Liquid feeding

Liquid feeding in general

Liquid feeding is a general term for mixing and spreading livestock-friendly feed in liquid form. This kind of feeding, generally flour, feed crops e.g. crushed beets, corn – Corn cob mix or also crude fibre is used primarily in sow fattening.

Standard feeding

The feeding pipe system consists of one or various circulations. The feed is pumping through the pipes into the pans. The rest feed stays in the pipe system. Before the next feeding it will be mixed with fresh feed again.

Complete feeding

The pipe system is full of water (liquid) whilst rest period. At beginning of feeding the water will be pressing out of the pipe with feed and catch it in a case. At the end of the feeding the feed content of the pipe will be pump via water to the last pans.

Separate system

In the separate system the feed will be separated with a special item (Molche) which can be automatically put into the pipe system if necessary to separate the feed. Therefore various feed mixtures can be in the pipe system at the same time; it is also useful to clean the pipe system via water pressure or air pressure with the help of a separation item to make the system completely empty of feed.

Twin pipe system

In this system every trough is filled up out of 2 pipes who contains all the time the same mixture (pre-fattening – end-fattening feed). Through computer-controlled blending the animals get age-related feed out of both pipes daily. Two mixture cases are necessary.

Sensor feeding

This system based on electronic request of trough level. As soon as the computer detects a sensor request of no feed in the trough, the storage can automatically be refilled or mixed. The animal is able to help itself to the feed. At the end of fattening the feed can be rationed.

Spur line system

With this system you come back to the roots of liquid feeding. Spur lines have no return flow. However there are different possibilities of pipe flushing. The feed stays in the pipe during the rest period, it won’t recirculate.
In total the system is simple when the group size is correct and a house is adequately planned.

Small pipe system

This system has a maximum pipe diameter of 22 mm. To exact dose and better pipe hygiene the trend is towards this smaller diameter. The use of this system goes along with higher pump pressure. Not all feed types are suitable for this system.

Bio-phase feeding

In the past it was called “phase feeding”. In this system the feed was changed on particular phases of animal growth (2 to 3 phase feeding).
“Bio phase feeding”: Through this system a feeding computer calculates and mixes an animal-friendly feed mixture daily.

Hygienic measures

Today the mix cases are normally made of stainless steel.
Extensive flushing units make for clean cases. Different systems will be cleaned with water and special harmless acids

Piglet liquid feeding

The liquid feeding of piglets has established itself next to dry feeding in the past years.

Therefore the following advantages become apparent:

• small piglets prefer to take their feed in liquid form (sow milk)
• liquid feed is nearly similar to this kind of feed
• high quality liquid feed allows piglets to take the maximum of feed
• under optimised terms the taking of liquid feed is always higher than pure dry feed. This assures maximum growth for the piglets