Meath-based father-and-son duo Denis and James Feighery run a large beef finishing and tillage operation near Jarretstown. Growing 700ac of crops and finishing in excess of 2,000 bulls each year under the age of 16 months, James notes that efficiency in a tightly managed system is very important.

Tara Farms first moved to a straw blower in 2014. The machine in question was a new three-point linkage mounted straw blower. All sheds were previously bedded manually. However, James was hugely impressed with the savings in labour and straw that such a machine could offer.

He noted: “The move to a straw blower was resulting in a reduction in straw usage by 50%, conservatively. The significant labour savings meant the animals were also being bedded more regularly as it was much easier and quicker. The initial machine was also used for feeding round bales of haylage and silage, but since we moved to a TMR system, it cut that out.”

The Teagle machine met our requirements, was within our budget and had a dealer within a close proximity

In the following years, James observed noticeable improved performance in the bulls when he used pre-chopped straw. His existing mounted straw blower wasn’t capable of chopping straw so James decided to go about upgrading it. Upon looking at the market place and what brands offered a chopping solution, James considered several brands.

He explained: “We needed a versatile machine that could both act as a straw blower and be capable of chopping straw. The Teagle machine met our requirements, was within our budget and had a dealer within a close proximity.”

James took delivery of the Teagle Tomahawk 8555 ahead of the 2019 winter. It was used to chop straw before it was loaded into the diet feeder. Although this meant the straw was being handled twice, James noted that he was still saving hours in mixing time across the run of the week and saving diesel.

The machine

The Tomahawk 8555 dual chop has a 4.5m3 capacity, meaning it can hold two round bales (4x4) or one 8x4x4 large rectangular bale.

The Teagle “Dual Chop” system in James’s machine incorporates a set of retractable knives. These knives can be engaged or disengaged from the control console. This changes straw output from short chop (around 50mm) to no chop, and back again in no time when desired.

The auger/rotor like crossbeater teases straw from the bale through its ripper hooks positioned across its surface. If chopping, the knives will be lowered and the straw will be chopped between the ripper hooks and knife sections.

From here, the straw then passes through a sieve located behind the knife cassette. If the straw is too long, it will be recirculated through the blades once again by the crossbeater.

If the operator doesn’t want to chop the straw, the knives and the blanking plate are raised, allowing the straw to pass over the screen, being discharged without being chopped. Straw that passes through or over the screen is drawn directly into the fan chamber where it is then discharged out through the chute.

Something a little unique on the machine is the Bluetooth wireless technology which provides communication between the operator in the cab and the machine. The machine is priced at €22,360 plus VAT.

For the full story, check out this week’s print edition.