The PAL-VITAL feeding bowl for broilers of the German manufacturer PAL Bullermann has been awarded with the test label “DLG FokusTest”. The product successfully passed a test in practice by the DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft – German Agricultural Society). During development of the feeding bowl, the manufacturer had already focused on hygienic aspects like few critical edges or cleaning-friendly surfaces.
The tool-free mounting of the feeding bowl was easily possible within about 30 seconds. Daily cleaning of the bowl is simple: open the plates with one hand via snap lock and hinge. The bowl does not have sharp edges or manufacturing marks, leading to a low injury risk for broilers and users. The test criterion “handling” was rated “++ = considerably better than standard.” As the plate can remain attached to the bowl during cleaning, the test criterion “cleaning” also reached this best possible rating.
Concerning the evaluation of feed dosing as third test criterion, the responsible DLG test engineer Iris Beckert stated: “Before new feed is refilled automatically, the residual feed quantities in the bowl were very small. Due to the inward-curved edge of the bowl, feed losses as well as contamination of the feed were very low.” She added that due to the low filling level and subsequently always fresh feed, there was a low stimulus for the chicks to use the bowl for scratching. As a result, behavioral introduction of feed contaminations was also low, a positive effect that the bird keepers confirmed. Further details on the used methods and the test results can be obtained by downloading the DLG test report 6238F which is available as a PDF free of charge at http://www.dlg.org/feeding.html.
The DLG FokusTest is a DLG usability test intended to allow product differentiation and special highlighting of innovations in machinery and technical products used primarily in agriculture, forestry, horticulture, fruit cultivation and viticulture, landscape, and municipal management. It focuses on testing a product’s individual qualitative criteria, e.g. fatigue strength, performance, or quality of work. The scope of testing can include criteria from the testing framework of a DLG SignumTest, the DLG’s extensive usability test for technical products, and concludes with the publishing of a test report and the awarding of a test mark.
The DLG FokusTest “Handling, Cleaning and Feed Dosing” includes repeated investigations at a real-life farm at different times during the fattening period and also examines the assembly of the bowls and the time needed for cleaning. The testing was based on the DLG testing framework for poultry feeding bowls, in the version of 1.2/2014. Other criteria were not investigated.
The DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs sets the benchmark for tested agricultural technology and farm inputs and is the leading provider of testing and certification services for independent technology tests. With the latest measurement technology and practical testing methods, DLG test engineers carry out testing of product developments and innovations. As an EU-notified test laboratory with multiple accreditations, the DLG Test Center Technology and Farm Inputs provides farmers and practitioners with important information and decision-making aids, in the form of its recognized technology tests and DLG tests, to assist in the planning of investments in agricultural technologies and farm inputs.
