What convinced you about fodjan?

A decisive argument in favor of fodjan was the possibility to get many ration suggestions without having to try out ourselves in which combination the individual feedstuffs fit together. In addition, the evaluations in fodjan, especially the feeding controlling and the web-based system. This means that I can take the tablet and look at it from home when I think of something in the evening. Another argument was and is the simple data import of feed analyses, i.e. the interface with the laboratories. All in all, fodjan is simply much more comprehensive than the programs we had before.

A quantum leap in our feeding routine

I calculate my rations with fodjan, export them to the USB stick, read the stick on the weighing device. In addition, I print out another piece of paper with the ration recipe as security for the colleagues. Then the colleagues have specified their mixing order, what has to be loaded and when, and then load the components. Originally, we started to accompany the feeding process with the fodjan app and that was already a quantum leap from ration sheet to app. And with the feed mixing technology interface, much of this now happens automatically.

Once a week I determine the dry matter of all silage components contained in the current rations. We have a drying cabinet for this or a hot air fryer if it has to be done quickly. After that, I adjust the rations in fodjan if necessary and read the data from the weighing equipment into fodjan to see what was fed. What is different, better, is the monthly accounting of feed consumption. That has become easier with fodjan.

How do you plan rations in fodjan?

From my point of view, the calculated ration is the cornerstone for the proper nutrition of the cow. Nevertheless, I have to manage the feed I have available. In the feed stock in fodjan, I specify my available feed quantities. Then in the ration calculation, in the ration catalogue, suggestions come accordingly and I filter them. For example, I limit the amount of corn silage, because corn is not expandable in huge amounts in the ration due to the altitude. This limits the amount of ration suggestions to the best options. I usually use these suggestions as a template for my new ration and then go back in manually and adjust, e.g. to rounder numbers, etc.

What do you recommend to users, who are new to fodjan?

At the beginning, the scope of the program was overwhelming for me. But over time, when you get to know it, you get the hang of it. The best thing to do is to create the rations to the best of your knowledge and good professional practice and work with them.

In our farm, I and my colleague work with fodjan. And our feeders work with the app in the places where we don’t have programmable scales yet. We are still in the start-up phase with all of them and things go wrong from time to time, but that’s part of it. Trying a lot – that’s half the battle.

In addition, much is possible with data care in fodjan – automatically via interfaces or manually in the documentation. Of course, it is only possible to evaluate data that is regularly recorded. The most helpful for me are the evaluations in feeding controlling, especially milk yield and feed intake.