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Easy Way To Add Hay To Mixed Rations
"It's the slickest way I've ever seen to get exactly the right amount of long stemmed hay into total mixed rations," says Iowa dairyman Wayne Dykshorn about a three-bale, remote-controlled system that automatically unrolls bales and then feeds the loose hay into a TMR mixer. Dykshorn is one of the first farmers to use
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Easy Way To Add Hay To Mixed Rations HAY & FORAGE HARVESTING Bale Handling (5) 19-6-4 "It's the slickest way I've ever seen to get exactly the right amount of long stemmed hay into total mixed rations," says Iowa dairyman Wayne Dykshorn about a three-bale, remote-controlled system that automatically unrolls bales and then feeds the loose hay into a TMR mixer. Dykshorn is one of the first farmers to use the new system.
The "Roto-Unroller" was designed by Sioux Automation Center, Sioux Center, Iowa.
"There's nothing else like the Roto-Unroller on the market for getting hay into a TMR mixer," says Ron Hulshof of Sioux Automation. "It's the most efficient, user-friendly way to feed portions of a bale we know of."
Conventional 3-pt. bale unrollers often lead to large loss of leaves, Hulshof notes. The new conveyor captures and saves leaves, he adds.
The system consists of three parts: The bale-in-waiting conveyor, the unroller itself, and a conveyor up to the mixer. All components are electric powered. A central control box can be activated from a tractor cab by remote control.
The system holds three bales at a time. The operator watches the scale on the mixer to know exactly when to shut the conveyor off.
"We'd tried everything - hand saws, gas powered chain saws, all sorts of other gad-gets - to get hay into our ration and we'd almost given up on using big round bales altogether. Now we'll be able to continue using the round bales we prefer, thanks to the system," says Dykshorn, who milks 210 Holsteins near Ireton, Iowa. He obtained a prototype machine this summer and uses it to process one big round bale a day for use in his mixer. At 1,600 to 1,700 lbs. per batch, it delivers a total mixed ration of 95 lbs. of feed per cow per day, including 8 lbs. of high moisture hay.
One of the convenience features that most appeals to Dykshorn is the system's balein-waiting conveyor. The table, he notes, can be loaded in advance, then bales can be used as needed, so you never need to move bales on a weekend, for example.
"It's virtually trouble-free," he adds.
"Plus, it reduces wind loss compared to grinding or shredding."
Sells for $12,500 entire package; $4,250 for unroller; $3,130 for bale-in-waiting table; $5,120 for up conveyor.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Sioux Automation Center, 877 First Ave. NW, Sioux Center, Iowa 51250 (ph 712 722-1488).
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