A shredding and baling apparatus provided includes a shredding assembly operatively connected to a baling assembly via a conveyor. A rotatable drum with cutting teeth spirally arranged along the drum is preferably centered within a lower portion of an intake hopper for cutting through material as it is fed into the hopper. Fixed cutting teeth are preferably arranged in a row or rows along each of the longitudinal sidewalls of the hopper, adjacent the cutting drum. A touch screen display and computer may be used in combination with sensors to monitor and control the shredding and baling operation, and a hydraulic system is used to drive the components. The shredding and baling assembly is preferably designed in an industrial size to handle high volumes of material and may be driven or transported from one location to another.

A bale spreader having a chassis, one or more feed conveyors mounted to the chassis and a spreader rotor mounted to the chassis. The feed conveyor(s) are configured to transport material from a bale along a feed path. During spreading, the spreader rotor receives the material from the feed path and the axis of the spreader rotor is higher than the feed path. The spreader rotor can be movable between a first position in the feed path and second position not in the feed path. The spreader rotor can be driven by a belt. The feed conveyor(s) may be a plurality of feed drums. One of the feed drums can have teeth that extend between flails of the spreader rotor in use. The flails can rotate with their broad sides forwards. The spreader can also have a conveyor platform for round bales and another platform for square bales that can be placed over the conveyor platform.

The present invention concerns an apparatus for loosening fiber material packed in bales, comprising a conveyor region for conveying the fiber material along a conveyor direction. The conveyor region includes a feed portion, a buffer portion and a discharge portion. A first roller arrangement is arranged in the transitional region between the feed portion and the buffer portion and a second roller arrangement is arranged in the transitional region between the buffer portion and the discharge portion.

A bale processing apparatus include a frame, a bale hopper defining a bale chamber for receiving a bale, a bale shredding assembly including a shredding rotor rotatable in a rotor chamber, and a bale movement assembly configured to move a bale in the bale chamber toward the bale feed opening and the shredding rotor. In embodiments, the apparatus may be mountable on support arms of a loader such that the bale processing apparatus is liftable off of the ground surface, and may include a rotor operating assembly may be mounted on the frame and configured to rotate the shredding rotor, and the operating assembly may include an engine fully mounted on the frame such that the frame and the engine may be removed as a unit from the loader. Other embodiments are also disclosed.

A method of preparing includes storing cut crop material in an accumulation having an oxygen barrier. The cut crop material ferments within the accumulation to form a silage material. After the fermentation of the silage material, the silage material is mechanically macerated with a macerator, and then fed to ruminant animals.

A bale processor and transport apparatus includes a bale processor, and a hitch assembly attached to a rear end of the bale processor. A bale trailer is attached to the hitch assembly, and the bale trailer comprises a trailer conveyor operative to move bales forward on the bale trailer. A lift frame is provided on the bale processor above the hitch, and the lift frame is operative to receive a transported bale from the trailer conveyor and pivot the transported bale upward and forward into a chamber of the bale processor.

The invention relates to a fodder distributor formed by: a propelled carriage comprising a first shredding surface in the rear part, in the direction of travel, with first propulsion means, and a second surface in the front part, for feeding bales to the first surface; a first mechanism for shredding parallelepiped bales, with a shaft having a first end connected to rotation means and longitudinal blades projecting radially from the shaft; second propulsion means on the second surface; and respective panels for providing additional bale support, which are positioned horizontally adjacent to the second surface and have means for moving the bales to said surface.

The invention relates to a fodder distributor formed by: a propelled carriage comprising a first shredding surface in the rear part, in the direction of travel, with first propulsion means, and a second surface in the front part, for feeding bales to the first surface; a first mechanism for shredding parallelepiped bales, with a shaft having a first end connected to rotation means and longitudinal blades projecting radially from the shaft; second propulsion means on the second surface; and respective panels for providing additional bale support, which are positioned horizontally adjacent to the second surface and have means for moving the bales to said surface.

A shredding and baling apparatus provided includes a shredding assembly operatively connected to a baling assembly via a conveyor. A rotatable drum with cutting teeth spirally arranged along the drum is preferably centered within a lower portion of an intake hopper for cutting through material as it is fed into the hopper. Fixed cutting teeth are preferably arranged in a row or rows along each of the longitudinal sidewalls of the hopper, adjacent the cutting drum. A touch screen display and computer may be used in combination with sensors to monitor and control the shredding and baling operation, and a hydraulic system is used to drive the components. The shredding and baling assembly is preferably designed in an industrial size to handle high volumes of material and may be driven or transported from one location to another.

A bale processor with extended bale capacity and a kit for extending a bale capacity of a bale processor is disclosed. The extended bale capacity is provided by a bale holder mechanically coupled to the frame the bale processor. When in use, the bale holder is capable of supporting an additional bale in an intermediary position between a first bale above a disintegration rotor of the bale processor and a second bale supported by a bale carrier of the bale processor. The kit comprises an intermediary bale holder and a support frame mechanically mountable to a back section of a bale processor.