A chaff cutter on display at China North Machine. Photo by Roland D. Nasasira
The traditional way of cutting animal feeds has, for long, been predominantly by use of pangas (machetes). Needless to say, this method is not efficient. It is characterised by low output and equally tiresome as you have to use some level of energy to get the work done. The cuttings are also not only not uniform but you are also likely to sustain body injuries in form of cuts if you are not careful during the cutting process. Homemade Chaff Cutter
Farm chaff cutter However, with the farm chaff cutter, you can be able to have plenty of animal feeds cut within the shortest time possible and in large quantities to meet animal feed demands. Douglas Opio, the sales manager at China North Machine in Kampala Road says the chaff cutter is primarily used for cutting animal feeds such as grass.
It is built with a conveying system where you load the grass onto a moving long tray, which then transports it to the cutting chamber for cutting before it is ejected from the machine from a separate outlet. “The machine transmission system is run by the in-built gearbox that allows you to change the size of the cuttings to produce feeds eaten by calves and adult animals. You tune the gear according to the size of the cut grass you want,” Opio explains.
“The advantage with the cut feeds is that it makes chewing and digestion for calves easier because it has already been softened and of high standard,” he adds. The chaff cutter can be used to cut grass for animals that graze under the free range and zero grazing systems. However, the machine is mostly recommendable for animals that are taken care of under the zero grazing system.
This is because the animals will not have to trek long distances searching for feeds, which in the long run would tire them, something that has an impact on dairy cattle especially with milk production quantities. Using the chaff cutter also means that your animals will be prevented from contracting animal diseases such as foot and mouth disease and parasites such as ticks that they would contract from free range grazing.
Output According to Opio, when you are cutting fresh grass or feeds, you will have output of up to five tonnes using 1.6 to 1.8 litres of diesel. After purchase, you are assigned a technician to help you install the machine but also train you on how the machine is operated and how it is serviced.
Cost Opio says the chaff cutter costs approximately Shs8.5m. When it is complete with its engine, it costs Shs12m. This comes with after sales services of repairing any mechanical breakdown during the one year warranty period offered by most agricultural machinery dealers. The expected lifespan of the machine is between 12 to 15 years. “After this period, you are at liberty of returning the machine so that we assess the gearbox or the body itself to determine if it can serve you for another longer period,” Opio concludes.
Maintenance Like any other machine, you need to maintain and change oil more often in the chaff cutter transmission system to avoid friction. You also need to keep and monitor water levels in the radiator box that cools the machine as it runs on a daily basis so that it does not hit up.
How the machine works There are two options of using the chaff cutter. You can either use three-phase power, which is the same as industrial power or a diesel engine. The machine ought to be operated by two personnel because the efficiency and output cannot be handled by one person who will load the grass, and at the same time do the offloading and collection or receiving of the output.
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