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Dairy farmer sees soaring milk production with TAP FEED's precision feeding

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Every dairy farmer knows that consistent, accurate feeding is the key to maximising milk production and quality. But achieving this, especially with multiple employees involved, can be a challenge. For Tom Van den Breemer, this was the reality at his family farm until they switched to TAP FEED.

Dairy farmer Tom Van den Breemer's family business sits nestled amid the lush greenery of Soest (NL). Home to around 170 dairy cows, twenty dry cows and a hundred young cattle, Van den Breemer runs the farm together with his parents and his two brothers. The family is aware of the importance of accurate and regular feeding for their dairy cows. "We understand the significance of consistent and precise feeding for our dairy cows," explains Van den Breemer.

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We provide our cows with a total mixed ration (TMR), a carefully blended combination of roughage and concentrate. Maintaining consistent feeding patterns is crucial for our cows, as it directly impacts their milk production, both in quantity and quality.

Van den Breemer, Soest, Netherland

Rations on paper

Before implementing TAP FEED, the farm's feeding process was decidedly traditional. "For years, we relied on printed sheets detailing the rations for our cows," Van den Breemer recalls. "We used a mixer wagon equipped with a simple scale head to distribute feed. With five different people feeding the cows daily, ensuring accuracy and consistency became a constant challenge."

Seeking a solution, Van den Breemer invested in a new mixer wagon. 'We wanted a programmable scale indicator, so that we no longer needed to mess around with scraps of paper. And that mixer wagon came with Topcon TAP FEED, of course.'

It turned out that we were ten to fifteen percent out in terms of our rations every day. Now that we're using TAP FEED, a three percent margin of error is considered a lot.

Van den Breemer, Soest, Netherland

Digital solution for feed management

Topcon TAP FEED, a cloud-based feed management solution, aims to streamline and optimise livestock feeding. The software allows farmers to customise ingredients, recipes, animal types, and other vital data for their specific mixer wagons. For the Van den Breemer family, this innovation meant the end of those cumbersome paper printouts.
 

"We now manage our entire feed ration process within TAP FEED. The software even helps us monitor factors like urea levels in the milk, ensuring optimal nutrition for our cows. If adjustments are needed, the software makes it incredibly simple to adapt our feed mix," explains Van den Breemer.

What is Topcon TAP FEED?

Streamlining your feed management is easy using TAP FEED. Combined with the mobile TAP FEED app, the software helps you while feeding and enables you to stay on top of your feed costs. The result: efficiency gains and improved milk production. 

  • Easily configure ingredients, rations, and recipes
  • Easily gain insight into feeding accuracy per employee and the dry matter efficiency of the livestock
  • Load and feed with kilogram accuracy
  • Say goodbye to paper loading lists thanks to the TAP FEED app: always up to date on your phone or tablet
  • Gather and analyse data on loading and feeding for a more stable and accurate feeding process
  • Suitable for all mixing and dosing wagons with a scale system
  • Can be expanded with stock management or a link to the milking parlour or external management software as an option

From a fifteen per cent error margin to just three per cent

With TAP FEED, ration updates—including precise mixing and loading times—are seamlessly transmitted to the apps installed on the phones of all feeding assistants. "This eliminates any guesswork, empowering our assistants to start feeding immediately," Van den Breemer notes. "TAP FEED guarantees that everyone delivers the exact same feed portions. Honestly, the results were astounding. Previously, we figured a hundred-kilo discrepancy wouldn't drastically impact our grass rations, but it turns out we were operating with a staggering ten to fifteen per cent error margin daily! Now, with TAP FEED, exceeding a three per cent margin is considered excessive."

Recognising the importance of reliable support, Van den Breemer is impressed by Topcon's exceptional customer service. 

"Topcon is a fantastic company to work with. If I have any questions or encounter any issues, their helpdesk is readily available and incredibly responsive, which is a huge plus."

Van den Breemer, Soest, Netherland

Greater reliability, more milk

Leveraging TAP FEED's data analysis capabilities, Van den Breemer can now meticulously track and analyse feeding patterns and identify any anomalies. "The software provides us with a wealth of insights," he explains, "from the actual quantities fed to the individuals responsible and even the mixing times. This level of detailed information, readily accessible for review, simplifies troubleshooting immensely. If the cows finish their feed earlier than usual, for instance, we can now quickly determine the cause, be it an increased appetite or an issue with the previous day's feed."


In conclusion, the collaboration between the Van den Breemer dairy farm and Topcon TAP FEED has proven to be a resounding success. "Our feeding consistency has seen a dramatic improvement," Van den Breemer beams. "We're confident it's also contributing to big increase in milk production."

Interested in learning more about Topcon TAP FEED
and how it can revolutionise your feed management?

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