DuraTech Industries, of Jamestown, N.D., offers a 24-bushel grain tank for the 2650 BaleBuster Round Bale Processor.

Running out a load of processed dry hay into a bunk or into a windrow on the ground and top dressing with metered grain has good points.

“I see the main benefit of the grain tank is as a labor-saving device,” said KC Olson, associate professor in Animal Sciences and Industries at Kansas State University.

Normally, feeding hay and concentrate means two machines and two trips through the feeding area.

“The expense that is saved in a $3.50/gallon diesel fuel market is pretty important,” Olson said. “That time you spend making a second trip out to the cows (that is) lost with the feed truck, you could spend doing something else.”

DuraTech Industries shipped a BaleBuster to Kansas State University last March. Since December, Olson has been overseeing the use of the BaleBuster to winterfeed dry hay to the university's research cattle.

We're getting better intake, less waste, and a lot more versatility in terms of where we can deliver forage to cattle,” said Olson.

Kansas State is using the BaleBuster to complete new research on the efficiency of preserved forage use. The studies are looking at hay savings using processed bales vs. big round bale feeders. The scientists also want to determine if bale twine needs to be removed before processing.

Olson's studies do not look specifically at the use of the grain tank. Instead, the grain tank is used for feeding small groups of heifers or bulls that get concentrate based on the time of year.

“When we go out to the pasture to deliver concentrate, they load the grain tank up, and as we are grinding hay onto the ground and moving at the same time, we're augering concentrate right on top of the hay pile,” said Olson.

The 2650 BaleBuster plus the grain tank requires a 65 hp-155 hp tractor with four-way hydraulics.

Hydraulics are needed to run 1) the fork that picks the bale up and puts it into the bale processor, 2) the chain table to turn the bale, 3) an optional deflector for material placement, and 4) the optional auger that drops grain out of the tank.

Olson's experience shows that the grain tank is capable of dispensing a large aggregate particle like range cube all the way down to a small particle like soybean meal.

Dana Berreau of Blue Hilltop Inc. in Lake Wilson, Minn., said the use of a grain tank all depends on the cattle setup. “We have quite a few farmers just running the BaleBuster,” Berreau said. “Most have a TMR wagon, and they will run some hay out and then some silage besides. There's more than one way to feed cattle.”

Berreau said that for more remote feeding areas, the grain tank works well.

“It all depends on what they have available for equipment and for handling,” he said.

DuraTec Industries is always striving to help farmers develop innovative products that work for their feeding operations. “We've had requests from customers to put a grain tank on the BaleBuster, so they can feed three or four bales with one load of grain,” said Bob Strahm, DuraTech Industries vice president of sales. “The grain tank has worked out well in many cases, but we're always looking at new innovations.”

For more information, visit http://www.haybuster.com/hb/pdf/Haybuster_Product_Guide.pdf.