
Emergency power supply in forestry and agriculture
Even if it may seem counterintuitive at first glance, emergency power supply is a very important issue in agriculture. This is especially true in livestock farming.
Animals live in stalls, and a good supply of circulating oxygen is obviously essential. That is why an electric fan that distributes the air evenly throughout the stall is so important.
If the oxygen supply is not guaranteed or the ventilation does not work, not only does the temperature in the barn rise, but so does the concentration of harmful gases. This in turn leads to heat stress and oxygen deficiency, which kills the animals. If the power fails on a hot summer day, it can very quickly become dangerous for the animals. They can survive for a few hours, but anything longer than that could kill them. A battery- or electromagnetically operated ventilation flap can prevent the worst in some situations, but the safer solution is an emergency power generator that can also ensure the fan continues to operate.
The Animal Welfare Livestock Farming Ordinance (TierSchNutztV) regulates the proper keeping of animals, taking into account animal welfare.
Section 4, paragraphs 5 and 7:
(5) “Existing lighting, ventilation, and supply equipment must be checked at least once a day, and emergency power generators and alarm systems must be checked at technically required intervals to ensure that they are in working order.”
(7) ”Provisions must be made to ensure that the animals have a sufficient supply of fresh air, light, feed, and water in the event of an operational disruption.”
In dairy farming, a power failure can lead to a variety of problems that can affect the health and welfare of the animals as well as the efficiency and profitability of milk production. First of all, dairy cows can become restless and stressed in dark and hot barns during a power failure.
Cows depend on constant temperature, ventilation, and lighting to feel comfortable. If these conditions are not met, cows can become susceptible to infections and diseases, which can lead to increased veterinary costs and a decline in milk production.
Another problem with power outages in dairy farming is the failure of milking machines. If the milking machines cannot be operated, the cows' milk production cycles can become backed up, leading to a decline in milk production and potentially mastitis, an inflammatory disease of the udder.
Cows are fed 10 times a day by a feeding robot
The water supply for one cow is approximately 100 liters and is also provided by technical equipment.
The udders are emptied by robots approximately 2-4 times per day.
The milk flows automatically into a tank, which must maintain the temperature.
It is difficult to imagine the suffering of the animals, because in such a scenario they not only live in harsh conditions, but also in great pain. The average milk yield of cows is approximately 50 liters per day. For the cows, this means an additional weight of approximately 50 kg if they are not milked.
In addition, the failure of feeding and watering systems can lead to problems with feeding and watering the cows. If the cows are not provided with sufficient water and food, this can lead to dehydration and loss of feed, which can affect their health and milk production.
In summary, a power outage in dairy farming can lead to a number of problems that can affect the health and well-being of the animals and impair milk production. It is therefore important that dairy farms have reliable emergency power supply systems in place to maintain operations in the event of a power outage and minimize the impact on the animals and milk production.
In 2016, another tragic accident occurred on a farm in Vreden-Ellewick in the Münsterland region. 900 fattening pigs suffocated when the ventilation system failed. Unknown individuals had gained access not only to the farm but also to the technical room. The power supply for ventilation and exhaust was cut off and the alarm system was disabled. As a result, the alarm system was unable to signal the power failure.
Not only did the pigs die tragically, but the farmer also suffered damages amounting to approximately €100,000.
Such scenarios can be avoided by investing in an emergency power generator. Good generators are available in a wide range of price categories. You should be able to find a generator that can deliver the required power for as little as €1,000–4,000.
To protect the lives of animals, no one should consider such an investment too much. Not only are you saving the animals, but you are also protecting yourself from enormous financial loss.
There are many emergency power generators to choose from. However, most farmers swear by PTO generators. As everyone knows, tractors are part of every farmer's basic equipment, and it is precisely these tractors that power PTO generators.
Since they do not have their own engine, they do not require additional fuel, which saves costs and also reduces maintenance costs compared to diesel and gasoline generators.
You also have the option of choosing between different PTO generators; these generators are available for field use or for field and home use. The generator for field and home use has insulation monitoring, which means that it does not require a grounding spike and can be used anywhere. With the built-in switch, the PTO generator can be easily switched to the desired mode at the touch of a button. There is also a choice between high-speed (3000 rpm) and low-speed (1500 rpm) models. Although the low-speed models are more expensive to purchase, they are much quieter and also suitable for continuous operation.
But be careful: before purchasing a PTO generator, you should do your research. The more power the generator has, the more horsepower your tractor will need.
We at Kipor.org will be happy to advise you and are sure to find the right generator for your needs.
Even if it may not seem obvious at first glance, emergency power supply is a very important issue in agriculture. Especially in livestock farming.
Why emergency power supply is so important!
Animals live in stables, and a good supply of circulating oxygen is obviously essential. That is why an electric fan that distributes the air evenly throughout the stable is extremely important.
If the oxygen supply is not guaranteed or the ventilation does not work, not only does the temperature in the barn rise, but so does the concentration of harmful gases. This in turn leads to heat stress and oxygen deficiency, which kills the animals. If the power fails on a hot summer day, it can quickly become very dangerous for the animals. They could survive for a few hours, but anything longer than that could kill them. A battery- or electromagnetically operated ventilation flap can prevent the worst in some situations, but the safer solution is an emergency power generator that can also ensure the fan continues to operate.
Legal regulations
The Animal Welfare Livestock Farming Ordinance (TierSchNutztV) regulates the proper keeping of animals, taking into account animal welfare.
Section 4, paragraphs 5 and 7:
(5) “Existing lighting, ventilation, and supply equipment must be checked at least once a day, and emergency power generators and alarm systems must be checked at technically required intervals to ensure that they are in working order.”
(7) ”Provisions must be made to ensure that the animals have a sufficient supply of fresh air, light, feed, and water in the event of a malfunction.”
Example: Dairy cow husbandry
In dairy cow husbandry, a power failure can lead to a variety of problems that can affect the health and welfare of the animals as well as the efficiency and profitability of milk production. First of all, dairy cows can become restless and stressed in dark and hot barns during a power failure.
Cows depend on constant temperature, ventilation, and lighting to feel comfortable. If these conditions are not met, cows can become susceptible to infections and diseases, which can lead to increased veterinary costs and a decline in milk production.
Failure of milking machines
Another problem with not having an emergency power supply in dairy farming is the failure of milking machines. If the milking machines cannot be operated due to a power outage, the cows' milk production cycles can become backed up, which can lead to a decline in milk production and potentially to mastitis, an inflammatory disease of the udder.
- Cows are fed 10 times a day on average by a feeding robot
- The water supply for one cow is approximately 100 liters and is also provided by technical equipment
- The udders are emptied by robots approximately 2-4 times a day
- The milk flows automatically into a tank, which must maintain the temperature
It is difficult to imagine the suffering of the animals, because in such a scenario they not only live in harsh conditions, but also in great pain. The average milk yield of cows is approximately 50 liters per day. For the cows, this means an additional weight of approximately 50 kg if they are not milked.
In addition, the failure of feeding and watering systems can lead to problems with feeding and watering the cows. If the cows are not provided with sufficient water and food, this can lead to dehydration and loss of feed, which can impair their health and milk production.
In summary, a power outage in dairy farming can lead to a number of problems that affect the health and well-being of the animals. It is therefore important that dairy farms have reliable emergency power supply systems in place to maintain operations in the event of a power outage.
Emergency power supply failure in Vreden-Ellewick
In 2016, another tragic incident occurred on a farm in Vreden-Ellewick in the Münsterland region. 900 fattening pigs suffocated when the ventilation system failed. Unknown individuals had gained access not only to the farm but also to the technical room. The power supply for ventilation and exhaust was cut off and the alarm system was disabled. As a result, the alarm system was unable to signal the power failure.
Not only did the pigs die tragically, but the farmer also suffered damages amounting to approximately €100,000.
Such scenarios can be avoided by investing in an emergency power generator. Good generators are available in a wide range of price categories. You should be able to find a generator that can deliver the required power for as little as €1,000–4,000.
To protect the lives of animals, no one should consider such an investment too much. Not only do you save the animals, but you also protect yourself from enormous financial loss.
Our conclusion
There are many emergency power generators to choose from. However, most farmers swear by PTO generators. As everyone knows, tractors are part of every farmer's basic equipment, and it is precisely these tractors that power PTO generators.
Since they do not have their own engine, they do not require any additional fuel. This saves costs and maintenance is also much lower than for diesel and gasoline generators.
You also have the option of choosing between different PTO generators; these generators are available for field use or for field and home use. The generator for field and home use has insulation monitoring, which means that it does not require a grounding spike and can be used anywhere. With the built-in switch, the PTO generator can be easily switched to the desired mode at the touch of a button. There is also a choice between high-speed (3000 rpm) and low-speed (1500 rpm) models. The low-speed models are more expensive to purchase, but they are much quieter and also suitable for continuous operation.
But be careful: before purchasing a power take-off generator, you should do your research. The more power the generator has, the more horsepower your tractor will need.
We at Kipor.org will be happy to advise you and are sure to find the right generator for your needs.