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It’s the first of its kind in Ireland on a beef unit. There are also a number of Vectors working on Irish dairy units. The robot Frank Murphy uses will feed up to 550 cattle and can do 20 different diets — from sucklers to calves to finishers and more. The robot checks the level of feed in each cattle pen every hour, and measures and pushes the fodder in, keeping the cattle happy, says Mr Murphy. “The most contented animals you can get,” he explains. The fodder and each specific dietary mix is made in the ‘kitchen’ by the robot, selecting silage or beet or maize or other forage or concentrate from the various feed bins. It’s mixed up to a pre-programmed level, and then off the robot goes, to each group, every hour, keeping the cattle happy and nutritionally catered for. It’s all programmable from an iPad or iPhone. This Dutch robotic system will save on man hours, diesel, and major investment items like tractors and loaders, says Mr Murphy. He’s using a mix of animals for his various customers, from Hereford to Angus to Simmentals, Charolais and Aubrac breeds, and says he can nutritionally tailor the feeding not only to create special quality, marbled beef, but also to provide consistency to his customer base