# Assessment of Production Technologies on Dairy Farms in Terms of Animal Welfare
## 5 Technology of Feeding and Providing Water to Dairy Cattle  
The primary goal of any dairy cattle feeding technology is to provide animals with feed, taking into account two criteria: quantity and quality of feed. Therefore, the interest in animals is crucial in the assessment of dairy cattle feeding technology and its implementation on the farm. This interest in animals is considered in terms of welfare. In this context, the assessment of feeding technology in categories other than meeting the nutritional requirements of animals may seem only a complementary element. However, this is not actually the case. In the assessment of dairy cattle feeding technology, emphasis is also placed on the automation of the feeding process [18]. Automation is justified not only by the need to reduce manual labor input for animal feeding. The inspiration for implementing the idea of automating cattle feeding is to ensure continuity of access to feed. The continuity of access to feed is a factor that helps maintain a high level of animal welfare; animal discomfort that could result from the unavailability of feed is reduced. However, the key condition in this case is the combination of continuity of access to feed with its freshness. This is possible as a result of equipping the feeding robot with appropriate operating functions. Feeding robots make it possible to program the time, dose and frequency of feeding animals, which allows for precise control of feeding and the creation of feeding patterns consistent with the principles of cattle welfare. Feeding robots are a key element of automatic feeding systems (AFS), which are part of the evolution of TMR preparation technologies, taking into account benefits in terms of workload, animal nutrition and optimization of animal welfare [19]; feeding robots, representing the highest level of technical and technological advancement, are most often powered by electric motors, so they operate more quietly and do not emit exhaust fumes, which is more beneficial for animal welfare. Not all dairy farms--due to the economic profitability of the investment--can be equipped with feeding robots. Therefore, an important stage in the development of dairy cattle feeding technology is the use of feeding wagons. The essence of the work of a feeding wagon is usually the need to enter the barn, which is associated with noise and the emission of exhaust fumes inside the facility. Feeding wagons are machines aggregated with tractors or self-propelled machines equipped with combustion engines. Is it possible to reduce the welfare risks resulting from the work of feed wagons? One of the directions for improving TMR feeding technology may be the implementation of electric feeding wagons [20]. Another direction is the introduction of tractors with electric engines [21], which can be aggregated with feeding wagons working in barns. Such solutions help to improve the level of cattle welfare by eliminating the discomfort associated with noise and air pollution with exhaust fumes. A technological solution that can reduce animal discomfort resulting from the operation of a tractor/machine in the feeding zone of the barn is to change the location of the feeding alley. The feeding alley can be located along the side part of the barn, allowing the tractor with the feeding wagon to work outside the building (Figure 1). A significant problem in cattle feeding technology in the barn is the regular pushing of feed along the feeding alley. On many farms, this task is performed by mechanical vehicles (with combustion engines) operated by humans. Regular pushing of feed may be inconvenient for the farmer/barn worker in this case. Therefore, many farmers rely on technological progress and implement devices for automatic pushing of feed in the feeding alley [22]. This results in benefits for the farmer. These benefits--considered in the sphere of welfare--also apply to animals.