TECHNICAL FIELD

The invention is concerned with the development of an automatic calf feeder that will enable weaning of the calves at the right time, at appropriate development period and economically by maximizing feed consumption and taking a close follow-up to the daily feed consumption at the individual level, with a system to be developed in intensive dairy cattle businesses.

PRIOR ART

In dairy farms, calves are the future of the business. Having healthy calves at birth and ensuring them to have a healthy weaning (Erez and Goncu 201 1 ) constitute the most discussed topics for dairy cattle breeding enterprises.

One of the leading problems for dairy cattle businesses is calf losses.

Inadequate maintenance and feeding conditions can result in up to 10-15% of calf losses (Goncu, 2013).

Critical processes are involved in the growth of the calves, which are the breeding material of future, and the main purpose is that the calf becoming a ruminant and digest the roughage (Gorgulu et al. 2012).

In a newborn calf, the digestive system differs from a mature animal. Despite the fact that there are also four-part stomachs from birth in calves, the four stomachs cannot function without the digestive ability of concentrate and coarse feeds. The liquids taken in this period pass through the rumen (paunch) and goes directly to the abomasum (true stomach) (Stobo 1966). This period is intended to pass to the adult four-sectioned stomach with an effective calf raising program. The calf raising program is the preparation and follow-up of a separate program for each calf. Main titles of this program can be grouped as (Goncu et al. 2014);

• Milking program for each calf

• Rough and concentrated feed consumption • Health protection practices to be followed at every stage.

In intensive dairy cattle businesses, after the calves leave their mothers, they are taken to individual calf cabins and kept under individual follow-up until their weaning. In these cabins, it is aimed to put a good quality calf starter feed along with the milk in front of the calves and to make them start the consumption of the feed as soon as possible. However, the calf starter feeds that will be used in this process should be prepared as pelleted or crushed to promote feed intake (Quigley, 1987).

Calf starter feeds must contain 18-20% raw protein, 75-80% total digestible nutrient (TDN) or 3.1 1 Meal / kg (13.0 MJ / kg metabolic energy (ME) and raw cellulose ratio should be %10-15 at most.

There should be no urea in the calf starter feeds. Urea is not suitable for the calves younger than 6-month-old. Calf starter feeds must be free, fresh, clean and continuously supplied. As the main feedstuffs in the calf starter feeds; roughly crushed corn, crushed oats, barley, sorghum, preferably soybeans, if these cannot be found; cotton, sunflower, flax seeds and alfalfa meal, molasses, dicalcium phosphate or bone powder, salt, vitamins A, D, E and mineral mixtures (calcium, phosphorus, trace minerals and selenium). For the calf, it is advisable to have high quality dry alfalfa meal or leguminous - wheatgrass mixes from the start of the second week. Green leafy dry grass with good quality should be preferred in terms of promoting feed consumption. However, since the development of the rumen in the calves depend on concentrated feed, it must be given first and its consumption should be promoted (Gorgtilu, 2016). Rumen Development in the Calf

Newborn calves have not developed rumen and their main stomach is the abomasum (Heinrichs, 2007; Gorgtilu, 2002). The healthy weaning of the calves can be achieved by consuming sufficient amounts of coarse and concentrated food and by ensuring the development of their rumen so that it can be benefited by them. If the calves do not receive solid food and continue to drink milk, there is no rumen growth (Cozzi et al. 2002). Because when the calf drinks milk, the reflex of the eosophageal cavity steps in and provides the milk to go directly to the abomasum. This reflex is an interesting mechanism that protects the milk, which is a very high quality food, from being fermented in rumen. While at birth, 60% of total stomach complexes is from abomasum, 20% is from rumen; at 3-4 months of age 60-65% of the total stomach volume is from rumen and only is from 20% of abomasum. But in grown animals rumen capacity can go up to %80, abomasum capacity goes to %8-10 (Heinrichs, 2007).

In raising a calf, below mentioned steps are effective;

• Intramammary feeding (Pre-birth feeding),

• Cleaning and hygiene of the birth chamber

· Colostrum feeding,

• Feeding before weaning (Goncu, 2013).

The most important matter taken in consideration in the evaluation of breeding performance in dairy cattle enterprises is the number of calves weaned rather than birth numbers. The highest mortality rate in dairy cattle is the pre- weaning of period. Therefore, maximum attention must be paid to the feeding, sheltering and management of the calves until weaning (Goncu et al. 2014).

Developmental stages of the digestive system on calves;

1 . Pre-ruminant (non-ruminant period) (0-3 weeks)

2. Transition Period (3-8 weeks)

3. Ruminant Period (>8 weeks)

When the development of the digestive system is assessed in calves, since they are not full ruminants, this must be taken into account when providing their nutrient requirements and feeding, until their weaning (Gorgtilu, 2002). Caring-Feeding of Calves before Weaning

Calves can only be weaned when the size of a newborn calf reaches the size or age at which it can continue its life by consuming and digesting solid feeds (calf starter and high quality coarse feed) to keep its live healthy.

In the world practices, factors such as the age of the calf, the duration of milk drinking, the amount of milk to be drunk, the live weight of the calf and the amount of solid food consumed by the calf are taken into account in the dairy section of the dairy cattle. However, the predominant application is the use of milk consumption period (age) and solid feed (calf starter feed) consumption amount of the calf. Applications that take age into consideration in calves are generally based on an 8-week period, but weaning can also be done based on the 4-6th weeks. More care should be taken with respect to the quality and sheltering conditions of the starter feed and other hygienic conditions (feeder, water drinking bowl, milk containers) in early weaning (4-6 weeks) (Goncu, 2013).

If the calves take milk for a long time and in high amount, their rumen will not be able to develop (tripe, abomasum and reticulum) because their solid feed consumption will decrease. Extension of the milk drinking period affects epithelial growth of the tripe negatively because milk passes directly through the abomasum. For this reason, beginning from the 4th day, a good quality calf starter feed must be found in front of the calf. This allows calf to quickly become a ruminant by stimulating the development of its rumen volume and epithelium (Warner ve ark. 1956).

The calf started feed must be kept fresh and clean in front of the calf.

However, calf starter feeds must not be overloaded and should not be allowed to be stale. Since the rumen is not fully functional until weaning, it is not obligatory to give roughage (Patel et al. 2004; Goncu et al. 2010; Keles et al. 2014). However, 5-10% good quality milled hay can be added into the calf starter feed. This avoids acidosis and swelling which can be encountered in calves that consumes too much concentrated feed. The best hay that can be recommended are meadow grass and alfalfa dry. When considering the effects of the feeds which are given to the calves on the development of the rumen epithelium, they can be lined up as concentrate feed > roughage > milk.

The effects of roughage on epithelial development is less than the concentrate feed. However, it can contribute to the expansion and gaining muscle of the tripe (Josefsen et al.1996). The effect of solid feed on the development of the rumen epithelium tissue is due to the volatile fatty acids produced during fermentation. These fatty acids are acetic acid, butyric acid and propionic acid. When a ranking is made according to the acids which increase most of the epithelial development of the rumen; butyric acid > propionic acid. The calves can consume 0.5-0.7 kg / day calf starter feed in the 4th week and 1 .5-2.0 kg in the 8th week. Before weaning, the calves should consume an average of 600-900 g / day solid feed and gain 400-600 g / day live weight. The average initial meal 0.8-1 kg / day dry hay consumption is 0.1 -0.2 kg / day in the feeding programs which are generally applied for 8 weeks and the alfalfa hay and calf starter separately and free. The average initial feed consumption is 0.8-1 kg / day and the dry hay consumption is 0.1 -0.2 kg / day in the feeding programs which are generally applied for 8 weeks and in which the alfalfa hay and calf starter feed are separately and freely given.

Calf Shelters

The environment conditions are very important in the care of the calf, and it is essential to meet the demands of it. Calf clubs and individual follow-up of the calves are a great advantage in terms of performance and biosecurity measures. The calf clubs are the shelter model that stands out with its advantages in biosecurity and calf performance. The most important component of a calf club is feeders. Feeders are manufactured in different shapes (round, square, rectangular), material (wood, galvanized sheet, plastic, fiberglass) and specifications to meet daily rough and concentrated feed needs. These feeders provide food to calves. However, some problems exist in their use:

1 . Feeders are exposed to external conditions such as rain, wind, sun.

2. Even if only tops of these feeders are considered to be covered under bad environmental conditions, this process requires labor force.

3. Roof construction on the clubs is very costly.

4. Cleaning and disinfection are difficult.

5. Labor force usage is high in feed stuffing and unloading.

6. Feeds left on the ground of the feeder are likely to get mold and get

worm-infested.

7. Feed weighing and measurement is time consuming and difficult.

8. It is not possible to follow the daily feed consumption of the calves.

9. It is not possible to collect and reuse the feeds left in feeders.

10. Left overs in feeders are not available to use due to risk of infection or mold or other residual risk. The calves consume rough, concentrated and liquid food. In farms, feeders used in individual calf clubs must be protected from adverse environmental conditions. Otherwise, the firms may experience serious problems on their farms due to feed consumption tracking of the calves and feed loss. These feeders are available at different prices on the market with varieties from very simple bucket system to electronically equipped feed system. Fully automated feeding systems are also available. Large scale operations depend on that mentioned automation systems. It also works under group raising conditions.

The existing automatic calf feeding facilities on the market require integrated software to control animal identities and important parameters accurately and reliably. The existing automatic calf feeding facilities on the market require integrated software to control animal identities and important parameters accurately and reliably. The automatic calf feeder to be developed under this project will work on small scale farms and without the need for highly developed software. However, following the daily feed consumption and performance of the calves is the most important criterion for determining the time for weaning. For this reason, it is very important to monitor the calf feed consumption daily. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

This project aims to meet the needs of an automation system on the individual feeding issue in the pre-weaning period in intensive enterprises. The system to be developed will be able to maximize feed consumption and monitor it closely enough to determine the right time, appropriate development period and economical status for weaning of the calves. For this reason, the project is concerned with the design of a calf feed to reduce the loss of calves and increase their profitability, as well as to follow the daily feed consumption of the calves, to follow the calf performance and to determine the daily feed consumption in terms of the time for weaning.

The feeder to be developed under this project

• Individual calf feed consumption monitoring,

• Determination of daily feed consumption, • Removing feed losses due to external conditions,

• Removing the possibility of catching an infectious disease due to animal feeds,

• It makes possible to make a decision for weaning when a calf feeds more than 700 g of feed for 3 days consecutively

• It will be different from the feeders used today due to improving the quality of the feed.

MEANINGS OF THE FIGURES

Figure 1 . Details of the Feeder

The correspondences of the numbers given in the figures:

1 . Feeder

2. Weight Sensor

3. Software

4. Digital Display

5. Feeder Strap

6. Printer

7. Volume Indicator

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention aims at eliminating the lack of an automated system for the individual feeding in the pre-weaning period in intensive enterprises. For this reason, a feeder (1 ) with portable scale and automatic consumption indicator to be used in the calf clubs has been developed.

The system has been become able to weigh using at least two loadcells (weight sensor) (2) and appropriate mounting kit according to the capacity of the feeder (1 ) and the characteristics of the feed to be used. Weight sensor (2) is made from aluminum or stainless steel material; the mounting kit is also made from galvanized or stainless steel material. The digital display is LED & LCD. In addition, the system also includes printer (6), volume indicator (7) and RS232 digital data transfer output. Digital display (4) can run for 96 hours with 9V adapter and battery. The precision scale formed by the weight sensors (2) comprises a software (3) that calculates the time of the change in the feed and a digital display (4) that graphically displays the change in feed quantity based on the time. In this way, it is possible to show how much food is consumed in how long.

All kinds of feeds to be given to animals are as a record in the computerized monitoring system. When the feeds are given to the animals, the start and end times of the weight changes and scaled down feed quantity data is transferred from feeders (1 ) containing scales with RS232 numerical data output. That data is also recorded at the desired intervals, so that the daily feed behavior of the animals is converted into numerical data via the software (3). In this way, information about the time of each meal, the amount of food consumed, the time between meals, the order of taking the feeds by the animal and the rations formed during certain hours of the day can be produced for the animals kept in the system. By means of the software (3) included in the present invention, it is possible to calculate the ideal weaning time and to decide the weaning time rightly when it is necessary when a calf consumes for more than 700 gr for 3 consecutive days.

This feeder comprises of the following parts:

• Feeder Strap (5): This piece is used for mounting to the fence of the Calf club.

• Feeder (1 ): This part is the part where the TMR (Total Mixed Ratio) or the swallow feed will be placed. It is designed to show the scale lines which to measure the feed to be placed and the amount within.

• Weight Sensor (2): In the feeder (1 ), weighing is done with automatic weighing sensors and can be watched from the electronic display. The weight sensors (2) transmit the information to the software (3) that enables the monitoring of the amount of feed consumed and the date on which the feed was placed.

• Feed table: This is the part which the feed is poured in, and the calf will always be able to find fresh and clean feed in here. Usage in Calves

The animal experiments of the invention were carried out by the elderly Black Holstein cows belongs to Cukurova University, The Faculty of Agriculture, Dairy Cattle Research Implementation Unit, which gave a birth in 2016. In this operation, cows were taken to the birth section 1 week before delivery and were kept under surveillance in these sections until 3 days after birth. During this time, the calves drank the colostrum of their mothers by being controlled from a feeder. And they were fed to take colostrum as much as 6% of their live weight within the next hour and 10% of their live weight within 24 hours. The first three days, the calves were held against the mother's birth panel, and after the 3rd day they were taken to individual calf clubs. The calves were kept in individual clubs until they were weaned.

Calves are separated into two groups as the experiment group and the control group. Normal feeders were used in control group. In the experimental group, the feeders (1 ) developed according to the invention were used. Within the scope of this study, the determination of the weaning for the calves was made by following the daily feed for 3 days. The calves also were also fed with calf starter feed (18% HP, 2800 Kcal ME) and grilled alfalfa dry separately and free from the 4th day. In order to determine the feed consumption of the calves in the control group, the containers in front of the calves were tared, the containers were filled and the amounts of rough and concentrated feed consumed were weighed every two weeks. The experiment group was monitored daily on the display.

Each feed kept in the computerized monitoring system and kept in animals is given with feeders (1 ) consisting of electronic RS232 digital data output scales. The starting and ending times of the weight changes in the scale and the reduced feed quantity are recorded at the desired intervals so that the daily feeding behavior of the animals is converted into numerical data. In this way, information about the duration of each meal, the amount of food consumed, the time between meals, the order of feeding taken by the animal, and the rations formed during certain hours of the day could be produced for the animals kept in the system.