En Instruction For Mounting And Use; Tips And Tricks - MicroFeeder Pitstop Instrucciones De Montaje

EN Instruction for mounting and use

Placement
The feeder is meant for sideward mounting at a wall or half wall, for
instance besides a water trough. It can also be placed on a latticework in a
barn or yard, or on a solidly placed, preferably squared iron post or the like,
for example a stanchion at the feed table.
The feeder is usually mounted on its left side (to the left when you look
towards the eating hole / front flap) using the included mounting bracket /
protective frame and mounting kit. The feeder can also be mounted on its
right side. The feeder is normally mounted indoors but can also be placed
outdoors.
The decision about placement should consider the ease of filling
supplements into the feeder. Filing is easiest if there is a manhole near the
feeder.
The feeder is mounted so that the bottom edge of the eating hole is approx.
80 cm above the ground, and lower if used for calves or young stock.
Use
The feeder is for providing extra mineral feed supplements in additional to
those given through the feed ration. Dairy cows typically need extra
minerals from 3 weeks before calving and up to 3 months after calving, as
the feed intake during this period is below their needs. Besides that,
livestock are biological creatures with individual needs. Cattle are, to some
extent, able to regulate the intake of mineral feed supplements in
accordance with their needs.
For Pitstop, use mineral feed supplements that is suitable for free-choice
supplementation. For Pitstop+ it is important that the mineral feed
supplements run easily to the dosing augers, it must be granulated and
have a good taste.
To secure that the supplements remains fresh and appetizing, filling in new
supplements should first be done after the animals have eaten up.
The Pitstop feeder can hold app. 50 litres of supplements. However, for the
versions with small mounting bracket, it is best to limit filling to 10-15 litres
per time, corresponding to the content of a sack or a 10-litre bucket.
Otherwise there is a risk that the feeder will be skewed.

Tips and tricks

In case of problems with clogging, it's easy to increase the size of the hole
in the bottom of the feed container by using e.g. a utility knife. The best
solution, however, is to place an approx. 50 cm long metal rod in the hole
as this prevents the hole from blocking because the cows constantly move
the rod when they eat.
If the snap-lock on the lid is too tight, loosen it by cutting some plastic away
with a utility knife. If it's too loose, you can make it tighter by sticking some
tape to the barb.
Mounting guide for version with large protective frame
1 It is necessary to turn the feeder around in the protective frame in
case it shall hang on its right side as it per default is ready for left
side mounting at delivery - otherwise go to point 2.
In that case
a) The front flap is removed after pulling out the rod that holds it;
b) Remove the four bolts that hold the feeder in place in the
protective frame;
c) Turn the feeder around and fix it again with the four bolts; and
d) Re-install the front flap in the eating hole with the rod and the
Starlock cap that is taped inside the feeder.
2
Mark the location of the four holes on the place where the feeder
shall hang. The vertical distance should be 302 mm and the
horizontal distance 650 mm. Make sure there is enough free space
around the feeder, especially that there is about 350 mm free space
behind the rear holes.
There shall be around 900 mm from the level the cows stand on to
the lower holes – the lower edge of the eating hole will be situated
app. 100 mm lower. The feeder shall hang lower for calves and
young stock.
3 Now, drill the four holes with a drill that is long enough to go through
the wall, which is typically 150 mm thick.
4 Insert the threaded rods through the holes in the wall and screw the
nuts on them on the other side of the wall after placing large screen
washers between the nuts and the wall. Now, hang the feeder on
the threaded rods and tighten the nuts with small washers.
5 Shorten the redundant part of the threaded rods to avoid they hurt
the animals.
6 Fix the front flap with the Starlock cap that is taped inside the feeder
(if not already done under point 1).
7 In case of a Pitstop+ version with dosing and electronic
components, please ensure that the low voltage wire coming out
between the feeder and the wall is protected so that the cows
cannot reach it with their tongue.
Mounting guide for version with small mounting bracket
Wall, half wall Fencing bars, stanchion, iron pole or
1 After deciding whether to hang the Pitstop feeder on its left or right
side, four holes of 10 mm for the mounting bracket is drilled in the
feeder. Punch marks on the sides of the feeder indicate the
placement of the holes, but the mounting bracket should be used
for control.
2 Using the mounting bracket The mounting bracket shall be
to mark the positioning of placed horizontal / vertical and
the holes before drilling, fastened with appropriate u bolts to
drill with a 12 mm concrete fit the thickness of bars or
drill four holes in the (half) stanchion. Alternatively, drill four
wall. The bottom holes holes in the fencing bars
should be about 80 cm stanchion / pole, and
above the ground, to make correspondingly any needed extra
sure the feeder is mounted holes in the mounting bracket.
in a suitable height for dairy
cows. Make sure the holes
* Be aware that the strength of the
are pairwise positioned
gratings and stanchions decreases
completely horizontal and
when drilling holes in them.
vertical.
3 Insert the four dowels into Fasten the mounting bracket with 2
the four drilled holes in the u bolts, or alternatively with four
wall. Fasten the mounting bolts (M8, M10 or M12) of suitable
bracket with the French length (these are not included with
screws - remember that the the delivered feeder). Remember
deepest side of the that the deepest and broadest side
mounting bracket shall turn of the mounting bracket must turn
downwards. downwards.
4 Fasten the feeder to the mounting bracket with the four short bolts.
It is important to place the screen washers inside the feeder!! It's
easiest to start by hanging the feeder in the front and top bolt.
5 Mounting of the fodder flap is done with the supplied rod and
Starlock caps.
Read more at microfeeder.com or contact us at +45 6141 5441 or
iusr@microfeeder.com
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