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June part 3

per

Well-known member
Part 1 and 2 are in the coffee shop because there is not much ranch stuff involved.

A friends feedlot with animal pen tracking devices.
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Installing a few panels to help with electricity needs on one of his pivots.
Mounting on screw pilings.
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Ready to put into place.
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Bale handling unit came in handy.
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Our very own sparky and the son of the panels new owner.
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One left to go.
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Must be a Canadian contractors truck. :wink:
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leanin' H

Well-known member
What's the output on the solar panels and how do ya store the power? Looks like a very well built operation. I really liked the oversized ice scraper in the pickup. :wink:
 

per

Well-known member
They are matched to put out in a year about the same amount of electricity as the pivot uses during the season. The power goes back onto the grid. And with AC and irrigation the grids biggest use is in the day when the sun is shining. I'm an idea guy and let the electrical types and engineers do the math. You never know when there is ice to scrape around here. :wink: It is much more common to find a regular sized one but every once in a while they grow. Must be all the rain.
 

per

Well-known member
I'm not a big feedlot guru so you are not getting your info from an expert here. They track the amount of time spent at the bunk and the water and loafing as well as how often the do each of these. Then they can tell all sorts of things. One red flag would be if an animal never accessed the water or feed one day the pen riders would pull it to see if it is sick and they missed it or if time spent at the bunk correlates with gain or number of times vs time spent. Lots of things to learn if the right questions come to mind. It can't replace good management but it could influence future management. They only have a few pens set up with them. I prefer to limit feedlot time altogether.
 

Dylan Biggs

Well-known member
per said:
I'm not a big feedlot guru so you are not getting your info from an expert here. They track the amount of time spent at the bunk and the water and loafing as well as how often the do each of these. Then they can tell all sorts of things. One red flag would be if an animal never accessed the water or feed one day the pen riders would pull it to see if it is sick and they missed it or if time spent at the bunk correlates with gain or number of times vs time spent. Lots of things to learn if the right questions come to mind. It can't replace good management but it could influence future management. They only have a few pens set up with them. I prefer to limit feedlot time altogether.

Thanks per, I get the idea.
 

leanin' H

Well-known member
Dylan Biggs said:
per said:
I'm not a big feedlot guru so you are not getting your info from an expert here. They track the amount of time spent at the bunk and the water and loafing as well as how often the do each of these. Then they can tell all sorts of things. One red flag would be if an animal never accessed the water or feed one day the pen riders would pull it to see if it is sick and they missed it or if time spent at the bunk correlates with gain or number of times vs time spent. Lots of things to learn if the right questions come to mind. It can't replace good management but it could influence future management. They only have a few pens set up with them. I prefer to limit feedlot time altogether.

Thanks per, I get the idea.

On dairys I've visited they use simular technology to even monitor heat detection as a hot cow will travel more than normal.
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
leanin' H said:
Dylan Biggs said:
per said:
I'm not a big feedlot guru so you are not getting your info from an expert here. They track the amount of time spent at the bunk and the water and loafing as well as how often the do each of these. Then they can tell all sorts of things. One red flag would be if an animal never accessed the water or feed one day the pen riders would pull it to see if it is sick and they missed it or if time spent at the bunk correlates with gain or number of times vs time spent. Lots of things to learn if the right questions come to mind. It can't replace good management but it could influence future management. They only have a few pens set up with them. I prefer to limit feedlot time altogether.

Thanks per, I get the idea.

On dairys I've visited they use simular technology to even monitor heat detection as a hot cow will travel more than normal.

I believe that statement could be made about both sexes in all species. :wink:
 

gcreekrch

Well-known member
per said:
They are matched to put out in a year about the same amount of electricity as the pivot uses during the season. The power goes back onto the grid. And with AC and irrigation the grids biggest use is in the day when the sun is shining. I'm an idea guy and let the electrical types and engineers do the math. You never know when there is ice to scrape around here. :wink: It is much more common to find a regular sized one but every once in a while they grow. Must be all the rain.

If that's your pivot did you manage to get a discount on the purchase? :D :wink:
 

per

Well-known member
Not my panels or pivot. Just out enjoying my role as spectator and advisor. Sorry BMR for using all the sun up, if it helps I'm not using any of my panels at home right now. Let me know when it is getting too hot and dry and we will fire them up.
 

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