MCINTOSH Farm Machinery dealers in the North East have been receiving a lot of feedback from farmers on both the new McIntosh Multi 4 and Multi 5 Bale Feeders.

And it's all been positive.

The ability to carry four or five bales on the machine along with one or two bales on the front end loader is a huge bonus, allowing farmers to go out and feed large herds in one trip.

Other customers have commented that they are reducing their feed out times by as much as 30 per cent.

It's not just the labour saving – it's also less wear and tear on the tractors, less fuel used and less damage done to tracks and gateways.

The Multi Bale Feeder has a unique twin ram bale loading system that is capable of handling bales weighing up to 1200 kilograms.

This allows the operator to hold the bale above the platform providing easy removal of the net and wrap.

This is especially suitable for roto–cut silage bales that can fall apart once the net has been removed, ensuring all the material falls into the chamber and not over the back of the machine.

The bale transfer system pushes each bale up into the feeding cradle.

Specially designed feeder slats allow the easy transfer of the bales, while ensuring plenty of aggression for consistent feeding.

The dual–sided cradle allows accurate control of feeding out the fodder, no matter which way the bale is placed into the cradle.

The new style, vertical drop side feeder chains assist in the prevention of the wheels running over the material.

Other features like the heavy duty chassis, walking beam axles and floatation tyres, large storage bins and two remote operation are all designed to make feeding bales quick and easier.

Customers have also commented that they really like the ability to go into a large herd of cows and feed up to three bales without getting out of the tractor seat.

This is a great safety feature.

Anyone who has ever experienced trying to get the plastic and net off the second bale in a mob of hungry cows when you are only able to feed one bale out at a time, will attest to this.

These units have also proven to be popular with sheep and lamb farmers, as the unit feeds out the fodder in a narrow and consistent row.

This means the sheep don't waste anything, and they all get the chance to feed on the fodder.

Customers have said that their mobs just look so much better, along with achieving better and more consistent weight gain across the lambs.

When shearing, customers have also found far less contamination of the wool from fodder, especially around the head and neck areas, helping them to achieve a higher wool score.

In 2016 the McIntosh Multi Bale Feeder won the TMA (Tractor & Machinery Association) Best Non–Powered Machine of the Year at Farm World.

Then later in the year at Elmore Field Days McIntosh were proud to receive the Weekly Times Best Imported Machine of the Year award.

Judges commended the feeder on its innovative design, unique features and the ability to improve farming efficiency.

For more information and details, please contact TracMac Farm Equipment on 5625 1522 or contact your local McIntosh Farm Machinery dealer.