To enable foraging contractors to meet the requirements from customers seeking a longer chop forage, CLAAS has introduced new 'half' blades for fitting to JAGUAR self-propelled forage harvesters.
The move back towards longer chop lengths is in recognition of the benefits that longer forage provides in the diet. The use of longer fibre in the cow's diet has been found to have health benefits. The greater amount of cudding required results in increased saliva, which in turn helps buffer rumen pH levels. This helps reduce health problems such as acidosis and can improve fertility and increase intakes, so boosting performance.
The use of the new 'half' blades avoids the need to remove every other blade, which can upset the balance of the chopping cylinder and requires the use of 'blanks' in place of the removed knife.
By mounting a 'half' blade on every carrier within the chopping cylinder, the balance is maintained and the loading on the chopping cylinder is reduced, resulting in a continuous crop flow and increasing output.
Where fitted to a JAGUAR V12 24-blade Chevron chopping cylinder, chop lengths can now be varied from 17mm up to 34mm. On the 20-blade V10 Chevron cylinder, the chop length range is now 22mm up to 44mm.
