New feeding robot on display at Canadian Dairy XPO

Apr 08, 2016

Rover can help dairy farmers feed more efficiently

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

Demonstrations, guest speakers, milk and machinery were all part of 2016’s edition of the Canadian Dairy XPO which wrapped up April 6 in Stratford, Ontario.

Among the equipment dairy farmers were exploring was a new machine from Rovibec Agrisolutions.

“Rover is an automated feeding robot that has a capacity of 120 cu ft.,” said Frank Dagenais, territory manager with Rovibec. “It has four-wheel drive and is a totally automated system.”

The 120 cu ft. capacity means the feeding robot can provide about 1,000 Kg (2,200 Lbs) of ration.

The Rover’s main features include the ability to feed up to 300 animals without human intervention, a dual auger system that allows for top mixing and distribution, and when used with the RV4000 Rovibec software, can measure and distribute recipes per animal group.

Video: Sow Welfare and Group Housing Systems - Dr. Laya Alves

In this episode of The Swine it Podcast Show Canada, Dr. Laya Alves from the University of São Paulo, in Brazil, discusses how animal welfare regulations are evolving globally and their impact on pig production systems. She explains challenges in group housing, pain management, and euthanasia decisions, while highlighting the role of training and management in improving outcomes and economic sustainability. Listen now on all major platforms!

"Translating welfare requirements into daily farm routines without compromising economic sustainability remains one of the biggest challenges faced by producers globally today."

Meet the guest: Dr. Laya Alves / laya-kannan is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, focusing on animal welfare in pig production, including pain management, euthanasia, and economic decision making. Her work integrates welfare science with practical farm management and sustainability. She collaborates globally to develop applied tools for producers.