Danish grass-and-feed specialist JF-Stoll has extended its cattle feeder offering with a new range of vertical diet feeders.

Its VM Multi-series includes 15 new models with capacities ranging from 10cu m up to the largest 45cu m version. All have a straw blowing attachment incorporated within the design. But, unlike other feeders on the market, JF has managed to retain the services of the cross conveyor.

The conveyor can be used to feed a TMR, rather than using the spinning turbine which would separate the forage from the minerals and protein supplements that make up the ration.

Tractor power requirements vary from 68hp to 162hp, although mounting a two-speed gearbox can reduce power consumption by as much as 30-40% depending on the size of the mixer.

According to JF-Stoll, one load should dispense enough grub for anything up to 350 cows in the case of the largest tri-axle feeder.

The machine has a 1.2m wide opening to the front-mounted cross-conveyor belt. The belt pulls, rather than pushes, feed through the opening, so there is little risk of the opening blocking up.

As an option the conveyor belt can be fitted with 0.9m or 1.6m elevators for unloading into high troughs.

When the straw blower is in use, the rotor and guard unit is lowered down over the conveyor belt.

The hydraulically controlled rotor maintains an even flow of straw to the turbine, which should minimise the chances of blocking the blower wheel. The turbine will blow straw up to 20m depending on straw quality, the company says.

There’s a joystick to handle chute functions. It can be moved in four directions and adjusted by as much as +/- 40deg to improve spreading accuracy.

Switching from conveyor belt feeding to straw bedding is done hydraulically from the tractor cab and takes about four seconds.

Choosing to have a feeder with a cross conveyor will add about £10,500 to the price.