An apparatus for roughage processing includes a first platform for placing of a first type of roughage, a first cutting mechanism for processing the first type of roughage, a first chain for cutting the first type of roughage from the first platform to the first cutting mechanism; and a second platform, a second cutting mechanism, and a second chain for performing similar tasks with a second type of roughage. The first chain and the first cutting mechanims and the second chain are driven at a different speed to provide concurrent cutting of the first and second types of roughages at different cut sizes. The apparatus further includes a conveyor an auger for concurrently collecting the first type of roughage and the second type of roughage after respective processing by the first cutting mechanism and the second cutting mechanism for effective blending of the two types of roughages, each of which has been cut differently to obtain its optimum particle size for ruminant consumption. The apparatus can be powered by a very small horse power motor. It also includes a mechanism that will stop the floor chains carrying the roughage into the knife drums when the power load force that is detected by the knife drum power load reading device reaches a predetermined amount. This predetermined amount is still within, but near the upper limits of, the available horsepower range of the small motor powering it.

The present invention relates to an agricultural machine for distributing products for animal feeding and/or straw bedding comprising a bin for receiving the products, a distribution blower, a product ejection zone, a rotary element fitted with blades mounted in the ejection zone, a drive shaft of the rotary element, a conveyor and/or unraveling system and a rotary indicator positioned outside the ejection zone and able to be driven in rotation directly or indirectly by the drive shaft to send to a user, by its own visual rotation effect, a visual indication of the rotation of the rotary element.

A bale spreading apparatus comprising a box frame which retains a bale of material, a conveyor on which a bale rests, the conveyor being operative to urge the bale in a longitudinal direction towards a spreader head which ejects bale material from the apparatus, wherein the spreader head comprises one or more rotors, the or each rotor comprising a vertically mounted rotatable shaft and a series of blades being mounted on at least one of said shafts.

An apparatus for roughage processing includes a first platform for placing of a first type of roughage, a first cutting mechanism for processing the first type of roughage, a first chain for cutting the first type of roughage from the first platform to the first cutting mechanism; and a second platform, a second cutting mechanism, and a second chain for performing similar tasks with a second type of roughage. The first chain and the second chain are driven at a different speed to provide concurrent cutting of the first and second types of roughages at different cut sizes. The apparatus further includes a conveyor for concurrently collecting the first type of roughage and the second type of roughage after respective processing by the first cutting mechanism and the second cutting mechanism for effective blending of the two types of roughages, each of which has been cut differently to obtain its optimum particle size for ruminant consumption.

Baling apparatus and method including a baling chamber having one or more splitting knives for dividing crop material picked up from a field to discharge divided bales simultaneously from the baling chamber to be received by an ejection chute structure which ejects the divided bales in spaced relation to each other as the baling apparatus is moved along the field. The spaced relation can be longitudinal by ejecting the divided bales at staggered time and/or can be laterally spaced by turning the bales in the ejection chute structure.

The present application is directed to a system and processing method for fractionating pre-formed forage hay bales into a fractionated leaf portion and a fractionated stem portion. More particularly, the system involves grinding, chopping and shredding bales, and fractionating the chopped and shredded bales using a shaker table and grate assembly, into a fractionated leaf portion and a fractionated stem portion using a shaker table. The resulting fractionated leaf portion and fractionated stem portion can then be further processed into pellets for animal feed products, or the fractionated stem portion can be re-baled. Pelletization includes customizing the size of the pellets and the addition of additives to the pellets according to customers specifications for customized animal feed products. Pellets derived from the fractionated leaf portion and the fractionated stem portion are then packaged, typically in bags, for storage and transport.

A bale handling apparatus is disclosed, comprising a plurality of jaws configured to receive a bale, one or more tines configured to pierce the bale upon reception within the jaws, and one or more blades configured to cut binding material of the bale when received. A distinctive feature of the apparatus is its configuration to clamp the bale at a position rearward of the location where the one or more blades are configured to cut the binding material. Additionally, a method of operating a bale handling apparatus is disclosed, comprising holding a square bale within the apparatus, cutting its binding strings, and subsequently dropping a first portion of the bale while retaining a second portion of the bale and the cut strings on said second portion. This invention provides improved control over bale processing and binding material management.

A system for filling a feed mixer, the system comprising: a feed intake device configured to take in a feedstock from a stockpile; a feed processing system for processing the feedstock and directing the processed feedstock into a container of the feed mixer; and a controller associated with the feed processing system, the controller configured to control processing of the feedstock by the feed processing system based on a prescribed recipe.