Improve the quality of your milk production with HAYTECH

The Demeter Bogenschütz farm is a 240-hectare agricultural estate located between the Black Forest and Lake Constance in Germany. The farm adopted the HAYTECH system in 2019 to enhance the quality of its hay and consequently, its dairy production.

Situation

A biodynamically managed farm

Since 1981, Demeter Farms has been managed according to the principle of an autonomous agricultural organization. The production of natural fertilizers to stimulate plant growth and the production of feed for farm animals increase soil fertility, as well as the health of the plants and animals. In Bogenschutz, the farm raises cows, pigs, alpacas, sheep, horses and chickens.

Synthetic chemical pesticides, synthetic fertilizers and genetic engineering are not used, nor are feed additives. Thus, the quality of the fodder is essential for them, it is the primary basis that allows them to produce milk of excellent quality.

Solution

A solution to monitor forage quality

In 2019, the farm purchased a hay drying system. That’s where the HAYTECH system came into play. The probes were used to control the drying process toreduce energy consumption costs.

In the first year, the HAYTECH system allowed them to avoid more serious consequences due to the heating of a hay bale above 65°C. The system also made their day-to-day work easier, as they were able to reduce or replace manual measurements. Hay temperature control is now more systematic, and they always have an overview via the HAYTECH app.

The quality of the hay plays a particularly important role in animal welfare and milk production, so the farm decided to use HAYTECH to continuously monitor the quality of the hay during storage. This ensures that they always feed their animals with excellent quality fodder.

Better monitoring of real-time temperatures of their hay
Precise control of energy costs
Monitoring the quality of stored hay

Impact

An increase in milk production with HAYTECH

The quality of the feed is an essential element for the well-being of the animals and can be seen in the quality of their milk production.

The farms 120 dairy cows produce about 600,000 litres of milk.. HAYTECH allows them to monitor the evolution of hay quality and ensure optimal forage quality for dairy cows.

In addition to the quality of the hay, HAYTECH has made it possible to avoid any risk of fire on the farm, especially during periods of high heat during hay drying.