NL2017351B1 - An automated feed ration preparation system for preparing a feed ration for animals with at least one roughage feed type - Google Patents

Abstract

An automated feed ration preparation system for preparing a feed ration for animals with a feed ration container with an inlet and a dispensing outlet, a roughage storage for a roughage feed type, a roughage dispensing device to dispense quantities of roughage from the storage into the feed ration container; a powder storage container for containing a powder, a powder dispensing device to dispense the powder from the powder storage container into the feed ration container, the powder dispensing device having a powder outlet, and a control arranged to control the roughage dispensing device and the powder dispensing device to dispense roughage and powder into the feed ration container in accordance to a predetermined recipe prescribing quantities and/or ratios of quantities of the roughage and powder and the powder dispensing device is configured to dispense the powder in a mixture with a liquid through a mixture dispensing outlet.

Description

Patent center

The Netherlands

NL BI 2017351

(21) Application number: 2017351 © Application submitted: 23/08/2016

Θ 2017351

BI PATENT @ Int. CL:

A01K 5/02 (2016.01)

Application registered: (73) Patent holder (s): 06/03/2018 Lely Patent N.V. in Maassluis. (43) Application published: - (72) Inventor (s): Jan Martinus van Kuilenburg in Maassluis. (47) Patent granted: Karei van den Berg in Maassluis. 06/03/2018 (45) Patent issued: (74) Agent: 15/03/2018 ir. M.J.F.M. Corten in Maassluis.

© An automated feed ration preparation system for preparing a feed ration for animals with at least one roughage feed type (57) An automated feed ration preparation system for preparing a feed ration for animals with a feed ration container with an inlet and a dispensing outlet, a roughage storage for a roughage feed type, a roughage dispensing device to dispense quantities or roughage from the storage into the feed ration container; a powder storage container for containing a powder, a powder dispensing device to dispense the powder from the powder storage container into the feed ration container, the powder dispensing device having a powder outlet, and a control arranged to control the roughage dispensing device and the powder dispensing device to dispense roughage and powder into the feed ration container in accordance with a predetermined recipe prescribing quantities and / or ratios or quantities of roughage and powder and the powder dispensing device is configured to dispense the powder in a mixture with a liquid through a mixture dispensing outlet.

This patent has been granted regardless of the attached result of the research into the state of the art and written opinion. The patent corresponds to the documents originally submitted.

An automated feed ration preparation system for preparing a feed for animals with at least one roughage feed type

The present invention relates to an automated feed ration preparation system for preparing a feed for animals with at least one roughage feed type.

Such a system is disclosed for example in W02008097080. The system of W02008097080 may be used in an automatic feeding system including an autonomous feed wagon into which different feed components are dosed for forming a feed ration. The vehicle including a feed container to receive the feed components when positioned at the filling station.

Usually, the feed wagon is filled at a filling station which includes several devices that are each configured to provide one or more different types of feed components into the feed ration container of the vehicle. In this way, in dependence on the needs of the animal or group of animals to be fed, a feed mixture may be composed by dispensing the different types of feed components in desired quantities into the feed ration container. The feed ration container preferably comprises a feed ration container mixer to mix the different feed components to a more homogeneous feed mixture, such as e.g. a vertical auger.

One of the type of feed components to be dispensed into the feed ration container is a roughage such as eg hay, maize or the like, another of the type of feed components are eg mineral feed supplements, such as ground calcium, rock flour (ie or volcanic rock), vitamins or the like. These mineral feed supplements are dispensed in dry powder form. Usually only a small quantity of the powder is required in a feed ration having a relatively large volume or mass. Therefore, the dispensing of the powder and thus of the mineral feed supplements may need special attention.

The relatively small quantities of powder have a relatively low mass that may be hard to detect by a mass detection system or the ration container. As a result, a drawback or the known dispensing system to the powder is the actual dispensed amount of the powders cannot be determined with high accuracy.

Furthermore, since the powders are only added in a very small amount, it may be difficult to effectively distribute and / or mix the powders within the contents of the feed ration container.

It is an object of the invention to provide a system in which the quantity of dispensed powders can be determined more accurately and / or in which the dispensed powders can be more effectively distributed and / or mixed within the contents of the feed ration container.

This object has been achieved by the system of claim 1 in which an automated feed ration preparation system for preparing a feed ration for animals or at least one roughage feed type is provided which comprises:

- a feed ration container with an inlet and a dispensing outlet;

- at least one roughage storage for a roughage feed type;

- a roughage dispensing device to dispense quantities or roughage from the storage into the feed ration container;

- at least one powder storage container for containing a powder, and

- a powder dispensing device to dispense the powder from the powder storage container into the feed ration container, the powder dispensing device having a powder outlet, and

- a control controlling the roughage dispensing device and the powder dispensing device to dispense roughage and powder into the feed ration container in accordance with a predetermined recipe prescribing quantities and / or ratios of quantities of the roughage and powder

- and, the powder dispensing device is configured to dispense the powder in a mixture with a liquid through a mixture dispensing outlet.

According to the invention, the dispensing device is configured to dispense the powder in a mixture with a liquid. Since the mixture has a substantial larger weight and volume than only the mass and volume of the powder in the mixture, the dispensing of the mixture into the feed ration container can be measured more accurately.

Furthermore, the mixture can be more easily mixed with the further contents of the feed ration container and therewith the powder is and / or can be more effectively distributed in the contents of the feed ration container.

The mixture of the powder and the liquid may be a solution or an emulsion of the liquid and the powder. In this invention the term powder is used to describe any feed ration component that is available in powder form. Known examples are minerals, such as e.g. Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Sulfur, Zinc and Chlorine, or vitamins. Another known powder supplement is rock flour / rock dust, generally made from lava rock which contains minerals such as phosphorus and sulfur.

In an embodiment, the powder dispensing device comprises a mixing device to mix the powder from the powder storage container with liquid, upstream or the mixture dispensing outlet. The powder may be mixed with the liquid before the mixture is dispensed from the dispensing device.

According to an aspect of this embodiment, the mixing device may include mixing chamber having a liquid inlet to receive the liquid from a liquid source and a powder inlet to receive powder from the storage container, and an outlet in fluid communication with the mixture dispensing outlet . In the mixing device the liquid and the powder are mixed into a homogeneous mixture. This is achieved either by providing a mixing element in the mixing chamber or by providing a turbulent flow of the powder and liquid in a bent pipe. The mixing element may be active, i.e. rotatable with paddles or the like. The mixture can be dispensed through a mixing device outlet which is in fluid communication with the mixture dispensing outlet. In practice, the mixing device outlet and the mixture dispensing outlet may also be the same outlet.

It is remarked that according to a further aspect of the invention the system is provided with at least one liquid source, in particular multiple liquid sources, connectable to the powder dispensing device, such that in dependence or the recipe, a suitable liquid source is selected and connected to the dispensing device.

Also multiple powder inlets may be provided, each powder inlet is connected to one of the multiple powder storages.

In an embodiment, the liquid source comprises at least one of a water supply, a liquid milk supply or the further storage container for the mixture of powder and liquid.

In this manner the powder may be brought into contact in the mixing chamber with water and / or milk and / or a mixture of powder and liquid. In case when a mixture of powder and liquid is the liquid source, it is possible to mix such a mixture with a further powder. In this manner several powders may be mixed with liquid in a serial manner, in which a further powder is mixed to a previously prepared mixture. The water supply may be a water supply line such as e.g. water mains with a tap or controllable valve.

In an alternative embodiment, the system also includes a further storage container is configured to contain a feed supplement in a mixture with liquid, the further storage container including a mixture outlet. In this embodiment a feed supplement is already stored, in the further storage container, in a mixture with liquid. Some feed supplements, e.g. minerals / vitamins are available on the market as a solution or emulsion. A system is envisaged including one or more further storage containers with such feed supplement mixtures which renders the system more versatile in the type of rations it can build.

According to an aspect of the invention the dispensing device may include a valve that can be actuated to allow the mixture of liquid and powder to flow out of the dispensing outlet. By providing an actuatable valve the amount of the mixture being dispensed into the feed container can be controlled and automated.

According to an aspect of the invention the dispensing device may comprise a dispensing pump. By providing a dispensing pump, such as e.g. a peristaltic pump, dosing and finely controlled. Such peristaltic pumps are also suitable for mixtures or liquids with powders suspended in them.

In an embodiment, the further storage container comprises a further storage container mixer unit to mix the powder and the liquid in the storage container. To maintain a homogenous mixture in the further storage container, a further storage container mixer unit may be provided in the further storage container to mix the contents of the storage container. The mixing may be carried out continuously, intermittently or just before dispensing of the mineral feed supplements, for example in dependence on the mixability of the powdered mineral feed supplements with the liquid.

In an embodiment, a sensor, for example a flow rate sensor may be provided to determine the quantity, for example volume, or mixture that is dispensed through the dispensing outlet.

In an embodiment, the system further including a flushing device including a liquid supply, a flushing liquid inlet and a flushing liquid outlet, the flushing liquid inlet opening out into the system downstream from the powder outlet and being the control is arranged to control the flushing liquid inlet to let in flushing liquid to flush the system from powder residues and / or mixture residues. By providing a flushing device in the system downstream from the powder outlet, and thus downstream from the powder storage container, the system may be flushed with liquid in order to remove residues of the powder and / or of the mixtures. The liquid is preferably water, but may also be other suitable types of liquid. The flushing liquid outlet may be an additional outlet in the system or the flushing liquid outlet and the mixture dispensing outlet may be the same outlet.

In an embodiment the system further includes a dry matter sensor arranged at the feed ration container and arranged to determine dry matter values of the content of the feed ration container, and the control unit is arranged to control the amount of liquid in the powder- liquid mixture based on the dry matter value of the content. By controlling the amount of liquid in the powder-liquid mixture based on the dry matter values of the content of the feed ration container, the dry matter of the ration can be controlled using the powder dispensing device as a tool.

According to an aspect of the invention the control unit controls the amount of flushing liquid dispensed through the mixture dispensing outlet into the feed ration container in dependence on a dry matter value of the feed in the feed ration container.

By dispensing flushing liquid into the feed ration container and controlling the amount of independence on a dry matter value of the feed in the feed ration container, the amount of dry matter in a feed ration in the container may be controlled. A problem with building rations is often that the amount of dry matter in the ration is difficult to be controlled. With regard to the amount of flushing liquid to be dispensed into the feed, the system is cleansed from powder residues and at the same time the dry matter content of the mix may be controlled. Thus, e.g. in case the roughage feed type renders to feed mix too high in dry matter content, the flushing liquid may be use to correct this. If on the other hand the dry matter content needs no correction, the flushing liquid may be dispensed so that it does not enter the feed ration container. In case that the feed ration container is a stationary container the system may be provided with a flushing liquid outlet outside the reach of the container. Or in case the feed ration container is provided on an autonomous vehicle, the system may control the vehicle to remove itself from the feed loading position and out of reach from the flushing outlet and other dispensing outlets, after which the flushing may take place.

In an embodiment, the feed ration container comprises a feed mixer configured to mix the contents of the feed ration container. ** In order to homogenize the feed within the feed ration container, in particular when different feed components are collected in the feed ration container, the feed ration container mixer unit can be used. The mixer may be any suitable type or mixer, such as e.g. paddle mixer or a horizontal or vertical screw mixer or auger.

In an embodiment, the feed ration container is mounted on a feed distribution vehicle, the feed distribution vehicle is preferably an autonomous vehicle.

The system of the invention can in particular be used in automatic feed preparation and distribution system in which the preparing and distributing or feed mixtures is automatically carried out using feed ration containers that are provided on autonomous vehicles configured to distribute the animal feed to one or more feeding locations.

The invention further relates to a method of automatically preparing a feed for animals with at least one roughage feed type including the following steps:

- providing a feed ration container with an inlet and a dispensing outlet;

- providing at least one roughage storage for a roughage feed type such as hay, maize or the like;

- providing a roughage dispensing device and

- dispensing quantities or roughage from the storage into the feed ration container; providing at least one powder storage container for containing a powder such as a feed supplement, minerals or the like, and

- providing a powder dispensing device with a powder outlet and dispensing the powder from the powder storage container into the feed ration container, the powder dispensing device having a powder outlet, and

- providing a control and controlling the roughage dispensing device and the powder dispensing device to the roughage and powder dispensing into the feed ration container in accordance with a predetermined recipe prescribing quantities and / or ratios of quantities of the roughage and powder

- and, dispensing the powder in a mixture with a liquid through a mixture dispensing outlet.

In an embodiment, the method further comprises the steps of providing a flushing device including a liquid supply, a flushing liquid inlet and a flushing liquid outlet flushing the powder dispensing device from the powder outlet downstream to the flushing liquid outlet.

In an embodiment, the method comprises before the step of dispensing, mixing the powder with the liquid.

In an embodiment, the mixing is carried out directly before or during dispensing or the mixture through the dispensing outlet.

In an embodiment, the method comprises measuring the quantity or mixture dispensed into the feed ration container.

In an embodiment, the method comprises dispensing further types or feed components into the feed ration container.

Embodiments of a system and method according to the invention will now be described in further detail, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which:

- Figure 1 shows schematically an embodiment of the system of the invention

Figure 1 shows schematically an embodiment of an automatic feed preparation system for the automatic preparation and distribution of animal feed.

The system comprises a powder storage container 1 containing mineral feed supplements in dry powder form. Below the powder storage container 1, a dispensing device 2 is provided. The dispensing device 2 is configured to dispense the powder in a mixture with a liquid from the powder storage container 1 through a mixture dispensing outlet 9. From the mixture dispensing outlet 9, the mixture of liquid and powder falls into a feed ration container 51 arranged below the mixture dispensing outlet 9.

The dispensing device 2 consists of a mixing device 3 to mix the mineral feed supplements from the powder storage container 1 with liquid. The mixing device 3 comprises a liquid inlet 4 to receive the liquid via a liquid conduit 5 from a liquid source 5A, 5B and a powder inlet 6 to receive the mineral feed supplement powder from the powder storage container I.The liquid source 5A is a milk storage because it can be advantageous to mix the powder with milk. The liquid source 5B represents a connection to the water mains or a building. Both sources 5A, 5B include a valve to the conduit 5 (not shown). The mixing device 3 further comprises an outlet 7 which is, via a dispensing pipe 8, in fluid communication with the mixture dispensing outlet 9. The mixing device 3 further comprises a mixing chamber 3a in which the liquid and the powder are mixed. The control unit 15 controls the powder dosing through valve 6A in the powder inlet 6, the liquid dosing through valves 5A, 5B in the respective conduits 5 and the dispensing of the powder-liquid mix through mixture outlet 9 through the mixture outlet valve 9A. This control is illustrated by dashed lines 15A, 15B and 15C running from the control unit 15 to the respective valves 6A, 7A, 5A, 5B and 9A. The dashed control lines 15A, 15B and 15C may represent hard wired control or wireless control.

The system, shown in Figure 1, further comprises a roughage storage 10, to store animal roughage such as ensilage or grass products, and a feed loading device 11 configured to load the animal feed stored in the second storage 10 into the feed ration container 51 .

The feed loading device 11 may also be configured to take animal feed from further storages, for example for other types of ensilage or grass products, and to dispense this animal feed into the feed ration container 51. The feed loading device is controlled by control unit 15 which is illustrated by dashed line 15D running from the control unit 15 to the feed loading device 11.

The control unit 15 controls the types and quantities of roughage feed types dispensed into the feed ration container 51 by the feed loading device 11 as well as the powder dispensing device 2 in order to build a feed ration according to predetermined recipes, using the dispensing device 2 or the feed loading device 11. By mixing different feed components into desired quantities feed rations for different animals can be optimally prepared under control of the control unit 15.

The feed ration container 51 is arranged on an autonomously displaceable vehicle 50 including wheels 52 and an operating device 53 to operate the vehicle 50. The feed ration container 51 has an open top 51A in order to allow the feed ration container 51 to be filled through the open top and a dispensing opening 51B in a wall of the container through which the feed may be dispensed in order to feed the animals. To fill the feed ration container 51, the vehicle 50 is arranged in a filling location shown in Figure 1. This filling location is determined by a filling station, in which the vehicle 50 for example may be connected to a power source to charge one or more batteries of the vehicle and connected to a computer network to exchange data. The operating device of the vehicle 50 may also receive control instructions from the control unit 15, which instructions may include instructions to displace itself from the feed loading place.

As shown in figure 1, in the feed ration container 51, a mixer 54 is provided to mix different feed components into the feed ration container 51. The mixer is shown schematically and may be any suitable form such as an vertical auger mixer.

When the feed ration container 51 has been filled with animal feed, possibly including different feed components in a predetermined quantity and ratio, the vehicle 50 may autonomously move from the filling location, shown in Figure 1, to one or more feeding locations, for example in a feed alley, to distribute the animal feed at the one or more feeding locations.

In accordance with the invention, the dispensing device 2 is configured to dispense the powder in a mixture 1A with a liquid. The liquid may be water, but also any other suitable liquid such as milk. Milk may for example be used when the mixture or liquid and powder is fed to calves.

By dispensing the powder in a mixture with a liquid, the weight of powder can be more accurately determined since, when dispensed with liquid, a larger mass will be dispensed for a specific quantity of powder. Also since the powder are provided in a larger volume, the powder can more easily be homogenized in the contents of the feed ration container 51.

When dispensing of a powder in a mixture with a liquid into the feed ration container 51 is desired, the control unit 15 sends an actuation signal to the dispensing device 2 to the actuating the dispensing device 2. The mixing device 3 of the dispensing device 2 will allow appropriate amounts of powder through the mineral feed supplement inlet 6 and an appropriate volume or liquid through the liquid inlet 4 into the mixing chamber 3a.

In the mixing chamber 3a, a mixture of liquid and powder is made. This mixture may flow out of the outlet 7 via dispensing pipe 8 to the mixture dispensing outlet 9. At the mixture dispensing outlet 9 the mixture may be dispensed from the dispensing device, where the mixture may fall down into the feed ration container 51 of the vehicle 50.

The control unit 15 is configured to control valves in the liquid inlet 4, the mineral feed supplement inlet 6 and the outlet 7 to control the composition of the mixture mixed in the mixing chamber 3a and the outflow of this mixture towards the mixture dispensing outlet 9 .

A pump 19 is shown in the dispensing device 2, positioned near the outlet 7 or the mixing chamber 3A. The pump may be used for the mixture 1A to the mixture dispensing outlet 9.

Sensors 16 are shown in the liquid inlet 4, the powder inlet 6, the mixing chamber outlet 7 as well as in the mixture dispensing outlet 9. The sensors disposed in the liquid inlet 4 and the powder inlet 6 or the mixing chamber are chosen to be suitable to determine the quantity of liquid and powder in the mixture. Alternatively or additionally the mixing chamber can be provided with load cells in order to determine the quantities of liquid and powder being let into the mixing chamber. The amount of mix in the chamber 3A and how much is dispensed from the chamber. Sensor 16 in the mixing chamber outlet 7, may be suitable for determining the flow rate of the mixing chamber, such as e.g. a flow sensor. Likewise the sensor in or near the mixture dispensing outlet 9 or pipe 8, may also be suitable for determining the flow rate of the mixture as it is being dispensed into the feed ration container. These sensors allow the control 15 to control the quantity and / or ratio of the powder and the liquid in the mixing chamber as well as how much is actually dosed into the feed ration container.

Figure 1 also shows the optional further storage container 110 or the invention, which further container 110 is configured to contain the mineral feed supplements in a mixture with liquid. Thus, the further storage container 110 already contains the mixture of liquid and the mineral feed components.

The dispensing device 103 or the further storage container 110 comprising a dispensing pipe 108 connecting an outlet 106 and outlet valve 106A or the storage container 110 with the dispensing outlet 109 which opens out into the mixing device 3 with a controllable valve 109A which is controlled by the control unit 15. The dispensing pipe 108 is depicted in dashed lines to illustrate the fact that container 110 is an aspect of the invention that is optional.

When dispensing of the mixture with liquid from the further storage container 110 into the feed ration container 51 is desired, the control unit 15 sends an actuation signal to the valves 106A, 109A or the further storage container 110 and valves 7A and 9A of the dispensing device 2 to allow the mixture to be dispensed out of the mixture dispensing outlet 9.

To ensure that the contents of the further storage container 110 is homogeneously mixed the further storage container 110 is equipped with a mixer unit 111 to mix the mineral feed supplements and the liquid in the further storage container 110.

The mixing in the further storage container 110, using the storage container mixer unit 111 can be carried out continuously, intermittently, or just before dispensing of the mixture. In the latter embodiment, the mixing can be performed directly after an actuation signal has been transmitted by the control unit 15 to the valve 106A. The dispensing of the mixture, i.e. the outlet of the valve 6A, is only executed after the liquid and the mineral feed components are thoroughly mixed in the storage container 110.

In an embodiment, and also shown in figure 1, the system includes a flushing device 17 including a liquid supply 5B, a flushing liquid inlet 4 and a flushing liquid outlet 9. The flushing liquid inlet 4 is the same inlet as the liquid inlet earlier described, it opens out into the mixing chamber 3A or mixing device 3 or the dispensing device 2. The flushing liquid inlet 4 is downstream from the powder inlet 6. The control unit 15 controls the system and when it is desired to flush the system with a liquid, liquid source 5B is controlled to supply liquid, inlet valve 4 is opened, inlet valve 6A is closed, outlet valve 7A and mixture outlet valve 9A are opened. A fluid connection is thus created running from liquid supply 5B, via liquid conduit 5 and inlet 4 into mixing chamber 3A, then out of the mixing chamber via outlet 7, through pipe 8 and finally is dispensed through outlet 9. Thus the mixing chamber can be flushed, and powder residues and / or mixture residues are cleaned out from the dispensing device 2.

In an embodiment, and also shown in figure 1, a dry matter sensor 20 is provided in the feed ration container 51. The sensor 20 is arranged to provide dry matter values to the control unit. The control unit controls the flushing action based on the dry matter values received from the dry matter sensor 20. The control unit 15 includes predetermined dry matter values for each ration to be made and when the dry matter value is too high, ie the ration is too dry, the control unit controls the flushing device to add more liquid to the feed mixture.

Hereinabove, an automatic feed preparation and feed distribution system for the automatic preparation or animal feed has been described. It is remarked that the system according to the invention, ie a system including a powder storage container and a dispensing device configured to dispense the powder in a mixture with a liquid, may also be applied in automatic feed preparation systems configured to automatically prepare feed rations for animals, the distribution of the feed is carried out by another system which may be a semi-automatic or a manual system and the feed ration container 51 need not be provided on autonomous vehicle 50. The outlet 9 of the dispensing pipe 8 may be controllable to be moved in alignment with the inlet opening 51A or the feed ration container or outside of the inlet opening or the feed ration container. This would be particularly useful when the feed ration container is stationary and not all the flushing liquid should be dispensed in the container.

Claims (18)

CONCLUSIONS 1. An automated feed ration preparation system for creating a feed ration for animals with at least one roughage type, comprising: - a feed ration container with an inlet and a delivery outlet; - at least one roughage storage for a roughage type; - a roughage delivery device for dispensing quantities of roughage from the storage in the feed ration container; at least one powder storage container for containing a powder, and - a powder dispensing device for dispensing the powder from the powder storage container into the feed ration container, the powder dispensing device having a powder outlet, and - a control for controlling the roughage delivery device and the powder delivery device for dispensing roughage and powder into the feed ration container according to a predetermined recipe which prescribes quantities and / or ratios of quantities of the roughage and powder and characterized in that the powder delivery device is adapted to dispense the powder in a mixture with a liquid through a mixture delivery outlet. The system of claim 1, wherein the powder delivery device comprises a mixer upstream of the mixture delivery outlet to mix the powder from the powder storage container with liquid. The system of claim 2, wherein the mixer comprises a mixing chamber with a fluid inlet to receive the fluid from a fluid source and a powder inlet to receive powder from the storage container and an outlet in flow communication with the mixture delivery outlet. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system is provided with at least one liquid source, in particular a plurality of liquid sources, connectable to the powder delivery device such that, depending on the recipe, a suitable liquid source is selected and connected to the delivery device . The system according to claim 4, wherein the liquid source comprises at least one of a water supply, a liquid milk supply of the further storage container for the powder and liquid mixture. The system according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the system comprises a further storage container adapted to contain a feed additive in a mixture with liquid, wherein the further storage container contains a mixture outlet. The system of claim 6, wherein the further storage container comprises a storage container mixer for mixing feed additive and the liquid in the further storage container. The system of any of the preceding claims wherein the delivery device comprises a controllable valve controllable to cause the mixture of liquid and powder to flow out of the mixture delivery outlet. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the delivery device comprises a delivery pump. The system of any of the preceding claims, the system further comprising a sensor, in particular a flow sensor, in the dispensing outlet to determine the amount of mixture dispensed through the dispensing outlet. The system of any of the preceding claims, further comprising a rinsing device comprising a fluid supply, a rinsing fluid inlet flowing downstream of the powder outlet and a rinsing fluid outlet, and wherein the control is adapted to control the rinsing fluid inlet to rinse fluid to flush out the powder and / or mixture residue system. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the system further comprises a dry substance sensor disposed on the feed ration container and adapted to determine dry matter values of the content of the feed ration container, and wherein the control unit is adapted to control the amount of liquid in the powder liquid mixture. basis of the dry matter value of the content. The system of claims 11 and 12 wherein the control unit controls the amount of rinsing fluid delivered through the mixture dispensing outlet into the feed ration container in dependence on a dry matter value of the feed in the feed ration container. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the feed ration container is mounted on a feed metering vehicle, the feed metering vehicle preferably being an autonomous vehicle. The system of any of the preceding claims, wherein the powder comprises at least one mineral feed additive, a vitamin, rock flour, lime or other inorganic feed additives. A method for automatically creating a feed ration for animals with at least one roughage type comprising the following steps: - provided with a feed ration container with an inlet and a dispensing outlet; - provided with at least one roughage storage for a roughage type; - provided with a roughage delivery device and Dispensing roughage quantities from the storage in the feed ration container; - provided with at least one powder storage container for containing a powder, and - provided with a powder dispensing device with a powder outlet and dispensing The powder from the powder storage container into the feed ration container, wherein the powder delivery device has a powder outlet, and - provided with a control and control of the roughage delivery device and the powder delivery device for delivering roughage and powder in the feed ration container according to a predetermined recipe which amounts and / or Prescribes ratios of amounts of roughage and powder and delivering the powder in a mixture with a liquid through a mixture delivery outlet. The method of claim 15, wherein the method comprises the steps of providing a flushing device comprising a fluid supply, a 20 rinsing fluid inlet and a rinsing fluid outlet which flushes the powder delivery device from the powder outlet downstream of the rinsing fluid outlet. 1/1