Manure processing for a growing company
When the Heilemann GmbH farm in Rotenburg, Germany was expanded, a new stable was built, more cows were added and a BeddingMaster was installed. Frank and his wife Suzanne run the farm together with their two sons Mirco and Dennis. Together they are committed to keeping their fast-growing company running smoothly. To this end, they focus on three pillars: personnel, land and animal health. For the latter they use, among other things, the BeddingMaster.
Advantages according to the Heilemann family
- Decrease in antibiotic use
- Cleaner cows
- More comfort for the cows
- Fast crop utilization of the organic fertilizer
- The cell count in the milk has decreased
- The number of mastitis cases has decreased
- Homogeneous quality cubicle litter
- Processing of the digestate
The farm is continuously working on finding and implementing efficient processes that make work easier and increase results. For example, there are solar panels on the roofs of the stables for their own electricity and they have several biodigesters where they produce their own biogas with which they heat the company. All residual heat from the digesters goes to households and neighboring industry.
Because the BeddingMaster produces a circular cubicle bedding, the farm is no longer dependent on an external supplier, it fits well with the Heilemann family's view. At the same time, it is better for the cows and has a positive influence on milk production.
Collaboration with Mavasol
Klaas de Vries from Mavasol and Frank Heilemann were present at the installation of the Bedding master in Germany. From that meeting the collaboration between the Heilemann family and Mavasol arose. At that time, work was being done on expanding the stables at the Heilemann GmbH farm. The BeddingMaster was taken into account when designing the stable.
For the expansion and the increase in the number of cows, the Heilemann family was looking for a way to make their business processes as efficient as possible. Bacterial pressure is one of those processes, which is why they were looking for the right cubicle bedding. The choice fell on the hygienized manure from the BeddingMaster. Thanks to the certified process, the digestate can also be used as cubicle bedding within 24 hours.
When the BeddingMaster was installed, there was sufficient space, as planned, to place the machine in the stable. After installation, which takes approximately five days, starting up with Digestate manure takes approximately four days, by which time the BeddingMaster is up to temperature. When the transition of anaerobic bacteria, which are naturally present in cow manure, from the digester to the drum is completed, the temperature remains constant and the BeddingMaster is ready for use.
How does the system work?
About 30 to 35 m3 of manure is fermented per day and then pumped to the manure separator. The fertilizer fibers are automatically fed into the BeddingMaster. Frank Heilemann explains how the BeddingMaster is used on the Heilemann GmbH farm.
Savings
The installation of the BeddingMaster involves a solid investment. At the time of installation, it was estimated that the payback time at the Heilemann GmbH farm would be approximately four years. The savings from using the BeddingMaster consist of several components. The farmers no longer have to buy cubicle bedding. They have healthier cows by using hygienized manure instead of straw. This results in a reduction in antibiotic use and higher milk production. There are now more advantages which mean that the use of a BeddingMaster has an even faster payback time.
Meer weten over de BeddingMaster?
Article “Melkvee 110 plus" March 2023
