Mixer wagon hire pays dividends in drought

A drought-fueled demand for feed mixer wagons across dairy and beef enterprises has created a busy hiring business for one southern NSW machinery dealer.

With the four- to five-month lead time on new mixers, Agtrade Machinery principal Sean McAuliffe says he cannot source enough feed mixers to satisfy the demand for hiring machines.

The Finley (NSW) based business focuses on the sales and hire of seven brands of vertical feed mixers to corporate dairies and rural businesses, at rates from $250 per week over a 12-week period.

Mr McAuliffe (pictured) was a guest speaker at the Pasture Agronomy Services drought management seminar in Wagga Wagga in December.

Mangoplah beef producer Rob Fairchild praised the use of feed mixers for weaner cattle rations during the drought.

"The best way to get young weaners to eat the right balance and consistency of feed products is to use a mixer," he said.

"Most beef producers will hate the thought of feed mixers because they take time and energy, but there is a cost benefit analysis suggesting in this year and the future, they will be using them."

Sean McAuliffe tailors the hire machines to suit the individual application and budget.

"You can put anything in a [vertical] mixer – whole large squares of hay and silage – and the longer you leave it in the machine, the finer it will chop it," he said.

"You can add water, grain or pellets.

"Vertical mixers, if they are run correctly, can produce feed quickly and are virtually bulletproof.

"If you just put straw or hay into a vertical mixer, it's a waste of time as the dry matter needs to be weighed down with grain, water, citrus pulp or silage.

"Each auger has tungsten blades and runs at about 38rpm.

"A 20-cubic-metre machine can take 3000 litres of water per mix so it binds together when fed out into troughs, especially in the hot weather.

"But, if you had too much water, it will drain out the sides."

Mr McAuliffe recommended trialing a mixer for eight to 12 weeks to gauge how it fitted an individual farm's program.

"It might not work but at least you have tried it, and saved yourself a vast amount of money," he said.

"Hiring a machine is a 100 per cent tax deduction.

"As there is such a long lead time for new mixers; if you hire a 10-cubic-metre single-auger stationary mixer, it will cost $1000 per month (plus GST) across three months, service costs included.

"I then take those payments off the purchase price of a new machine - you then get that machine free of charge until the new machine arrives.

"We are the only company in Australia where if a mixer is broken down, I can provide a loan machine within 12 hours.

"Mixers can value-add to a beef cattle business for specialized round or square bale mixes to feed out in the paddock or feedlot to either keep animals alive or put the weight on.

"There is an initial cost hiring or buying the machine but long term it will make you money.

"In my view, the only way machines wear out is through 70-80 per cent grain mixes damaging steel walls.

"Opt for stainless steel lining as it doesn't wear."

Mr McAuliffe said operator negligence was the major causes of machine failure.

"If the machine is greased and well maintained, it really shouldn't break down – the knives will simply need replacing," he said.

"I sell or hire the machine to suit the individual operation.

"I like to see a 150hp tractor on a 20 cubic metre machine.

"The heavier the mixer, the more horsepower they will drag out.

"For feeding 4000 head, I would recommend a 12 cubic metre machine, 20mm thick augers, a 10mm tub and four load cells.

"Some of our mixers would put out 3000 tonnes a day at corporate dairies and after two years, we reline the tubs with 3mm stainless steel sheet.

"You will never wear a floor out in a mixer."

Mr McAuliffe said mixing times were largely determined by the type of commodities in the ration.

He said varying harvest times of pit or round bale silage or hay across a single property may also affect mixing times with differing moisture content.

Mr McAuliffe rated the Spanish-manufactured Tatoma, US-made Kuhn and Strautmann as among the most reliable and robust machines on the market.