advantage feeders australia beef special brochure

The answers you’re looking forSome of our most frequently asked questions 4

Grow profitsMinimal outlay – maximum returns 10

Trial reports income boosters 12-15

Advantage Feeders 2015 2

Grain and Pellet Feeders

Feeder weight 300kg

Feed volume 1800litres

Feed weight (wheat) 1400kg

Feed weight (pellets/barley) 1150kg

Cattle height (LxWxH) 2440x1650x1450

Sheep height (LxWxH) 2440x1650x1250

Flat-packed (LxWxH) 2440x1160x250

NGF1800

Feeder weight 160kg







NGF800

Feeder weight 365kg







NGF3800

Strength

All Advantage Feeders can be used for

feeding cattle and sheep.

All outer extremities are reinforced to

withstand the roughest treatment from

cattle.

Advantage Feeders are stronger

because they are formed from

connected sheetmetal, flange jointed

instead parts that are simply butted up

and welded.

Five year warranty

Advantage Feeders provides a

standard two year warranty on all

purchases. To ensure that your

Advantage Feeders investment is

covered by a five year warranty, simply

complete the Extended Warranty and

Feedback Form.

Fully galvanised

All parts are galvanised, not painted,

ensuring the product lasts longer.

Tube components can often sit in the

mud and muck and rust quickly – all

tube on our feeders is hot gal dipped

to ensure that’s not the case.

Lifting frame

All feeders can be moved fully loaded.

The NGF1800 and NGF3800 are

designed with Z shaped rails under the

trough to spread the load.

Accurate feeding and

consumption sticker

The Upper and Lower Adjusters have

a series of painted dimples on them –

allowing them to be set accurately.

The lower side panels have a table to

show the intake of sheep and cattle at

each adjuster setting.

The table should be considered a

guide only but is a good starting point

for setting the feeder.

Adjuster Guard

The Adjuster Guard is a part that sits

above the feed access area to partition

it into 100mm gaps. This ensures that

animals stand in the same location

whilst feeding – ensuring other stock

aren’t disturbed by being pushed.

See page 16 for more information.

Volume stickers

Our volume stickers allow you to quickly

determine the ration being consumed

and make adjustments if required.

Quality components

All fasteners on our adjusters are

stainless steel – ensuring a long,

functional life. All rivets and Tek screws

have high quality coatings.

Sight glasses

Sight glasses are a simple and effective

feature that can save you getting off,

or out of your vehicle to check the

volume in the feeder – we know you’ll

appreciate that when it rains.

Multipurpose

Advantage Feeders can be used to feed

both sheep and cattle.

The feeders have adjustable skids that

can be changed in height to suit either

animal.

Retractable roof

Our roofs can be easily opened and

handily fastened on the same side.


Mobile Feeders

Feeder weight 600kg




Fully assembled (LxWxH) 3660x1650x2150


MGF3800

Mobile Feeders give farmers the

convenience of filling the feeders up

at a silo and taking them out to the

paddock.

The MGF3800 is constructed by

adding a tandem-axle chassis system

to the NGF3800.

The MGF1800 is constructed by

adding a single-axle chassis system

to the NGF1800.

Central wheel position

The centralised axle reduces the load

on the tow ball of the towing vehicle.

Other mobile feeders on the market

have the axle at the rear which can

place over 800kg of load on your

tow ball when most vehicles have

a maximum tow ball loading of just

300kg. This can cause the kind of

catastrophic failure which can lead to

accidents.

Our tyres are only 480mm high (195/55/

R13C) and have a load rating of 900kg

each. Most stock can easily reach over

the wheels but lambs of less than four

months must eat alongside the wheels.

Feeder weight 450kg




Fully assembled (LxWxH) 3660x1650x1450


MGF1800 Advantage Feeders give farmers the control to limit the amount of supplement that stock consume.

We do this through our revolutionary saliva-restriction, Advanced Adjustment System.

Whilst the Advantage Feeders Advanced Adjustment System can be set to feed unrestricted rations to stock, it can also limit the intake of sheep to 150 grams/day and cattle to 1.5kg day.

Advantage Feeders can be used successfully to do the following tasks for both cattle and sheep:

1) Ration feeding 2) Creep feeding; and 3) Ad-lib feeding

How do Advantage Feeders work?

Our Advanced Adjustment System requires stock to lick feed out of a groove between two adjusters.

Changing the position of these adjusters changes the ration that stock can consume.

Our research has shown that when the lick system is in its most restricted setting, stock lick for 5-10 minutes between periods of grazing.

The licking period is limited because livestock use the saliva on their tongue to get the feed out of the groove. The saliva decreases with each lick until the animal can no longer access the feed.

Note: The grain and pellet feeders are not suitable for horned stock.

Suspension

Mobile Feeders have suspension to ensure the longevity of the products by providing smooth transportation at higher speeds.

The MGF3800 features load-sharing springs to spread a full load evenly over all four wheels.

Advantage Feeders have no maximum speed limit. Many others have a maximum of 25 km/h.

Telescopic stands

The Mobile Feeders feature a telescopic stand at each corner to prohibit movement when uncoupled.

Adjustable axle height

Our Mobile Feeders are manufactured to allow the axle(s) to be set at one of three different heights (approx. 300, 400 or 500mm), to suit different stock.


Frequently Asked Questions

How does the Advantage Feeders system control the ration better than other feeders?

Critical to the success of controlling the ration is to limit the amount that an animal’s tongue can touch with any one lick.

In the restricted setting, Advantage Feeders Advanced Adjustment System can position feed 40mm down between two plates.

The feed in the bottom of the groove can sit so the depth of grains/pellets is only 5-10mm deep, only allowing stock to lick a few grains/pellets with each lick.

When the animal’s saliva depletes, they cannot access feed.

While other feeders can also make stock lick through a narrow gap, they allow stock to put their tongues into the feed as deep as the tongue will reach.

They access a lot more feed with each lick so instead of stopping when they run out of saliva, they stop when they grow tired of licking.

The Advantage Feeder’s control over the ration is further enhanced by the use of the Adjuster Guard – a set of holes dividing the feed access area.

This part encourages stock not to move along the trough, allowing more animals to feed uninterrupted.

Advantage Feeders can also be adjusted to ad-lib feed.

See page 16 for the latest update on the Adjuster Guard.

Why is the Advantage Feeders system more efficient than periodic feeding?

Rumens contain different types of microbes – some digest starch and sugars and others digest cellulose.

Dietary upsets, such as feeding too much concentrate only once per day, can cause rapid change in the microbial population. This changes fermentation patterns, the rumen PH and interferes with fibre digestion.

Animals that feed from Advantage Feeders receive numerous, small amounts of supplement ensuring the rumen always has the same feed content – maximising efficiently.

See the results of our trials on page 18-19 with some farmers reaching 2:1 supplement conversion ratio.

What stops them eating all day?

Although the feed in Advantage Feeders is always accessible when the feeders are set to restrict intake, stock can only access it while they have sufficient saliva on their tongue.

They require saliva to stick feed to their tongue – without it, they can’t get the feed out and into their mouth.

When their tongue dries, why won’t they just go between the water trough and feeder all day?

Although proximity to the water supply will increase the minimum ration received from Advantage Feeders, saliva is much stickier than water. The supply of saliva is limited because it comes through the glands in the mouth from the fluid in the rumen.

How do you know they’re all getting a supplement?

Bossy animals also run out of saliva – leaving the feeder to other animals in the flock to receive a supplement.

Many farmers observe that the trough space is rarely full, feeding is less frantic and stock are frequently coming and going between the feeder and the rest of the flock grazing in the paddock.

How are bullying stock discouraged from pushing others out of the way?

The Adjuster Guard features a series of holes that animals eat through. Any feed spilled from the feed access area and through the Adjuster Guard falls in the trough in front of them.

This means it is disadvantageous to move along the trough, pushing other stock away from the feeder.

How do you train stock to lick from

the groove?

Stock learn faster if they have a reward (a

generous amount

of feed) the first time they come to the

feeder.

This is done by using a safe feed and

opening the adjustment system to an ad-

lib position.

Other ways to help train stock are to put

some feed in the troughs and on the

ground around the feeder.

Each feeder has instruction stickers

above the troughs for

more information.

Will rough cattle wreck my feeders?

All feeders have reinforcing in the edges

of the troughs and weather protecting

shields. For added peace of mind,

Advantage Feeders provide a full five

year warranty on all products after filling

in a simple form.

Advantage Feeders began eight years

ago. We are yet

to replace any part damaged by cattle in

any of our

Next Generation Feeders.

Is there enough rain protection to

prevent feed

getting wet?

The Advantage Feeders system holds the

feed in the licking area, up and out of the

trough.

The side panels on the feeder are

designed with a gutter at

the bottom of them, draining any rain that

hits them to either end of the feeder, not

into the feed.

The only feed that can get wet is the

small amount of feed sitting in the licking

area. Stock usually lick this out before

it clogs.

If you have any further questions

regarding Advantage Feeders and their

use, please feel free to contact us.


Several factors contribute to how often the licking area needs to be cleaned to prevent blocking:

• The amount of dust in the feed

• The size of the area stock are licking from; and

• Whether the feeders are in humid conditions.

The Adjuster Guard design has changed to allow it to be placed over the licking area in two ways:

• As it currently works: A series of divisions along the licking area.

• Additional function: it still establishes the divisions along the licking area but has a 15mm obstruction along its length. This means that if the Lower Adjuster is allowing a width of 30mm of feed in the licking area, stock will only have a 15mm gap to lick through.

Trials have shown that the updated design only requires cleaning once every six times compared to the old design.

This reduces the labour required to use Advantage Feeders and ensures stock are less likely to be waiting for the licking area to be cleaned.

Farmers are now achieving even lower rations because they have the confidence to set a small access area for licking without clogging issues.

Advantage Feeders have developed a new Adjuster Guard to ensure fewer blockages, less cleaning and increased control over the ration.

Top: The Adjuster Guard positioned to allow full access to the feed in the licking area

Bottom: The Adjuster Guard positioned in an alternative setting, restricting access to the feed in the licking area


COMPLETED TRIALS

Creep feeding calves

Problem:

Calves that do not receive a starch-

based supplement can take much

longer for their rumen to develop and

limit growth rates.

Trial objective:

Compare the profitability of three

groups of weaned cattle at seven

months of age; a group fed a controlled

ration of barley, another fed ad-lib

oats and a control group not fed any

supplement.

Result summary:

While the oats group were an average

of 14kg heavier than the restricted

barley group, the barley group were

$0.25kg more valuable than the “pot-

bellied” oats group.

The barley group averaged a sale price

of $491/head compared to $467/head

for the oat group and $435/head for

the group with no supplement.

The feed costs for the restricted barley

supplement and the ad-lib oats were

$12 and $18 respectively making the

net income of the rationed barley

group $30/head more than the ad-lib

oat group and $44/head more than the

group with no supplement.

Reducing mismothering

Problem:

Trail-feeding ewes around lambing

can cause them to run away from their

lambs to receive a supplement, often

leading to the lamb’s death.

Trial objective:

Calculate the number of weaned lambs

from mobs of ewes supplemented with

Advantage Feeders, compared to mobs

that are trail-fed.

Result summary:

Mobs totalling 2000 ewes

supplemented from Advantage

Feeders weaned 300 more lambs

that another series of mobs totalling

2000 ewes – a 15% higher weaning

percentage.

Cattle weaner growth

on fodder crops

Problem:

Growing cattle on rape and hay can

lack the balance the rumen requires

to perform efficiently.

Trial objective:

Compare the growth rates of cattle that

are fed a fodder crop, hay and 1kg/day

of grain compared to a group that are

fed fodder crop and hay alone.

Result summary:

The group fed the 1kg/day of grain

achieved an extra 0.5kg/day in live

weight gain.

While the group with fodder and hay

alone consumed 9kg/day of rape crop,

the group that were supplemented with

grain only ate 6kg/day of rape crop,

allowing a 50% higher stocking rate.

Advantage Feeders regularly conduct on-farm trials to provide our customers with the necessary facts to make informed decisions. Contact us for in-depth information on any trial.


Supplementing

ewes at lambing

Problem:

Ewes have high nutritional

requirements in late pregnancy

and when they have lambs at

foot. However, ewes are often not

supplemented because it can cause

mismothering.

However, ewes are often not

supplemented due to the problems

trail-feeding can cause.

Trial objective:

Calculate the number of weaned lambs

from a group of ewes supplemented

with Advantage Feeders compared

to a mob of ewes that receive no

supplement.

Result summary:

Two years of supplement feeding with

Advantage Feeders increased weaning

rates by 24% compared to the 10 year

average prior to supplementation.

TRIALS UNDERWAY

Creep feeding

twin bearing ewes

Trial objective:

Calculate any increased growth and

survival rates of supplemented twin

lambs compared to a control mob with

no supplement.

Cattle weaner growth

on dry pasture

Trial objective:

Compare the profitability and growth

rates of cattle that are fed 1kg/day of

grain on dry pasture compared to a

group that are consuming dry pasture

alone.

Supplementing lambs to

mate at seven months of age

Trial objective:

Compare the number of ewe lambs

that reach 42kg at seven months of

age and the pregnancy rate of a group

of supplemented weaners compared

to a control group that received no

supplement.

Creep feeding Brahman, Angus

and Charolais cattle

Trial objective:

Compare the profitability of creep

feeding three breeds of calves:

Brahman, Angus and Charolais.

Each breed will have one control group

of calves that receive no supplement,

and another group that start with

a controlled pellet ration and then

change to a cereal ration.

Constant versus irregular

supplementation

Trial objective:

Rumens require a constant source

of feed to optimise efficiency because

they have different types of microbes.

Feeding supplements only a few times/

week leads to massive changes in

microbe populations and decreases

rumen PH.

This trial will compare the weight and

condition score of mature sheep that

are fed 1.5kg/week in three intervals

compared to 1kg/week through

Advantage Feeders.

Increasing 2nd year heifers’

pregnancy rates

Trial objective:

Heifers that have calved suffer

significant strains on their condition

after pregnancy and while producing

milk.

They often struggle to be in adequate

condition to become pregnant three

months after calving.

The trial will compare the profitability,

weight and pregnancy rate of a group

of heifers that are given 2kg/day of

cereal after giving birth until 30 days

after mating, compared to a group

without supplement.

image courtesy of Hannah Gunther – Riverina Stock Feeds


Tray and Sliding Gates Hay Feeders

New adjustable height basket – great for cattle, calves, horses and deer The latest Tray Hay Feeders feature an adjustable height cradle.

Cradles can be set at seven different heights, giving you the opportunity to use one piece of equipment for feed young stock at the lowest setting and mature stock at the higher settings.

Versatile• Adjustable height cradle suits all stock

• Meal, pellets and grain can be placed on the floors

Less waste• Trays catch any spillage which can still be eaten by cattle

• Optional roof

Safer• All bolt heads are round, nuts concealed and other fasteners are rivets

Easy to use• Easy to skid loaded with hay in the feeder

Stronger• Skid or lift with hay in the feeder

THF

Cattle/feeder 20

Weight 150kg

Gap between the bars 300mm

Bales used 1 round bale (up to 6’ diameter and 4’ wide)

Assembled (LxWxH) 1900 x 1400 x 1700

Flat-packed (LxWxH) 1900 x 1100 x 200

Cattle/feeder 35

Weight 265 kg


Bales used 2 round bales or 1 large square bale



THF-X

Cattle/feeder 35

Sheep/feeder 165

Internal Length 2550mm to fit o/size bales

Bales 1 large square bales, 1x 5’ round bale or 2 x 4’ round bales

Weight 200kg



SGHF

Easy to load, less waste and holds round and square bales The feed is contained within the two sliding gates.

As stock consume the hay behind, the gates are pushed in, meaning they will always rest against the hay, containing it behind the bars.

Waste saving• Roof keeps feed dry

• Hay stays behind the sliding gates of the feeder

Universal• Use round or square bales

• Feeds both sheep and cattle

• Vertical bars prevent cattle getting their heads stuck

Easy to use• Two different loading options

• Easily moved

STAINLESS

STEEL

FLOORS


Cradle Hay Feeders and Hay Feeder Roof

No front-end loader required to fill with ‘roll-loading’ methodThe Cradle Hay Feeder has rounded sides, allowing the feeder to be placed over the bale, tied on, then rolled back into loaded position – no front-end-loader is required to load the feeder, giving you more flexibility where feeders are separated by distance.

Cradle Hay Feeders can also be loaded by simply rolling round bales off the sides of utilities or trailers.

Note: The Cradle Hay Feeders are not suitable for cattle from 6-18 months, or horses. Advantage Feeders recommends the Tray Hay Feeders for young cattle and horses.

Less waste • Bale is raised off the ground • Bale is positioned so rain drains through holes in the floor of the feeder

Easy to use • Roll-loading method • Easily skids to new locations when required

Universal • Can be used to feed sheep, lambs and cattle over 18 months and calves under six months • Useful for feeding hay or silage

Stronger • Heavy tube construction

Our HFR protects your feed from rain damage If you live in a high rainfall area, or your stock are in small herds and take more than a couple of days to finish a whole bale – the Hay Feeder Roof makes a great investment.

It is in two halves, making it easy to operate by rotating each side to open or close the roof. The sides fasten together with chain to prevent high winds from opening them.

Less waste

• Prevents rain-affected wastage by keeping more of your feed dry

Universal

• It is suitable for use on both our CHF and THF

• Calves and large cattle can feed without fear of entrapment

Easy to use

• Pivots to open

• The HFR unclips to detach when

roll-loading CHF

CHF CHF-X HFR

Weight 30kg

Assembled (LxWxH) 1400x900x200


Cattle/feeder 20

Sheep/feeder 100


Bales used 1 round bale (up to 6’ diameter and 4’ wide)

Weight 75kg



Cattle/feeder 35

Sheep/feeder 165


Bales used 2 round bales or 1 large square bale

Weight 130kg

Assembled (LxWxH) 1900 x 2730x 915


STAINLESS

STEEL

FLOORS


Calf Creep Feeding

Cows / mob run before creep feeding

50

Increased cow stocking rate due to creep feeding

6%

Extra cows ran due to creep feeding

3

Gross profit of extra cows / head

$ 750

Increased gross profit / mob / year

$2,250

Run more cows

See it in

action!

watch?v=H-MQajmRrCM

Increase stocking rates –

run more cows

Creep feeding produces animals

at a marketable weight faster. This

allows these cattle to be taken off the

farm earlier and makes more pasture

available to run reproductive stock.

Creep feeding develops calves faster

so they can be weaned at a younger

age (often 2-3 month earlier). Due

to early weaning, cows that would

otherwise have a calf at foot can be

run harder, requiring less pasture and

supplement to maintain condition.

Reduce cow supplementation – earlier weaning

The condition of cows at calving is directly related to milk production and therefore, the growth rates of calves.

Cows often need to gain condition after weaning to remain productive.

Early weaning will provide the cow with a longer period to gain condition and reduce the need to provide quality pastures or supplements for them to reach desired condition.


Weight: 40kg each

Fully Assembled (LxWxH) 1250x1400x1150


Weight: 50kg each

Fully Assembled (LxWxH) 2480x1400x1150


CG1 CG2

What is creep feeding?

Creep feeding is the process of

exclusively feeding unweaned

young stock.

How do the creep

gates work?

Advantage Feeders Creep

Gates deny cows access to

the feeding area because their

body size is too large to fit

through the gaps in the gates.

Depending on the breed, the

gaps will allow calves to enter

until they are 12 months of age.

The Creep Gate simplifies

creep feeding because the

pivoting gates enable farmers

to quickly and easily pivot them

from the transport/inactive

position to the engaged, creep

feeding position.

They are permanently attached

to the feeder making the

feeder simple to relocate. It

is common to attach only one

Creep Gate to a feeder to ad-

lib feed calves on one side and

use the other side to feed cows

a restricted ration, particularly

heifers.

The gates have a horizontal bar

that can be positioned at nine

different heights to best suit

the size of the calf and prevent

young and small-framed cows

from entering.

They have a strong triangular

brace to prevent cows from

changing the shape of the area

the gate creates.

Gates have pins to prevent

cows from lifting them up.

Early rumen development

Feeding high starch-based diets to calves

drastically reduces the time for the rumen

to develop.

Starch helps the conversion of the rumen

for processing milk at infancy to support a

large microbial population – essential for

processing fodder and grain/pellets.

While the additional feed will have a high

feed conversion, the primary benefit of a

developed rumen is that it allows young

stock to consume and process more

pasture – the most cost-effective feed

for growing stock in peak pasture growth

periods.

Benefits of creep feeding include:• Increase the weight gain of calves

• Increase the number of calves that reach

target weight by weaning

• Allow calves to be weaned earlier

• Increase the number of cows run

by carrying fewer calves

• Reduce the supplement cows require

for the desired condition score prior to

breeding, as weaning is earlier

• Increase the number of heifers reaching

the desired minimum breeding weight

and improve conception rates

• Increase the number of cows that

conceive early in the breeding period.

Fig. 1 The rumen of a calf fed milk only shows little papillae development.

Fig. 2 The rumen of a calf fed milk and hay shows little papillae development.

Fig. 3 The rumen of a calf fed milk and grain shows significant papillae.


Creep Feeding Trial

Quantity: 30 in the creep feeding group and 30 in the control group

Calving period: 1/8/14 to 30/9/14

Start date: 5/11/14

Finish/ Weaning date: 23/3/14

Duration: 140 days

Breed: Charolais

Feeding program:

Creep feeding group: 30 days: 0.5kg/day of pellets

30 days: 0.65kg/day of 50:50 pellets/barley

80 days: 0.8kg/day of barley

Control group: No supplement

Trial outline

An on-farm trial found that creep feeding a group of Charolais calves from approximately 10 weeks of age to weaning had significantly higher growth rates compared to a group of calves that had no supplement feed.

Background:

Creep feeding offers farmers a

huge opportunity to increase beef

production/Ha by reducing pasture

consumption and increasing growth

rates.

Creep feeding isn’t primarily about feed

conversion but getting young stock

to consume and convert pasture at a

much younger age.

Trial results:

Calves that were creep fed with

Advantage Feeders averaged a weight

of 346kg at weaning while the calves in

the control mob averaged only 307kg.

With an average weight of approx.

110kg at the beginning of the trial,

the creep fed group averaged a daily

weight gain of 1.69kg/day while

the control mob averaged 1.41kg/day.

Other benefits:

• The calves from the creep feeding

group were much closer to

achieving goals of having heavy

heifers for breeding at 15 months

of age and bulls in forward

condition at 24 months of age.

• The creep fed calves were

imprinted with the knowledge to

feed from feeders at weaning,

reducing the occurrence of a

weaning check.


Pr

ofi t increased by

$38.75 / head

and weight gain

by 20%

Opportunity for higher profits

Cereal feeds are currently above their median prices.

If barley and pellets prices were $250/tonne, $400/tonne

respectively, and 50 calves were used with one feeder, profit

increases to $50.86/head.

$100.00

$90.00

$80.00

$70.00

$60.00

$50.00

$40.00

$30.00

$20.00

$10.00

$0.00TOTAL INCOME/

HEADTOTAL EXPENSES/

HEAD

Added income versus expenses per head

1.8

1.7

1.6

1.5

1.4

1.3

1.2

1.1

1.0

Daily weight gain comparison

1.69kg

1.41kg

$89.70

$50.95

Expenditure, income and profit

* This assumes the depreciation rate is 15%, the investment of one feeder is $3,000, creep feeding accounted for 50% of the use of the feeder each year and 30 calves fed from the feeder.

** This is calculated by multiplying: filling the feeders three times, by one hour each fill, labour is $60/hour and 30 calves fed from the feeder.

Trial period (days) 140

Barley used/head (kg) 73.75

Pellets used/head (kg) 24.75

Barley cost/tonne ($/kg) $0.34

Pellets cost/tonne ($/kg) $0.50

Total feed cost/head $37.45

Depreciation cost/head* $7.50

Feeding cost/head** $6.00

TOTAL ADDED EXPENSE/HEAD

$50.95

Total added liveweight/ head (kg)

39.0

Value of liveweight ($/kg) $2.30

TOTAL ADDED INCOME/HEAD

$89.70

TOTAL ADDED PROFIT/HEAD

$38.75

About the trial operators

Jim Wedge and Jackie Chard operate

a Charolais and Angus breeding

operation with properties at Warwick,

QLD and Glen Innes, NSW.

They have a strong focus on producing

low risk, thick, polled bulls, bred with

an MSA targeted approach.

Comments from the trial

operator

“Soon after the trial commenced, the

creep-fed calves looked noticeably

different to the control group.

I am very impressed with the

engineering of the Advantage Feeders

Creep Gates. They make thecreep

feeding system very easy to set up

and manage.

I was worried about how the cows

would treat the Creep Gates. However,

I have not seen the cows put pressure

on them.”

Jim Wedge

No supplement

Advantage Feeders fed


Trial outline

Weaner Supplement Trial

Duration: 100 days

Quantity: 50 weaners in each group

Control mob starting weight average: 220kg

Barley mob starting weight average: 253kg

Pasture type: Dry perennial pasture

Feeding amount: 1.0-1.5kg/day

Feed type: Barley

Feeding equipment: 1x Advantage Feeders NGF3800

Results:

Growth rates achieved after 40 days:

• The control mob gained an average of 29kg/head or 0.725kg/day.

• The Barley mob gained an average of 50kg/head or 1.25kg/day. Barley consumption during this period averaged 1.2kg/head/day.

The trial was altered due to an unseasonable dry period where the heavier weaners were sold. The groups were then altered to increase the weight of the lighter weaners.

Growth rates achieved over the following 53 days:

• The control mob gained 54kg/head or 1.02kg/head/day.

• The Barley mob gained an average

of 71kg/head or 1.34kg/day. Barley

consumption during this period

averaged 1.1kg/head/day.

Combined growth rates:

• The control group weight gain

averaged 0.89kg/head/day.

• The Barley group weight gain

averaged 1.30kg/head/day. Barley

consumption averaged 1.14kg/head/

day.

The average time to grow the weaners

from 235kg to target weight of

400kg reduced from an average of

185 days to only 127 days.

A mob of weaner cattle supplemented with barley through Advantage Feeders grew at a far higher rate than another mob that only had access to pasture.


Trial period (days) 93

Barley used/head (kg) 106

Barley cost/tonne ($/kg) $340.00

Total feed cost/head $36.04

Depreciation cost* $7.50

Feeding cost** $4.09

TOTAL ADDED EXPENSE/head*

$47.63

Avg. added liveweight gain/day (kg)

0.41

Total added liveweight/head (kg)

38.1

Value of liveweight ($/kg) $2.50

TOTAL ADDED INCOME/head

$95.33

TOTAL ADDED PROFIT/head

$47.69

Added income versus added expenses per head

Profi t in

creased

in 58 fewer days$47.69/head

$100.00

$90.00

$80.00

$70.00

$60.00

$50.00

$40.00

$30.00

$20.00

$10.00

$0.00TOTAL INCOME/

HEADTOTAL EXPENSES/

HEAD

Added income versus expenses per head

1.8

1.6

1.4

1.2

1.0

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0

Daily weight gain (kg)

$95.33

$47.63

1.30kg

0.89kg

No supplement

Advantage Feeders fed

Comments from

the trial operators

In November we had 13 mm of rain

when our average is about 125mm.

Considering the season, or lack of, the

weights are down on what we would

expect, but to still be able to achieve

a weight gain of over a kilo a day. In

the current conditions, that is pretty

remarkable.

The cattle with the barley definitely

spend more time at rest compared to

those on straight pasture.

For several years, I have been looking

for a way to supplement feed without

it being a daily chore or causing

acidosis. The Advantage Feeders

controlled feeding system solved

these issues and allowed the stock

to balance their own diet.

About the trial operators

Mark Porter owns a property in the

Armidale region of NSW.

He runs 500 Charolais and Angus

cross cows, with 300 calving in

October and 200 in April. He also

runs 1500 Merino.

* This assumes the depreciation rate is 15%, the investment of one feeder is $2,200, the feeder is only used in the function each year and 44 weaners fed from the feeder.

** This is calculated by multiplying filling the feeders three, by one hour each fill, labour is $60/hour and 44 weaners fed from the feeder.


Pricing and Distribution NSWBOURKE

CASINO

COONABARABRAN

DUBBO

FORBES

GOULBURN

GRIFFITH

HAY

INVERELL

NARRABRI / WEE WAA

SCONE

TAMWORTH

WAGGA WAGGA

NTHUMPTY DOO

QLDBEAUDESERT

CHARTERS TOWERS

CUNNAMULLA

EMERALD

GOONDIWINDI

LONGREACH

ROCKHAMPTON

ST GEORGE

TOOWOOMBA

SABORDERTOWN

CUMMINS

KANGAROO ISLAND

LAMEROO

MINLATON

MINNIPA

MOUNT COMPASS

MURRAY BRIDGE

PENOLA

SNOWTOWN

TRURO

TASBRIGHTON

VICBALLARAT

BOORT

BRIM / HORSHAM

HAMILTON

LEONGATHA

MAFFRA

MARYBOROUGH

MILDURA

ROMSEY

SHEPPARTON

STAWELL

WODONGA / WANGARATTA

WABOYUP BROOK

BROOKTON

BRUNSWICK

ESPERANCE

KATANNING

KUNUNOPPIN

NEW NORCIA / WANNAMAL

NORTHAM

NORTHAMPTON

www.advantagefeeders.com

www.advantagefeeders.co.nz

the leader in controlled feeding















the leader in controlled feeding the leader in controlled feeding

‘x’ height of name

‘X’ height of name

name

85% of name width and variable height

name width

50% of name width






name


name width

50% of name width



name


name width

50% of name width

1300 88 15 75

Free freight

Advantage Feeders prices include freight to all

current distribution locations. Freight to other

locations can be arranged at local cartage

rates.

Five year warranty

You can rest assured that Advantage Feeders

will last for a long time.

Advantage Feeders provides a standard two

year warranty on all purchases.

To ensure that your Advantage Feeders

investment is covered by a five year warranty,

simply complete the Extended Warranty and

Feedback Form.*

Advantage Feeders is the only

manufacturer that offers

a five year warranty.

Loyalty program

Advantage Feeders rewards customers who

continue to purchase from us* – once a farmer

has purchased four feeders, they are entitled

to a discount.

Farmers don’t need to purchase more than

what they can afford just to receive a discount.

e.g. If one feeder is bought each purchase, by

the time they have a total of four feeders, they

will buy the fourth feeder with the discounted

price applied across all purchases.

Money back guarantee

We are confident that your Advantage Feeders

will be a very profitable investment. If you’re

not satisfied with any product, simply return

it cleaned, within 30 days and we’ll provide a

hassle free, 100% refund.*

* See www.advantagefeeders.com.au/prices for full terms and conditions.

GRAIN FEEDERS

Next Generation Feeder 3800 NGF3800 1950+GST 2115+GST



Mobile Grain Feeder 3800 MGF3800 3525+GST 3800+GST

Mobile Grain Feeder 1800 MGF1800 2875+GST 3106+GST

Creep Panel (1 pair) CP2 200+GST 211+GST

Creep Gate for NGF1800/3800 (1 gate) CG2 475+GST 508+GST

Creep Gate for NGF800 (1 gate) CG1 325+GST 358+GST

Mineral Attachment MA 225+GST 247+GST

HAY FEEDERS

Sliding Gates Hay Feeder SGHF 1250+GST 1305+GST

Cradle Hay Feeder Single CHF 750+GST 772+GST

Cradle Hay Feeder Extended CHF-X 1200+GST 1244+GST

Tray Hay Feeder THF 1000+GST 1055+GST

Tray Hay Feeder Extended THF-X 1600+GST 1710+GST

Hay Feeder Roof HFR 250+GST 272+GST

FLAT-PACKED ASSEMBLEDCODEDESCRIPTION

Prices are subject to change

advantage feeders australia beef special brochure

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