The SKIOLD feeding and feed mill solution provides Andekærgaard with:
- Accurate dosing and feed mixing
- Healthier cows and the potential for higher milk yields
- More than 50% time savings when producing different feed compounds
- Automated handling of feed ingredients
- Flexible production of different feed compounds
- Reduced manual work
- A reliable feeding solution adapted from proven pig feeding technology
- Efficient logistics for a large dairy operation
Complete SKIOLD feed mill solution
The installation at Andekærgaard includes:
- 80 t/h raw material conveying system
- SKIOLD Disc Mill SK5000
- Dosing and weighing system
- Handling of salt, chalk and other feed ingredients
- Unloading of finished feed at up to 100 t/h
- FlexMix Pro process control system
A flexible solution for efficient dairy production
Andekærgaard has chosen to combine automation and proven technology with a strong focus on simple and efficient farm operations.
By adapting a proven SKIOLD feeding concept from pig production to dairy cattle, the farm has achieved highly accurate feed mixing while saving more than half the time spent producing different feed compounds.
For a dairy farm targeting 1,400 Jersey cows and a milk production cost below 27 euro cents per litre, efficient logistics, reliable equipment and precise feeding are essential parts of creating a competitive and future-ready operation.
Facts
- Location: Denmark
- Herd: 1,400 Jersey dairy cows, plus calves and heifers
- Target milk production cost: Below €0.27 per litre
- Raw material conveying capacity: 80 t/h
- Finished feed unloading: 100 t/h
- Feed mill: SKIOLD Disc Mill SK5000
- Control system: FlexMix Pro
- Application: Automated on-farm cattle feed production