High-quality and clean forage is essential for animal health and welfare. More and more livestock enterprises are addressing the issue of forage quality. The cleanliness of forage and the good nutritional value of feed is also very important for Brno Zoo. The issue of ash contamination of forage can be significantly reduced using a carefully selected SIP technique. ZOO Brno visited our partner in the Czech Republic, AGRI CS. They talked with Mr. Jaroslav Prchal, who is in the ZOO responsible for the breeding section, and with the machine operator, Mr. Radek Bača.
Brno Zoo was opened at the end of August 1953. At the moment, the general public can look forward to 400 animal species, an authentic African village, walk-through aviaries with brush-tailed rock-wallabies or bald eagles, and, since 2017, an exhibition with Katanga lions. It has over 300,000 visitors a year.
The early bird catches the worm
Brno Zoo is at the Mniší hora (Monks Hill) nature reserve not far from the Brno dam. Work at the zoo begins early in the morning, around 5 o’clock, so that everything that involves feeding the animals is done before the zoo opens its gates to visitors. Among the many jobs, the zoo’s workers are mowing the grass in the morning, transporting fodder to predetermined enclosures, and filling the troughs so that the visitors are not cramped by machinery in the narrow aisles.
All in one operation
In 2017 the Zoo got its hands on two new SIP machines, the SIP SILVERCUT DISC F ALP front mower together with the SIP SENATOR 17|9 forage wagon. These machines are combined with a CASE IH Farmall 85A tractor. There is a reason for choosing this combination. The paths and access to the troughs are very narrow and not very accessible, so it was necessary to choose a robust machine that will process good-quality forage and guarantee high productivity while being compact. The CASE IH Farmall with the SIP SILVERCUT DISC front mower and the SIP SENATOR forage wagon is very maneuverable, even in less accessible places.
Before the zoo bought its SIP machines, the mowing and forage harvesting was done separately, which increased the costs from diesel consumption and required more time. This new combination delivered by SIP saves both money and time, as two operations have been merged into one. The SIP SENATOR forage wagon collects the forage immediately after SILVERCUT DISC mowing, so the driver can take the feed straight to each enclosure.
High-quality feed is essential for the animals
The zoo is surrounded by meadows, used for mowing grass as a source of feed for the zoo animals. At the same time, however, other meadows around Brno are also used, so that a sufficient amount of forage can be guaranteed. Mr. Prchal mentions that last year the forage season at Brno Zoo began a little earlier, at the turn of April and May, due to the clement weather.
At the zoo, they mow every day from Monday to Saturday, with one forage wagon per day being delivered regularly. The machine operator adds that thanks to last year’s plentiful rainfall, there was no problem with the availability of feed, which was an issue, for example, in 2018. Mr. Bača is very happy with the SIP SILVERCUT DISC front mower appreciating its excellent handling and how closely and accurately it follows the ground. With a working width of 2.70 m, mowing is very easy. Attaching and detaching it to the tractor is intuitive and takes a matter of moments. The SIP SILVERCUT DISC mower’s mechanical springs give you precise cutting and high-quality forage for the animals.
At Brno Zoo, the food is distributed mainly to bison, yaks, camels, zebras, and giraffes, but also the Children’s Zoo exhibition for the sheep, goats, and horses. The resulting feed quality is very important for exotic animals because it affects their overall health and digestion. In the past, the zoo used a mower that was not able to mow and cut the forage very well, which led to economic losses and the animals didn’t eat so much of the feed. The SIP SILVERCUT DISC mower, however, guarantees clean forage as it copies the terrain perfectly and the SIP SENATOR forage wagon is excellent for cutting the forage.
Three seasons without problems
Since the first season in 2017, neither the machine operator nor Mr. Prchal has had to deal with any problems or serious defects, just the routine technical maintenance of the machines. In addition, the head of the feed department, Mr. Prchal, adds that quality of knives is extremely good. Thanks to the QCS (quick-change system), it is also very easy and quick to change the knives. Mr. Bača also mentions another positive aspect, that the SIP SILVERCUT DISC F ALP mower is very easy to maintain.
