With the latest features added to the Vector feeding system, Lely has said it is helping farmers stay profitable, sustainable, and future-proof.

The Vector feeding system is now used in a wide variety of dairy and beef cattle farms in 31 countries. This year, the system celebrates its 10th anniversary.

Lely installed the first Vector system on a number of dairy farms back in 2011. Beef cattle farms followed.

Teus de Jong, senior barn and feeding product manager at Lely said: “These test farms were an important sparring partner for us in terms of product improvements.

By listening to the test farms’ practical experiences, conducting field research and simply trying out new things, we’ve improved the Vector system in all kinds of ways.

More durable

Lely said that the lifting mechanism and feed grabber of the loading system were completely redesigned to make them more accurate and durable. The mixing and feeding robot has also been improved.

The barrel and auger are now made of stainless steel, the design is easier to service, and the rotational speed of the auger has been increased to improve the quality of mixing and cutting.

Lely has also updated the software on various occasions stating, that as a result, the system has been made even more durable, accurate and easier to use over the past ten years.

"Lely has always used innovation to help farmers ensure their future is more profitable, sustainable and pleasant. The Vector feeding system is no exception," added De Jong.

It has been developed by thinking differently, and exploiting all the possibilities that automation offers to the full. This has resulted in the most advanced, profitable, and therefore most popular automatic feeding system on the market. That’s something we’re very proud of.

Lely Group

Lely was founded in 1948 and the company says it is now working towards a sustainable and profitable future in the agricultural sector.

The company develops high-quality robots and data systems, designed to improve animal welfare as well as the flexibility and productivity of dairy farms.

With its head office in the Netherlands, and a global network of Lely Center facilities for sales and service, the Lely Group is active in more than 45 countries and employs approximately 1,600 people.