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COUNTRY LIFE IN BC • OCTOBER 2018


Mixer-feeder offers all-in-one feeding option Dutch technology replaces three pieces of equipment with a single, efficient unit


by DAVID SCHMIDT CHILLIWACK – Why use


three machines to feed your dairy herd – a loader, a mixer wagon and a tractor to pull it – when one machine will not only do it all, but do it faster, more accurately and more efficiently? Meinen Brothers Agri


Services Inc. of Agassiz hope local dairy farmers will be keen to kill three birds with one stone. That’s why they recently imported the first Triotrac self-propelled mixer- feeder into Western Canada, then brought a technician from the factory in Holland to demonstrate it for local farmers in early September. Demonstrations were


conducted at Postma Farms in Deroche, Dykshoorn Farms


in Abbotsford and Tekoa Dairy in Chilliwack, with all three drawing oohs and aahs from onlookers.


The machine has its own defacing tool to cut silage or hay from the bunker and drop it onto a loading ramp which feeds the twin-screw mixer wagon. A series of sensors and scales measure what the feeder receives and the loading ramp will automatically reverse its flow when the preset amount of feed is reached. For a bulky machine, the


Triotrac is surprisingly agile. Four-wheel steering means it can do 90-degree turns in tight quarters with ease, even doing a sideways crab crawl if necessary. The Triotrac comes in three sizes. Meinen Brothers


Curious farmers came out to Tekoa Farms in Chilliwack last month to look at the new Trioliet self-propelled feeding unit. DAVID SCHMIDT PHOTO


Serving the Okanagan and Fraser Valley


We’ve been proudly family owned and operated since opening in 1976. And with two blending plants, we’re one of BC’s largest distributors of granular, liquid and foliar fertilizers. Our buying power and proximity to the


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brought in the mid-size unit, which has a 20-cubic-metre capacity, enough to feed 115 to 150 cows, depending on the mix. Michael Haan of Tekoa is seriously considering purchasing the new machine, noting he needs to replace his loader almost immediately and believes there is only about two years left in his current mixer wagon. Ben Meinen says the machine is simple to operate (all the controls are on a single joystick) and will reduce feeding time by up to 40%. Haan notes it now takes


him about 3.5 hours a day to feed the 600-700 cows and heifers on the farm and expects the Triotrac would reduce that to about two hours. “Our barns and bunkers are


set up well for this,” he says. The price is an obstacle, though: a Triotrac runs $450,000 to $550,000, depending on the options included. A new payloader and mixer wagon would cost almost as much, but it’s tough for Haan to swallow. Several farmers suggested buying a unit in partnership, then hiring a single operator to run it on multiple farms


and splitting the costs. Haan agrees it would make the purchase more viable, but he prefers to maintain control so he can set his own feeding schedule. Although Tekoa has not yet made a firm commitment to purchase the machine, Meinen is confident there’s demand and has put his money where his mouth is, ordering a second unit due to arrive in April. “It takes about nine months from when you place an order to get the machine, so we ordered a second unit as soon as we got the first one,” he said.


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The self-propelled mixer with the best mix and the highest loading capacity in the industry, and a silage face that no one else can beat. Low temperature


in the silage equals more milk. This technology has been proven for decades. Triotrac stands out from the competition and pays for the investment you make. Your cows will love you for it!


Trioliet Advantages Highest loading capacity on the market


6m/20ft. high silo facing without fibre damage Spacious cab, safety view glass, full suspension & comfort joystick-operation 40km/hour road transport


browse NEW & USED FARM equipment on our web site WE IMPORT, DISTRIBUTE, MANUFACTURE, REFURBISH AND SERVICE AGRICULTURE EQUIPMENT IN THE FRASER VALLEY.


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