Ozzy Scott
Well-Known Member
Can't disagree with you there. Our 25 year old MF375 and 20 year old paddle feeder uses no more than 2 fills of diesel per winter. But the feeder is nearly worn out and mixing very inconsistent now which is affecting animal performance. Feeding is taking too long and I need to get straw mixed into the diet, particularly when building up kgs of beet intake. But I have no intention of spending a ball of money on shiney new feeders and straw choppers.
2 tanks of diesel in the tractor for the full winter???
im back diet feeding this winter, and it has reaffirmed my belief that its the greatest waste of time ever, but needs must, due to lack of forage from the drought. We are burning 1lt of fuel per processed ton and I dont leave it mixing for long. Add in extra tractor, parts, maintenance of the two, and im probably adding on an extra 5c per head per day, in costs. I find it hard to see any extra on the output side from diet feeding. I hadnt used the feeder in 18 months and should of sold it, so it was never used again.
If money was no object, I would have loading shovel with 1 - 2t shear grab and a layered pit. All the ingredients put into the one silage pit in proportions that are there or there abouts, and dug out with a 2 ton shear grab and put in front of cattle. getting all feed to the yard where the cattle are been fed would be my number one priority.