REVOLUTIONARY

FEEDING SYSTEM:

OPEN TO READ

HOW IT WORKS

advantagefeeders.co.nz09 431 7276

DEER FEEDING BROCHURE

Get hinds on a raising plain of nutrition for matingEnsure weaners are ready for the chilled marketEarly weaning allows hinds improved conception ratesReduce weaning stress of fawns

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Next Generation Feeders

NGF3800 NGF1800 NGF800

Weight of feederVolume of feed:

Capacity: wheat/peasCapacity: barley/pellets

Capacity: oatsAssembled

Dimensions (LxWxH)Flat-packed

Dimensions: (LxWxH)

380kg3800 litres3000kg2400kg2000kg2440 x 1650 x 2150

2440 x 1160 x 280

320kg1800 litres1400kg1200kg1000kg2440 x 1650 x 1450

2440 x 1160 x 250

160kg800 litres600kg500kg400kg1160 x 1650 x 1370

1200 x 1160 x 200

PRICESON BACKPAGE

HOW DO ADVANTAGE FEEDERS WORK?The system requires stock to lick the feed out of the groove between two adjusters. Changing the position of the adjusters changes the ration that stock can consume. Research has shown that when the lick system is in the most restricted setting the stock lick for 5-10 minutes between periods of grazing. The licking period is limited because the livestock use the saliva from their tongue to get the feed out of the groove and the saliva decreases with progressive licks.

WHAT BENEFITS DO ADVANTAGE FEEDERS PROVIDE DEER FARMERS?Increase hind productionFeeding hinds before mating will have them on a raising plain of nutrition and will have a higher conception rate. The conception rate is also increased by Advantage Feeders supplementing fawns, allowing them to be weaned earlier, and providing hinds more time to increase their conception.Increase fawn productionMarking fawns to the chilled market is critical to a high performing deer enterprise. Advantage Feeders are a key tool to achieve this by providing adequate nutrition to achieve fast grown and ensure there is no growth check at weaning.Even productionThe lick system reduces bossy behaviour due to it being reliant on the amount of a saliva an animal has – bossy stock don’t have any more saliva than shy stock. As bossy stock aren’t at the feeder as often, the shy stock have more of a chance to feed. The removable Adjuster Guard further prevents the bossy behaviour, of pushing along the trough, because it has 100mm areas to lick from and there is no advantage in stock moving position.

3800 / 1800 800■ 150 hinds■ 200 fawns■ 100 hinds with 100 fawns

■ 75 hinds■ 100 fawns■ 50 hinds with 50 fawn

STOCK PER FEEDER

Note: these figures are advisory only and can vary depending on conditions.

No wasteFeeding low rations with the Advantage Feeders removes the need to feed any type of stock on the ground. This ensures there is no waste and 100% of the cost of feed is being eaten.Save timeThe feeders hold a substantial amount. The NGF1800 feeder holds 1200kg of pellets or barley. If 150 hinds are being fed 400grams/day, the feeder will only require filling once every 20 days.No acidosis and feed straight grainDue to the lick system of the Advantage Feeders, if the stock are offered a low setting, there is no risk of acidosis because they can’t eat fast enough to cause an issue.

BY GARETH GILLATT

Advantage Feeders’ new grain feeder system has become an essential tool for keeping weaners and hinds in top condition for North Canterbury deer farmer Stuart Stokes.Stokes farms 800 English Red breeding hinds on his 300 ha property at Sheffield, one hour west of Christchurch.While there are many crucial times on the calendar for deer farmers, Stokes says that, in terms of feed budgeting and animal nutrition management, no time is more key than between January and February, during and immediately after weaning.With hinds going out to stags in January-March, Stokes says hinds need to be put on a rising plain of nutrition to get them cycling ahead of mating so they will produce a fawn early in the next season.Feeding is also crucial for weaners at this time too says Stokes as animals that can’t produce a 45kg carcass weight by the close of the chilled market in late October need to be processed frozen and bring a much lower price. “If you can get that part of it right you get a hind back in calf early and get a better fawn rate the following year as well as getting a good weaner that is ready for the chilled market.”“It really plays a big part on how profitable the rest of the year will be.”

Barley is used to supplement livestock’s diet and Stokes says before 2011 it was fed out once a day from a tow behind grain bin onto the ground behind his truck– a time consuming exercise which didn’t give him much control over how much the deer were eating or who was

getting it.“It is like feeding lollies, they’ll meet you at the gate and it’s hard to get into paddock.”“Within two minutes of getting into the paddock it’s gone.”Stokes says this resulted in wasted time, effort

and stock losses due to the manner deer were eating the high protein food. “Because of the way animals were eating it some weren’t getting any while some deer were getting far too much.”“There was wastage both in barley and in animals.”Stokes bought his first 1800 litre NGF1800 Advantage Feeders in 2011 and noticed how much time he was saving.Instead of traveling out to paddocks once a day, he only needed to refill the feeder once a week.The feeders are first introduced to the hinds and fawns in January, just before weaning.While Stokes uses that time to get hinds to teach fawns how to use the feeder, he has also noticed other benefits including hinds recovering from calving faster and better growth rates in weaners. “I don’t mind who’s

eating it.”“If it’s the hinds then, they get on that rising plain of nutrition and if the fawns eat it and then they are growing on the barley as well.”“It makes the transition to weaning a whole lot easier.” The feeders are then taken with the weaners and Stokes says they remember how the feeder works without any difficulty.Hinds get the grain they need – depending on grass supply, up to 400 grams of barley a day.Weaners consume 200 grams of barley a day once they have been separated from their mothers.With each NGF 1800 holding 1200kg of barley, Stokes says it usually takes a week before he needs to replace an empty feeder with a full one.He does this by loading the bin at his silo with an electric auger while also mixing the barley with a mix of minerals including copper, selenium and cobalt.Stokes then takes the full bin to stock, removing the empty one for loading later on.Stokes has welded the feeders onto trailer chassis for easy transportation and says that not only has it made the process easy, but it also made moving around feeders a great deal more convenient.To ensure animals eat pasture as well as grain Stokes positions feeders at the opposite end of the paddock from water to make sure stock need to walk between the two. “It stops deer just camping at the feeder.”“I rarely see more than three deer eating from the feeder at any one time so they all get a go.”Stokes is now so confident about his feeding system that he is feeding more barley than ever and says he has ordered another two grain feeders for this season. “They pay for themselves in saved productivity and product costs in about 18 months.”

Key tool at crucial time for deer farmer

“… no time is more key than between January and February, during and immediately after weaning.”

MGF1800

Hay and Silage Feeders

advantagefeeders.co.nz09 431 7276

Cradle Hay FeederTray Hay FeederSliding GatesHay Feeder

1850 x 900 x 1380 (LxWxH)

1850 x 900 x 140 (LxWxH)

75kg

1900 x 1400 x 1700 (LxWxH)

1900 x 1050 x 180 (LxWxH)

130kg

2650 x 1400 x 1800 (LxHxW)

2650 x 1100 x 240 (LxHxW)

180kg

Assembled dimensionsFlat-packed dimensions

Weight

DELIVERY Feeders are dispatched

and delivered to your closest Mainfreight depot.

The Mainfreight depot will call you when the feeders arrive. Delivery

takes between 2 to 5 days. Other delivery locations are available for an extra fee.

SALES MANAGERS PETER AND SHERYL TONKIN Phone 09 431 7276 027 353 7274 Email sales@advantagefeeders.co.nzAddress 266 Tinopai Road RD1, Matakohe, 0593

Prices and Free Delivery

Products PriceNGF3800 $2150+GST

NGF1800 $1990+GST

NGF800 $1190+GST

MGF1800 $3290+GST

SGHF $1250+GST

THF1 $990+GST

CHF1 $690+GST

Prices are subject to change.

Pneumatic Air Rivet Tool

FREE AIR TOOL WITH 800/1800/3800, MGF1800/3800 - ONE PER FARM

THE STORYAdvantage Feeders developed the revolutionary Advanced Adjustment System for grain feeders in 2006. Farmers now have the unique ability to control how much their stock consumes. Advantage Feeders also makes a range of innovative Hay Feeders. The products help to reduce feed inputs, increase production and save time. Farmers with Advantage Feeders make more money and have more time.

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