Royal De Boer Intelligent Soaking System
Product Overview
The Royal De Boer Intelligent Soaking System is a new feedline cooling solution designed to help dairy farmers combat heat stress while significantly reducing water use. Unlike traditional soaking systems that run continuously, this intelligent system applies water only when cows are present, delivering effective cooling exactly when it is needed.
By applying water directly to the cow’s back and hair coat while keeping feed dry, the system maximises evaporative cooling when combined with airflow. This helps cows cool more efficiently, supporting feed intake, milk production, and animal welfare during periods of heat stress.
Why Intelligent Soaking
Heat stress remains one of the biggest challenges to cow performance during warm weather. At the same time, water availability, slurry storage, and handling costs are becoming increasingly important. The Royal De Boer Intelligent Soaking System addresses both challenges by combining effective cow cooling with substantial water savings.
Typical installations achieve around 50% reduction in water use, with peak savings of up to 70%, compared to traditional continuous soaking systems. Actual savings will vary depending on weather conditions and system settings.
Key Benefits
- Intelligent, cow-activated soaking applies water only when cows are present
- Expected water savings of approximately 50%, with peaks up to 70%
- Effective feedline cooling while keeping feed dry
- Fully automated operation using Royal De Boer control systems
- Supports feed intake and cow performance during heat stress
- Cow-friendly LED indicator confirms correct operation at each soaking unit
- Durable stainless-steel nozzle for long service life
- No batteries or cameras requiring maintenance
How the System Operates
- The system operates automatically based on environmental temperature
- setpoints
- Each soaking unit is individually activated when a cow is detected at the
- feedline
- Fixed on-time and off-time cycles as standard
- On and off times do not reduce as temperatures increase
- Each line operates independently to ensure consistent system operation
System Configuration
- 2 m spacing between intelligent soaking units
- Maximum system length: 150 m
- Designed specifically for feedline installation in dairy housing
Water Savings & ROI App
To support informed decision-making, the Royal De Boer Intelligent Soaking System is supported by the Royal De Boer ROI App. The app calculates expected water savings using:
- Selected soaker settings
- Local weather data
- System layout and configuration
The user simply inputs the cost of removing slurry and excess water from storage, and the app calculates:
- Total water reduction
- Reduced slurry handling and storage costs
- Estimated payback period and return on investment
This provides a clear, practical view of both the water-saving and financial benefits of intelligent soaking.