The latest variation on the Spread-A-Bale concept, the Combi-Bale, allows owners to either fling bedding material up to 15m or drop forage along a feed passage.

This dual-function system is fitted on the Cheshire firm’s HR machine, with the addition of a diverter valve and twin-speed motor enabling control of the single horizontal rotor’s rate and direction of rotation.

See also: Bale choppers and blowers for bedding and feeding livestock

Spinning it anticlockwise sees the bladed edges of the tines tease out and chop the material when feeding silage along a passage or filling a mixer wagon, while turning it clockwise and quicker jettisons straw deep into a barn.

The Combi-Bale comes in five body sizes and, from the mid-range Midi upwards, can be mounted on a trailed chassis.

It’s compatible with round and square bales and has a self-loading system.

And thanks to new high-flow hydraulics that deliver a claimed 27% more power, it takes less than a minute to discharge its load.

Side mounting is also possible for working along a feed barrier.