Drought Feeding Guide

See how every bale feeding system stacks up on 23 issues!

2

Drought is tough. Choosing the right cattle feeding system can greatly help you to get through challenging conditions.

Drought Conditions affect all ranchers and farmers to feed and finish stock.

Then, keeping stock healthy at the lowest possible cost and reducing waste is a top priority. With so many different feeding requirements choosing the right system for feeding bales on your ranch can be bewildering.

This comparison guide compares every bale feeding method, is derived from over 30000 hours of research which was mostly conducted alongside Australian and new Zealand farmers. This guide aims to simplify the decision making process by rating all the available feeding systems on how well they stack up in meeting some key performance requirements a rancher demands in order to survive severe drought and improving the welfare of your livestock.

We’ve been designing and building ranch equipment since 1961. We combine a love of machines with creativity and a deep understanding of ranching. It is our passion to discover better ways of accomplishing everyday tasks and help farmers and ranchers through challenging times.

Contents

3

Comparison Overview

04

Economy of Feeding

06

Feed Waste/ Damage / Hoof Tramping

07

Distribution Speed per bale

08

Minimal Soil Damage

09

Ease of access to feed for all animals

10

Manure concentration and nitrogen leeching

11

Ability to use part bales

12

Diesel consumption

13

Minimum tractor size required

14

Maintenance cost over first 3 years

15

Ability to feed various bale types

16

Mix with other ingredients

17

Open field feeding

18

Indoor feeding

19

Bunk, trough, feed-pad feeding

20

Bedding 21 Single tractor operation

22

Hustler Balefeeder Family

23

4

Overview BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

1

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

2

Number of cattle that can feed

Up to 1,000

Up to 800

Up to 100

3

Feed Waste

5-8%

9-12%

20-30%

4

Feed Damage

0-5%

0-5%

0-5%

5

Hoof trampling

NO

NO

YES

6

Time to feed each bale

2-4 mins

2-6 mins

5-15 mins

7

Pasture damage

1

1

2

8

Ease of access to feed for all animals

Best

Best

Good

9

Manure and nitrogen spreading

Best

Best

Great

10

Ability to use part bales

YES

YES

NO

11

Diesel consumption per bale

0.036L

0.054L

0.135L

12

Minimum tractor size required

70hp

60hp

50hp

13

Approx maintenance cost first 3 years

$80

$100

$50

14

Can feed hay bales

YES

YES

YES

15

Can feed baleage bales

YES

YES

NO

16

Can feed round bales

YES

YES

YES

17

Can feed square bales

YES

Requires extra attachment

NO

18

Mix with other ingredients

NO

NO

NO

19

Open field feeding

YES

YES

YES

20

Indoor feeding

YES

YES

NO

21

Bunk, trough, feed-pad feeding

YES

YES

NO

22

Straw bedding capable

YES

NO

NO

23

Single tractor operation

YES

YES

YES

BEST IN CLASS

5

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Up to 10

Up to 50

Up to 800

Up to 5,000

40-60%

20-30%

20-30%

7-15%

40-50%

5-10%

30-40%

20-30%

YES

YES

NO

NO

1-2 mins

10-12 mins

5-6 mins

30-45 mins

10

7

1

5

Poor

Average

Best

Best

Poor

Average

Best

Best

NO

NO

YES

NO

0.018L

0.180L

1.17L

14.175L

70hp

80hp

120hp

100hp

$0

$40

$1,200

$2,500

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Depends on type of ring feeder

NO

NO

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

YES

POOR

YES

NO

POOR

NO

NO

YES

NO

NO

YES

YES

NO

NO

YES

NO

YES

NO

YES, but the tractor YES, but the tractor requires a frontrequires a front-end end loader. loader.

6

Number Of Cattle That Can Feed Fewer moving parts, lower fuel consumption, less maintenance, and a longer life make a Hustler chainless balefeeder the most economical way to feed large numbers of stock.

With its teasing action and delivery of feed into easily accessible windrows, you can be confident your animals are getting all the high quality fodder they need.

Although the purchase cost of other types of feeder may be less, a chainless feeder works out to be the most economical option over the longer term. For example, a ring feeder is cheaper per unit, but each feeder can only feed a limited number of animals (e.g. 100 units for 1000 cows), so more units are needed.

3 hay rings serving 30 cattle with 3 bales. Georgia.

To feed 1000 cattle with rings requires 100 hay rings and 100 bales every few days.

Feeding each bale to 60 cattle in 10 minutes/bale makes it possible to feed over 17 bales to 1000 cows in 3 hours each day. Nebraska.

Cattle shown here grazing from a windrow of baled silage (haylage) in Virginia

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“We get excellent feed-out lines, with the material being spread over a long distance which is ideal for us.”

Murray Ballantine Southland, New Zealand.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Number of cattle that can feed

Up to 1,000

Up to 800

Up to 100

Up to 10

Up to 50

Up to 800

Up to 5,000

Feed Waste/ Damage Hoof Trampling

7

By feeding out into narrow windrows, a chainless balefeeder makes feed easily accessible to all animals, and all but eliminates waste caused by hoof trampling.

In contrast to other systems, which feed out in solid clumps that are often left uneaten, a chainless feeder contributes to higher animals weight gains by teasing feed apart to make it more palatable and easily digestible.

It handles partly used bales, so you only need to feed out what’s needed on the day, and its ability to deal with wet or loose bales means there’s no feed loss from the sides of the balefeeder.

Because the chainless system teases the bale apart without over-processing, chopping or grinding the feed remains intact. This prevents the grains and highly nutritional leaves from being destroyed and blown away allowing your cattle to receive the full nutritional value of the feed.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“This feeder allows us to ride into a pasture with a roll of hay, feed out the exact amount that we want to feed out, whether it be a whole bale, a half bale, or a third of a bale that’s up to us and if we’re measuring correctly the amount of hay we’re putting out. We come back in the next day and it’s almost impossible to tell where we’ve fed. The cattle literally eat every piece of hay off the ground.”

Eric Elsner University of Georgia, USA.

“I was unrolling my bales, then I purchased a bale processor. 3-4 days after I started using the processor, my cattle started consuming as much mineral supplement in one week as they were in a month before. This was because the processor was knocking most of the nutritious leaf off the hay”.

Phil Allen Manitoba, Canada.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Feed Waste

5-8%

9-12%

20-30%

40-60%

20-30%

20-30%

5-10%

Feed Damage

0-5%

0-5%

0-5%

40-50%

0-10%

30-40%

20-30%

Hoof trampling

NO

NO

YES

YES

YES

NO

NO

Time To Feed Each Bale While other types of feeders can struggle with differences in bale consistency and composition, a chainless balefeeder is designed to handle any type of bale. Tight, loose, or ill-formed, it takes every bale in its stride to deliver the fastest feed out time of any feeder.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

50

$150,000

40

$120,000

30

$90,000

20

$60,000 5-15 mins

$50,000-150,000

10-12 mins 10 2-4 mins 0

$9,000-20,000

2-6 mins

5-6 mins 1-2 mins

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$30,000

$20,000-35,000 $3,000-6,000

$0

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“We buy and produce both round and square bales, so the Hustler X2500 Chainless balefeeder really suited our needs. It allows us to feed both types of hay quickly and without wastage.”

Luke Carr Comobella, Australia

Investment cost per unit ($US)

30-45 mins

Time to feed each bale (minutes)

8

Pasture Damage

9

The gathering of animals in a small area to feed is a major cause of soil compaction and pasture damage. Compacted soil stifles new grass growth and requires damaged areas to be re-seeded with replacement grass.

Balefeeders and hay unrollers cause the least amount of damage to soils because feed is distributed over a wider area – so animals are spread out when they feed.

Ring feeders cause the most damage to soils and pasture – made worse by the tearing and ripping action needed to access feed.

While mixer wagons and bale splitters can also be used in feeding out – the sheer weight of these machines increases the chance of soil compaction and pasture damage.

Pasture preserved by free range feeding. Missouri

Pasture damage from localised feeding.

Pasture damage around hay trailers (movable hay rings), Georgia

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“Hangawera Station gets very dry in summer and extremely wet in winter, making it slippery going around the hills when feeding out. The clay-base soil also means a heavy silage wagon would get stuck, so overall the Chainless 4000 Balefeeder has proved to be not only the most reliable feeder, but also the best all-round option.”

Ian Mathieson Hangawera Station, Waikato, New Zealand.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Pasture damage

1

1

2

10

7

1

5

10

Ease Of Access To Feed For All Animals Animals need ready access to feed if they are to achieve optimum milk production and target live-weight gains.

With a chain or chainless balefeeder, you know that all animals can access the nutrition they need because feed is distributed in windrows.

A hay unroller also makes feed easily accessible, but animals have a tendency to lie down on it – blocking access to others and compressing the feed to make it less palatable.

A ring feeder limits the number of animals that can feed at any one time, which means there’s always a risk of runts and animals low in the pecking order missing out.

Livestock competing for access to feed.

Cow-calf operation, Missouri, USA

Cattle competing for access to a hay ring, Hawkes Bay

Each bale can be spread out as thick or thin as the operator prefers

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“I love this Hustler TX205. When you’re in weather like this these young calves can all eat. This is the way to feed hay in my opinion.”

“I didn’t realise there was that much feed in one bale.”

Russel Porter Kinistino, Saskatchewan.

James Doran Flemingsburg, Kentucky.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Ease of access to feed for all animals

Best

Best

Good

Poor

Average

Best

Best

Manure Concentration And Nitrogen Leaching

11

Regulatory measures being introduced globally to address nitrogen leaching into waterways have brought the feeding of stock into sharp focus.

When large numbers of stock gather in a small area to feed, the concentration of dung and urine causes nitrogen overload. Plants struggle to absorb this excess, which can then leach through the soil and into waterways.

Balefeeders and hay unrollers help reduce nitrogen leaching by spreading feed out over a wider area. A lower concentration of feeding animals means a lower concentration of dung and urine. Plants are more likely to absorb the quantities of nitrogen produced and make more effective use of valuable nutrients.

Because grain/seeds are not destroyed, any that are not consumed by the cattle germinate, renewing pasture.

Manure is automatically spread throughout the pasture. North Canterbury

Notice how evenly spread the manure is throughout the pasture. Virginia

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“Having these machines has enabled us to feed out more efficiently and save on feeding costs. They’ll clean up everything and there’s virtually no wastage.”

Ashley Rowe Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Manure and nitrogen spreading

Best

Best

Great

Poor

Average

Best

Best

12

Ability To Use Part Bales & Save The Left Over Bale A balefeeder is the only option that allows you to feed out part bales without compromising the quality of feed left over – because it can be left on the feeder, off the ground and away from moisture, ready to feed the next day.

A hay unroller can also feed part-bales, but the unused portion then has to be removed and stored – usually on the ground, where it can fall apart and absorb moisture.

A bale splitter must feed out the entire bale once split, or else it too falls apart. A ring feeder takes a whole bale – but if only a few animals need feeding, the feed sits around longer and its nutritional value decreases.

A feed mixer or TMR also requires a whole bale, which means any feed left over starts to degrade through exposure to oxygen and mould can start to form.

Feeding part bale over a fence.

Feeding one bale into hay rings and in the pasture as needed. Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.

Take a bale on the loader, 2 on the feeder and feed part of each bale in each pasture depending on stocking rates and what your cattle need.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“This feeder allows us to ride into a pasture with a roll of hay, feed out the exact amount that we want to feed out, whether it be a whole bale, a half bale, or a third of a bale that’s up to us.”

Eric Elsner University of Georgia, USA.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Ability to use part bales

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

Diesel Consumption Per Bale

13

More efficient use of power, compatibility with smaller tractors, and faster bale feeding all add up to impressive fuel economy – made possible by the low horsepower requirements of the hydraulic drive system at the heart of a Hustler chainless balefeeder.

Unlike most PTO driven balefeeding systems, which need 50 horsepower minimum, the low speed teasing action of a chainless balefeeder is designed to work with just 3-4 horsepower.

With a feed-out time of just 2-4 minutes per bale, compared with other feeders that can take up to 45 minutes, a chainless balefeeder has the lowest diesel consumption per bale of any mechanical feeder.

The following comparison figures are based on industry standard calculations for diesel consumption per horsepower per hour.

Diesel Consumption per Bale (litres) Chainless Balefeeder

0.036 L

Chain/ Slat Balefeeder

0.054 L

Hay Unroller

0.135 L

Bale Splitter

0.180 L

Bale Processor/ Chopper

1.17 L

TMR/ Feed Mixer

14.175 L

2x Double acting hydraulic SCV’s are all that’s required to run Chainless bale feeders

Hydraulic-driven machines are safer than PTO-driven machines for the operator

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“We used to have a processor years ago and we’d use a full tank of fuel a week when feeding and now with a bale feeder only 3 tanks of fuel for the whole feeding season!”

Roger Houser Luray, Virginia

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Diesel consumption per bale

0.036L

0.054L

0.135L

0.018L

0.180L

1.17L

14.175L

14

Minimum Tractor Size Required Compact size, combined with the low-speed action and low horsepower requirement of the hydraulic drive system, allow chainless balefeeders to perform brilliantly with smaller tractors.

This is in stark contrast to the larger, horsepower hungry bale choppers and TMR feed mixers.

Depending on terrain, a small 50Hp tractor is big enough to handle a chainless balefeeder.

South Carolina

A pickup with bale bed already fitted is capable of powering the Chainless feeders, allow ranchers to feed square and round bales.

Even small 80 horse power tractors can handle 2x large 2200lb square haylage bales with ease in the trailed models.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“The beauty with the Hustler is either one of us can feed out, its that easy and it’s a massive time saver, it’s safer and the fact it will run on a small old tractor is huge benefit, our 72Hp Leyland handles the machine like a breeze.”

Julian Price Beef rancher, Otago, New Zealand.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Minimum tractor size required

40hp

40hp

50hp

70hp

80hp

120hp

120hp

Minimum Maintenance = Maintenance Cost & Less Hassle With fewer moving parts, a chainless requires minimal ongoing maintenance and is easily the quietest of all mechanical feeders.

When it’s time to feed out, all that’s required is the greasing of four bearings.

Other feeder types are subject to a range of issues: • • • • •

Foreign matter causing blockages or damage Time consuming drive belt replacement Regular gearbox servicing (oil changes, etc) Replacement and sharpening of knives and flails A shortened lifespan from constant vibration.

Worn flails and drum, wrapped with baling twine of a bale processor. Stones or wood in a bale cause premature wear and maintenance.

Worn blades from grinding up whole bales in TMR after one season.

The original feed rotors of a 12 year old Chainless feeder, after feeding out in excess of 36,000 bales.

Virtually no wearing parts.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“The Hustler bale feeder is reliable and easy to operate.

It handles rounds and squares, runs 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and has been operating since 2003.

It feeds evenly, and maintenance is virtually nil because there are no chains and the bearings are all sealed.”

Paul Reynolds Rebaler, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

$100

$50

$0

$40

$1,200

$2,500

Approximate maintenance cost $80 over first three years

15

16

Ability To Feed Various Bale Types For sheer versatility, a Hustler chainless balefeeder is the clear winner for its ability to feed round and square hay bales of any feed type and has been proven on over 100 different types of forages.

Chain feeders come in a close second, but are not quite as adept at feeding square or tightly packed round bales.

Chainless bale feeders feed out whatever bale you have on hand, round & square, of any material type.

The Chainless system has been tested on more than 110 different types of forage in both round and square bales.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“During the 20+ years evolution of the Chainless system, the chamber itself has become deeper. This means that the cradle can be brought up on a steeper angle for those ugly soft heavy silage bales, along with the unreal ability to tease biscuits out of square bales and the ability to feed variable chamber bales out continuously to the end. Even with a hard core.”

Jaiden Drought, Machinery Tester for Farm Trader Magazine Taranaki, New Zealand.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Can feed hay bales

YES

YES

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

Can feed baleage bales

YES

YES

NO

YES

YES

NO

YES

Can feed round bales

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

YES

Can feed square bales

YES

Requires extra attachment

NO

Depends on type of ring feeder

NO

NO

YES

Mix With Other Ingredients

17

Although some ranchers feed out with a balefeeder, then lay mixed ingredients over the top – a mixer wagon is still the best option for mixing feed with other ingredients. However, a Chainless feeder has a role to play in reducing the time it takes for a mixer wagon or TMR feeder to grind up an entire bale (typically 45 minutes), by feeding directly into the machine.

Because the feed is teased apart, a lot less power is needed for mixing – which leads to savings in time, diesel consumed and maintenance costs.

By using the Chainless system to load the TMR, the exact amount of hay required can be precisely loaded into the machine. This eliminates complicated ration calculations as well as errors in working out the correct proportions of other nutrients based on bale weight.

The bale feeder cannot mix ingredients, however when combined with a TMR, diesel consumption and mixing time can be substantially reduced.

Feeding into your commodities shed with a bale feeder can substantially reduce operating costs and increase flexibility when compared to a tub grinder.

Feeding into your commodities bunks, Minnesota

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“The Chainless has performed well in our operation, as a bale unloader in our bunker silo where we load the hay directly into our feed trucks as well as unloading big bales directly into fence line bunks. It has replaced a large industrial tub grinder which was expensive to operate and maintain.”

Mark H. Mahnken Missouri Legacy Beef, USA.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Mix with other ingredients

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

NO

YES

18

Open Field Feeding Speed, low maintenance, and ability to handle any type of bale make a Hustler chainless balefeeder the star all-rounder of feeders.

It minimises feed waste, allows easy access to feed, and its unique teasing action ensures that feed is palatable and easily chewed for maximum goodness. Lightness and a compact footprint mean pasture damage and soil compaction are never an issue.

Other types of feeders all have their drawbacks: • TMR/ feed mixer – sheer weight increases the risk of pasture damage, soil compaction, and getting stuck.

• Chain feeders – hay is not teased up, so it’s not as palatable.

• Hay unrollers – hay is layed in a mat and trampled on, reducing palatability • Bale splitter – complicated operation and time consuming.

Open field feeding, Canada.

Open field feeding, Australia.

Open field feeding, New Zealand.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“I have to say the new Chainless bale cart is fantastic and a great improvement on the 4000, we have noticed a big difference in the amount of hay we are feeding out and reduced wastage.”

Ella Anderson University of Tasmania, Australia.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Open field feeding

YES

YES

YES

YES

POOR

YES

NO

Indoor Feeding

19

A Hustler chainless balefeeder is ideally suited to feeding indoors, it creates virtually no dust and its silent operation means animals are spooked less.

Chain feeders with their ability to feed out both sides makes it the perfect choice for dead-end sheds.

Feeding indoors with a chainless bale feeder in France.

Feeding indoors with a chain/slat bale feeder in the United Kingdom.

Feeding indoors with a chainless bale feeder in the United Kingdom.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“We’ve seen all kind of feeders that weren’t suitable for us, this one does the whole windrow, the cows eat and that’s it. No more muscle pain and it saves us 1 hour every day.”

Martine Ohrel Habsheim, France.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Indoor feeding

YES

YES

NO

POOR

NO

NO

YES

20

Bunk / Trough Feed-pad Feeding A chainless balefeeder offers unrivalled versatility for trough or bunk feeding and with the optional side chute attached can handle virtually any height or width of bunk.

It minimises feed waste, allows easy access to feed, and its unique teasing action ensures that feed is palatable and easily chewed for maximum goodness.

Lightness and a compact footprint mean pasture damage and soil compaction are never an issue.

The Hustler Unrolla LM105T Chain Feeder is designed specifically for trough or bunk feeding and is currently the only chain feeder capable of doing the job.

Loader mounted chainless bale feeder, feeding supplementary baleage for sheep into hay racks in a sacrifice paddock.

Feedlot/trough feeding with a chainless bale feeder in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Feeding baleage into feed bunks with a chain/slat bale feeder with adjustable feeding elevator.

“We have around two hundred head of dairy cows and replacements and we’re feeding youngstock indoors over four foot rails. The Hustler is worth its weight in saving on time and labour compared to manually feeding. It loads itself and is very efficient and very well made, a tough machine only needs greasing, with virtually nothing to go wrong.”

Roger Gardiner Oxfordshire, United Kingdom.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

YES

Bunk, trough, feed-pad feeding YES

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Straw Bedding & Feeding Very few bale feeders on the market offer a 2-in-1 machine, able to both feed and provide bedding.

FREE CHOICE STRAW BEDDING Where applicable, one of the best solutions is the use of a Chainless bale feeder for round and square bales. With a perfectly teased out material, the livestock is happy to add a final touch to the job, spreading the straw themselves however they like. This method of Free Choice bedding offers superior bedding comfort for cattle, as they choose their own bed, and in turn happy cows = productive cows.

HUSTLER HURRICANE LX104 For a more uniform spread throughout the pens, the Hustler Hurricane 2-in-1 Bale Feeder/Bedder is the perfect choice! You will be able to effortlessly spread round and square bales up to 7-11 metres. Its adjustable rotor speed drastically minimises dust compared to a typical straw blower machine reducing ingestion issues for the cattle and creating unnecessary mess in the shed. With no flails or tines to come loose or flick up solid objects, the Hurricane is by far the safest option for use around animals. And because it is hydraulically driven, its horsepower requirements are lower than a PTO-driven machine.

‘Free choice’ straw bedding with square bales in France.

Bedding round straw bales in the UK.

The Hurricane is the only machine that will feed out and make bedding with both round and square bales

The low power requirement of the hydraulically driven spreader allows the use on tele-boom loaders or skid-loader increasing versatility.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“I enjoy running the Hustler, it handles the hay better than anything I’ve run for products for busting up round bales. I got the Hurricane on this one and it tears it apart, fluffs it, more than I can ask for in any other machine I’ve run, I’ve run several different ones, and I wish they would have come out years ago.”

Darryl Dostal Rice Lake, Wisconsin, USA.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Straw bedding capable

YES

YES

NO

NO

NO

YES

NO

21

22

Single Tractor Operation Fully self-contained loading systems mean the only other machinery needed for a chainless balefeeder is an off-the-shelf tractor with 3-point linkage or tow hook.

There’s no need for any customisation of your pickup truck deck (unlike hay unrollers) or extra investment in a front-end loader, second tractor (for TMR), or skid steer loader.

With a Hustler linkage feeder, you can simply disconnect the feed cradle and continue using the bale spears for shifting bales and pallets, and other loading duties.

Built in self-loading design. On 3 point hitch models the headstock disconnects from the feeding cradle and the bale is loaded with bale tines integrated into the head stock. No loader required.

The patented total control loading system spears the bale and gently loads the bale on the cradle without tumbling the bale. The spears then withdraw and carry the second bale.

Pulling the wrap off a bale while loading it with spears on the disconnected headstock.

FIELD TESTIMONIAL

“We bought a Hustler unroller this year and it is the best money we have spent in for a long time, have hardly used a graipe this year. When word got out that we had one a lot of neighbours came to see it working and I know of 3 more in the area now, brilliant machine. It’s easy to control the rate of feed as its oil driven and she manages high density bales great.”

John Speechs Sunny Co Antrim, Ireland.

BALEFEEDER TYPE

CHAINLESS BALE FEEDER

CHAIN/SLAT BALE FEEDER

HAY UNROLLER

RING FEEDER

BALE SPLITTER

BALE PROCESSOR CHOPPER

TMR FEED MIXER

Investment cost each

$9,000-20,000

$7,000-17,000

$3,000-10,000

$300-1200

$3,000-6,000

$20,000-35,000

$50,000-150,000

Single tractor operation

YES

YES

YES

YES, but the tractor requires a front-end loader.

YES, but the tractor requires a front-end loader.

YES

NO

The Hustler Balefeeder Family

23

Here are some of Hustler Equipment’s bestselling bale feeders to help you get through drought conditions.

Discover our full product range on our website: hustlerequipment.com CHAINLESS BALEFEEDERS The innovative, ultra-reliable Chainless® balefeeders without feed chains, will feed out almost any type of bale you have on hand, even the tightest of frozen bales.

CHAINLESS LX104

CHAINLESS LX105

CHAINLESS SX105

CHAINLESS TX205

Key features • 3pt mounted, self loading • 1 bale capacity • Up to 4 ft wide bales

Key features • Feeds out bales of any size or shape • Loader or 3pt mounted • 2 bale capacity

Key features • Stationary, 3 point hitch, mounted • 1 bale capacity • Up to 5 ft wide bales • Capable of Rebaling large round bales, into small squares

Key features • Trailed, self-loading • 2 bale capacity • Up to 5 ft wide bales • Total Control Loading

Suited for • Round & Square bales • Hay, Straw, Baled Silage

Suited for • Round & Square bales • Hay, Straw, Baled Silage

Suited for • Round & Square bales • All types (Rounds only for Rebaling)

Suited for • Round & Square bales • All types

UNROLLA BALE UNROLLERS The UNROLLA range of feeders provide an economical option for ranchers who primarily feed out round bales.

All Hustler bale feeders are self-loading (except the Chainless SX105), but you can also use Hustler’s Softhands bale handlers.

UNROLLA LX105

UNROLLA LM105T

UNROLLA TX205

Key features

Key features

• 3pt mounted, self loading

• 3pt mounted, self-loading

• 1 bale capacity

• 1 bale capacity

• Up to 5 ft wide bales

• Up to 5 ft wide bales

Key features • Trailed, self-loading • 2 bale capacity • Up to 5 ft wide bales • Total Control Loading

• Adjustable extension for feeding into troughs

Suited for • Round bales.

• Loose silage. Hay & Baled Silage.

Suited for • Round bales.

• Hay & Baled Silage.

Suited for • Round bales.

• Hay & Baled Silage.

For more information, visit hustlerequipment.com/softhands

GLOBAL HQ Freecall: +646 879 7926 Aftersales: +646 873 9526 Email: parts@hustlerequipment.com

NEW ZEALAND Freecall: 0800 487 853 Hastings, 4153 New Zealand

AUSTRALIA Freecall: 1800 750 428 Truganina, Victoria 3025 Australia

NORTH AMERICA Call: (612) 351-4885 Lakeville, MN 55044 USA

UK/IRELAND Call: 01563 481 330 Gisburn, Cliteroe, BB7 4ES UK

EUROPE Call: 0805 10 12 02 43430 Fay-sur-Lignon France

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