Fawns and other wild animals are especially at risk as soon as the mowing season starts. They hide in the grass. Young fawns in particular do not run away in the face of danger, but instead duck even further into the grass. Drivers have virtually no chance of seeing the fawns in the grass. Unfortunately, many are struck by the mower’s blades, killing or wounding them badly. Approximately 100,000 fawns are killed in this way in Germany alone – and this figure does not include other wild animals such as hares and rabbits. Apart from the enormous financial loss and the fact that no farmer wants to harm young animals in this way, having carcass parts in hay or straw is a danger to the livestock who will later consume the contaminated forage. Botulinum toxins can form that cause botulism (meat poisoning) and can have fatal consequences for livestock. The issue is not just about forage quality and needless loss of bales, but more importantly the financial capital of the farm business: the animals. A solution to this problem brings with it enormous advantages: higher forage quality, consistent milk yield and livestock health due to minimized toxins potentially entering the forage, prevented loss of animal lives and bales of forage all while simplifying the work process during raking and increasing cost effectiveness.
