Hustler Chainless bale feeders easily process 20 to 40 bales daily on a beef operation in Chile!

Published 16th December 2021
Chile

We visited Luis’ and his crew on a Chilean farm near Pitrufquén. This beef operation has been working with several Hustler Chainless bale feeders in the past few years.

Luis is such a fan that he’s helped sell four other machines to friends and neighbours. Before their first Hustler, they were feeding out by pitchfork and using bale rings, but they’d lose 20-30% of the hay and the moment they started using their trailed Chainless machine, he realised “it was the only way to do it. It was spectacular!” Watch Luis’ testimonial to discover why.

 

Luis’ farm is leased and he has been working on this land for more than 20 years. Located in Pitrufquén, in the Araucanía Region of Chile, the farm benefits from an oceanic climate with short and warm summers and wet winters, with the temperature typically varying from 4°C (39°F) to 24°C (75°F) and is rarely below -2°C (28°F) or above 29°C (84°F). 

Until the mid-20th century, Araucanía was dependent on cereal farming and was known as Chile’s granary. Agriculture has become more diversified since, including livestock farming. The farm is leased and Luis has been working on this land for more than 20 years. 

The farm is the home of about 600 head of beef cattle, fed directly in their paddock during winter months. Luckily and thanks to the moderate climate, the farm benefits from overall good forage production. However, feeding out had not always been a walk in the park. 

 Before purchasing his first Hustler bale feeder, Luis’ team was feeding out manually or using hay rings in winter. “It used to take 4-5 people to feed the animals and we’d lose between 20-30% of the hay” Luis explained. 

 

“Now with the Hustler, we can feed out 20 to 40 bales easily”

 

Luis knew that something needed to change and decided to buy a Hustler Chainless trailed TE205 bale feeder. for Luis, mechanising his operation has been a game-changer. That winter, they were feeding out 40 bales daily. “We did that for 4-5 months, and it was the only way to do it. It was spectacular!” Luis described.

 

 

Luis was so happy with his machine that two seasons later, he bought an additional one.

According to Luis, the investment cost is “affordable” and worthwhile because it makes things easier, faster and saves a lot of hay. The aggressive yet gentle teasing action of the rotors helps the cattle to consume the hay and there is less competition than with hay rings, all the cows getting fed and not only the ones at the top of the pecking order.

 

“It’s so easy to use. It’s faster, the animals are much better fed out”

 

When getting a new machine and changing the way a farm operates can always be a little bit tricky as the whole team needs to adjust. But the Hustler system is so easy that Luis and the team “learned it the same day it has been delivered,” Luis continued.

Today, there are two machines on the farm. “One that will be five years old soon, and this one that might be around three,” Luis said. He appreciate the very low maintenance required by the machine – less moving part, better reliability! “All you need is grease, that’s it!” Luis spouted.

 

“It’s been a really good investment. Really good”

 

The Hustler bale feeders have created more opportunities on the farm. That’s why Luis recommended similar equipment gear to his friends and neighbors. ” I’ve already sold like four,” Luis said, laughing.

 

 

Luis particularly appreciates the free time his team now got. “You get more time for other things. You get more time. You can work on other things. Check the animals… Before we had the Hustler, if we saw there were problems with the animals, there was almost no time to help them. It helps with the whole operation,” Luis concluded.

 

Do you want to know more about Hustler’s Chainless bale feeder range? Contact us today, you’ll be glad you did!

The top of the range trailed Chainless double bale feeder.

The Chainless trailed square and round bale feeders are self-loading, suitable for feeding out any bale, round or square, and it maximises feed use. Designed for medium to large operations. A Chainless trailed bale feeder minimises feed waste by feeding out into narrow windrows to make the feed more accessible to animals and all but eliminate damage from hoof trampling, manure spoilage, and animals laying down on the feed. More efficient use of power, savings on machinery investment and faster bale feeding all add up to impressive fuel economy – made possible by the hydraulic drive system at the heart of every Hustler Chainless trailed bale feeder.

 

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