With three big augers set vertically in a shapely hopper, the latest Kuhn Euromix trailed diet mixer-feeders are clearly aimed at large herds needing plenty of feed preparation and dispensing capacity.

Hopper capacities for the four models in the Euromix 3 CL range amount to 28, 33, 39 and 45cu m – the latter feeding up to 360 cows per load – with a two-way conveyor mounted across the front of the machine dispensing to left or right in front of a feed fence.

Hydraulic drive motors at each end of the conveyor ensure the PVC belt, which is said to operate quietly with low maintenance requirements, is driven positively in either direction. Rear discharge to either side is an option for situations where the mixer-feeder must be reversed into a dead-end feed passage.

According to Kuhn, the tapered vertical augers with double-pitch flights and the polygonal rather than circular shape of the hopper interior are designed to achieve rapid break-up of whole bales of forage or straw. These have a continuous spiral fitted with seven swept-back knives working against two counter knives, with hydraulic adjustment available to regulate chopping intensity for high-fibre rations.

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An anti-overflow ring is installed around the top of the hopper to discourage material ‘boiling’ over the edge during the chopping phase of the mixing process. To ease start-up torque loads on the tractor, the feeders have a two-speed gearbox and can also be equipped with Kuhn’s Intellimix system, which automatically changes auger speeds through a continuously variable transmission.

Operated through an ISOBUS electronics connection, this is claimed to reduce start-up torque by up to 50% to help preserve the tractor’s pto drive. Also, opening the hopper door to dispense the completed ration switches the system to auto-feed mode, with programmable auger speeds suited to the changing hopper content.

These big feeders are built on a separate chassis with tandem or triple axles and leaf-spring suspension, plus six weigh cells as part of a comprehensive loading, mixing and feed-out control system.