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.

In one embodiment, a bale processor includes a hopper for receiving baled material, a discharge opening for outputting chopped material, and primary and secondary rotors. The primary rotor has an axis of rotation and a rotatable flail to chop the material from the bale received in the hopper. The secondary rotor is rotatable to chop the material after being chopped by the primary rotor, and the secondary rotor is offset from the primary rotor such that the primary rotor is between the secondary rotor and the discharge opening. The flail includes a pivot tube for rotating about the axis, first and second hammers secured to the pivot tube, and a paddle. The paddle is positioned between and secured to the first and second hammers to generate airflow when the first and second hammers are rotated at an operating speed, thereby increasing a throw distance of the chopped material.

A feeding station for farm animals (45), as in particular for pigs, provided with a first reservoir (3) for a first animal food component, a first conveyor pipe (15) connected to the first reservoir (3), with a first conveyor screw (17) extending internally of the first conveyor pipe (15), and a mouthpiece (7) for reception in the mouth of an animal (45). A first end of the first conveyor screw (17) is coupled adjacent to the first reservoir (3) to a rotatable first drive (21) and a second end of the first conveyor screw (17) ends shortly before the mouthpiece (7). The feeding station (1) is further provided with at least a second reservoir (5) for a second animal food component, a second conveyor pipe (16) connected to the second reservoir with a second conveyor screw (19) extending internally of the second conveyor pipe (16). A first end of the second conveyor screw (19) is coupled adjacent to the second reservoir (5) to a second drive (23) which is rotatable independently of the first drive (21). The second conveyor pipe (16) is joined together with the first conveyor pipe (15) adjacent to a second end of the second conveyor screw (19). The first and second drives (21, 23) are operable by a control unit (33) in accordance with a desired mixing ratio of the first and second animal food components.

The invention consists of novel systems and methods for mixing and/or applying biologies including live biologies and/or any additive having therapeutic or growth promoting value with and/or to animal feed, thereby creating treated animal feed, and for delivering such treated animal feed to animals in need via a delivery system. The invention also provides a system and method to treat seed with biologies prior to or contemporaneously with packaging, storing, and/or planting.

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 mechanism and the second chain and the second cutting mechanism 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 or 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.

A bale processor has a towed body that includes one or two hay bale shredders in the form of a flail drum. The bale processor is self-loading such that bales may be loaded in the processing tubs by a set of rear mounted arms and various conveyor chains. The processor also includes a grain tank, a grain metering system, and a grain cracker, all mounted in series. The grain cracker may have a choice of outputs, including back to the grain tank. The cracked grain is fed into the tub to be mixed with other feed materials, such as shredded straw, and is then discharged to the opposite side of the unit. There may be a feed chopper mounted downstream of the tub, such that the feed chopper receives both the grain material and the shredded hay feed. The feed chopper and the grain cracker operate independently, and may have different setting of size, speed, and weight or volume per minute or per unit of distance travelled. The output may have a curtain assembly to facilitate deposit in windrows.

An apparatus and method for processing blocks or bales of feed includes a movable mixing bin and a store room with a fixed floor for one or more rows of the blocks or bales of feed. A separator is configured to feed the full length of a cutting face which extends downwards from the top of the block or the bale. A conveyor is configured to move the separator in the direction of the cutting face. A discharger moves separated feed to the mixing bin.

A bale processor has a towed body that includes one or two hay bale shredders in the form of a flail drum. The bale processor is self-loading such that bales may be loaded in the processing tubs by a set of rear mounted arms and various conveyor chains. The processor also includes a grain tank, a grain metering system, and a grain cracker, all mounted in series. The grain cracker may have a choice of outputs, including back to the grain tank. The cracked grain is fed into the tub to be mixed with other feed materials, such as shredded straw, and is then discharged to the opposite side of the unit. There may be a feed chopper mounted downstream of the tub, such that the feed chopper receives both the grain material and the shredded hay feed. The feed chopper and the grain cracker operate independently, and may have different setting of size, speed, and weight or volume per minute or per unit of distance travelled. The output may have a curtain assembly to facilitate deposit in windrows.

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.

A method of controlling an animal forage handling arrangement that includes a first forage dispensing arrangement having a first conveyor, a first separator adapted to separate and distribute forage, and a first dispensing end portion and a first loading end portion. The arrangement further includes a control unit, the control unit adapted to control a driving of the first conveyor and includes a first forage presence sensor arranged at the first loading end portion. The method includes starting the first conveyor to move an upper side of the first conveyor towards the first loading end portion, and, to prepare the first conveyor to be loaded with forage, stopping the first conveyor when a loading condition is fulfilled.