New system to automatically register grazing

The system (Grazeway R ) is composed of a registration gate and an associated reporting tool, which shows how long the cows have been out to pasture. This makes managing grazing easier and shows the amount of grazing time per cow for free-range certification, which is something that is being asked for in more and more countries.

Cows can file inside smoothly and easily. Photo: Lely

Cows are recognised and registered as they go out

With the Lely Grazeway selection box or the Lely Astronaut milking robot, when the cows are given permission to go out to pasture, they are recognised and registered upon going outdoors. When they return to the barn, the cows pass through the Grazeway R, which again recognises and registers them. The loop antenna on the Grazeway R recognises the cows’ movements from any position. This means that cows can file inside smoothly and easily.

Data on each cow’s grazing patterns

With this system, farmers have access to reliable and valuable information on grazing and grazing time. The system shows data on when the cows spend the most time outdoors, what plots they prefer to visit, when they go inside, which ones easily go outdoors and which ones perhaps need some extra training. The system also provides additional data on the availability of fresh pasture and the behaviour of the cows when visiting the milking robot. These data are used to make management decisions with respect to grazing.

The Grazeway R is available from the beginning of 2018.