Inventions Comp 2021: Feeding and bedding tools
Declan Parke’s feed trailer
Irishman Declan Parke, senior mechanics manager at Almarai Dairy Farms in Saudi Arabia, developed a feed trailer to reduce the burden of feeding 10,000 calves a mixed ration manually – a job that took four people eight hours each day.
Mr Parke’s feed trailer construction started with the main frame and axles, which were paired with wheels from a diet feeder. On this base, he formed two bins with the capacity to carry up to 1,200kg of each ration component – calf starter and a hay mix.
Each hopper has its own 2.4m-long, 130mm-diameter hydraulically driven auger, which is engaged to move a portion of the feed into a front trough. Here, a lateral front auger mixes it up before discharging.