Are straw choppers really worth it?

[DairyGrazing]

Was in a similar position. Brought a second hand Kuhn trailed machine. Absolutely fantastic. Can bed down 300 heifers and calving cows on my own in an hour. Save about 25% on straw, going off no of bales per pen not weight.

If the heifers were on cubicles and the feed passage was wider in the calving yard I'd probably have a sideways mounted spreadable.

Just a shame the mf362 won't run the bedder

 

[Valmetal Inc]

At the dairy show tomorrow at Telford stand F14 come and see us

 

[ffukedfarmer]

Wouldn't be without mine. I have a second hand Jeulin (£3K) on the back of a 42 year old MF 2620. 180 cows and calves can be bedded in 7 sheds can be bedded in about 40 mins with 4x3 bales and it will blow it about 45'. I have seen a huge reduction in straw use (prob about 30%). The cattle are clean and happy. I agree it does make a little more mess outside, but it does mean, at least for me anyway, that it is much more of a one man system.
Much easier to muck out as you are not dragging half the shed with you. Much easier to spread and less hard on both the handler and the muck spreader. You get much better muck and can spread more/acre as it breaks down so much better and you don't get lumps.
It is without doubt, one of my better buys and if it broke down for any length of time, I would be straight out to buy another one!!

sorry to drag up an old thread but I don’t suppose that you have a manual for your Jeulin straw chopper? I’ve just bought one and have a couple of issues that I’m hoping a manual might shed some light on. Thanks

 

[Extreme Optimist]

sorry to drag up an old thread but I don’t suppose that you have a manual for your Jeulin straw chopper? I’ve just bought one and have a couple of issues that I’m hoping a manual might shed some light on. Thanks

I think I just might. Not sure it was terribly comprehensive though. Will have a look for it tomorrow. If I forget, give me a nudge.

 

[ffukedfarmer]

I think I just might. Not sure it was terribly comprehensive though. Will have a look for it tomorrow. If I forget, give me a nudge.

Nice one. Thank you.

I'm having trouble with the chain and slat floor. When I first hooked it up to the tractor it would only reverse both from the in cab box and the box on the side, it didn't matter which way I plugged in the pipes or pushed the spool. To get round it I swapped the pipes on the motor which at least means that the floor now goes in the right direction.

 

[Rob91]

Did 10 years of bedding down by hand, i'd rather keep my back intact for a bit longer than maul straw around for hours

 

[cousinjack]

Did 10 years of bedding down by hand, i'd rather keep my back intact for a bit longer than maul straw around for hours

I had to bed down a big square bale of straw by hand this week as the control box for the chopper had gone off farm in the tractor….

made me vow that if we get any off farm cattle sheds, the first thing I’d do is buy a second straw chopper ….

 

[jerseycowsman]

They save on straw and the muck that comes out is of more even quality, apart from saving on your own work. Plus here in Cornwall where the straw is not always the best quality (damp and stuck together!), it makes the job so much easier

 

[ollie989898]

I'd be lost without mine, 120 x 40 lying area bedded down with 2 rounds in around 3 minutes View attachment 853577
My old one chopped the straw a bit, this seems to throw it out as good as the day it was baled and makes a very fluffy bed and nice clean happy cow's

I see you (wisely) scrape or bucket the standing/feeding area. This must surely save a lot of straw and keep the cattle and their bedding a lot cleaner. With beef type cattle you can end up with a stackable product rather than slurry which helps with the old NVZs thing.

 

[Pistonbroke]

I reckon you still need to go for a shuffle through the straw to get youngstock used to people being close to them.

 

[The Agrarian]

Makes dosing and TB testing a lot easier.

 

[willowwarbler]

42 yr old Hurlimann tractor , second hand Kuhn , bought 2014. For oldies like ourselves , its paid for itself many times over . Cows remain in pens when its blown in- never had any trouble . Saves on straw,definitely.