FarmLink is a software for Personal Computer (PC), working the following weighing systems: model Farm Scale (Action 1000, Action 1000 Gold, Action 2000) from Perin Weighmaster s.r.l. The above-mentioned weighing systems are usually installed on mixer wagons "UNI FEED" or mills for food preparation.

This program's aims are multiple:

• optimization of raw material management for animal feeding
• inventory management with automatic notice for product reordering
• optimization of labour used for mixture preparation
• improvement of quality in rations distributed to the single groups of cattle to obtain higher quantity and quality in milk and meat
• cost accounting for feeding and labour, split among the single groups of cattle
• improvement of animal's health
• traceability in time of the types of food distributed to the single groups of cattle
• pointing out of loading and ration distribution errors

The program manages all loading/unloading operations carried out with mixer wagons. In a file acting as a library the system manages all rations for the various groups composing the cattle-breeding (lactation, dry cows, calves, etc.), the various products composing the rations (ingredients), information on stocks, the price per kg, the minimum stock, dry compound and loading-unloading operations. Wagon mixtures are stored with all information: date and time of mixing, real and rated quantities, times of executions, percentage deviations between real and programmed quantities. After storing, reports can be generated on consumption in defined periods; the remaining autonomy (in days) is calculated for any single food, with automatic notice in case of decreasing in stocks. Furthermore it is possible to generate reports on the real costs of employed foods, labour and equipment.

The system FarmLink is composed of:
1) weighing system on mixer wagon; 2) movable memory cartridge; 3) interface for the connection to PC datalinker and 4) software FarmLink 2.0 for PC:

The operating principle is based on the "cartridge" (movable memory, particularly resistant and conceived for severe environments such as the farm), which can be written by the program through the interface, so that to store the technical information of the ingredients composing the rations and the quantities to be distributed to the various groups. The cartridge also stores all operations carried out with the mixer wagon, and more precisely: food real quantities of loading, real quantities distributed to the groups, start date/time and duration of all operations. When reading is carried out, the consumed products (real quantities) are cancelled from the stocks and processing of acquired data is possible. The system FarmLink is the result of ten years' experience, acquired thanks to our presence in the field and to the suggestions of users and "operators". While developing the software, great importance has been given to simplicity. As a matter of fact an easy-to-use interface has been created in consideration of the fact that usually the average user is not an expert in data processing.

Nowadays the modern breeder shall face a series of economic and social problems, which can be improved (or solved) by the system FarmLink:

• The cost of raw materials (foods) represents about 40/50% of all operation costs. Labour costs are also a very mportant item. Farmlink allows keeping the above-mentioned costs under control and optimizing them.
• A sudden exhaustion of some foods purchased outside the farm (for example foodstuff, soybean or by-products) can cause serious problems to breeding's health and production, as well as increase the logistics costs. Thanks to an accurate inventory management FarmLink allows avoiding this kind of troubles as it automatically warns when it is time to reorder a product.
• The introduction of unskilled workers without experience (for example extra-communitarian) can unintentionally cause a wrong execution of loading and distribution. With FarmLink it is possible to monitor all operations and as a consequence train and awaken the personnel for a correct execution of work.
• The actual community regulations concerning sanitary problems (for example dioxin and mad cow, certificate of provenience of meat) provide and will provide for a more and more accurate documentation of the activities carried out so that it is possible to have traceability in time. The system FarmLink allows documenting all activities carried out with a mixer wagon.

FarmLink 2.0 screen examples