Trailed straw chopper round up: Spreading the word on straw choppers
The straw chopper is an essential piece of kit for housed livestock systems, making light work of bedding down and boosting safety for stockmen. There’s a vast selection of machines on the market to suit different power units but we have focused on the trailed ranges which can generally be handled by modest tractor horsepower and are available in a choice of sizes to suit tight spaces in traditional buildings and more open layouts in modern yards. Most handle round and square bales of different sizes, increasing flexibility if bedding is short supply.
The latest generation of machines also offer the facility to process hay or silage and fill troughs or dispense along a feed fence, while another option is the addition of a chopping mechanism which can produce short straw suitable for including in a TMR ration. With animal welfare and operator health an increasing priority, water spray systems offered by some manufacturers can help suppress dust during spreading.
The following guide includes all of the trailed machines that we know are actively being sold in UK.
Belair
JVS Machinery is the distributor of the Belair range in the UK. Designed for a long life with features such as the use of Hardox in the wind tunnel and on the high resistance flat chain moving floor, which also has bolted bars, the Belair Brick is available in trailed and semi-mounted versions. It features a two-speed gearbox
