Chipping & Grinding Bush / Trees for Best Results

Marc Custers — Mon, 17 Jan 2022 14:52:24 +0000

Ritlee have been working alongside farmers in southern Africa for over 10 years on creating bush feed for livestock. Here are some tips, tricks & best practices we have learnt along the way:

Ritlee Chipper Grinder used for processing bush feed

WHEN CHIPPING AND GRINDING SELECTED BUSH AND TREES:

For best feed properties use BOTH the branches and leaves which are 2 years old and younger.– Here is the highest protein levels, iron, carbon, etc.
For bulking, use older growth, but do not expect any feeding properties.
All Acacia has tannin in it — some more than others.–
We have found that a high percent the tannin disperses after harvest. Allow it to lie for a some 2 days after harvest before chipping and grinding.
At chipping even more tannins disperse.
When harvesting for chipping and grinding, please select carefully what you will use and cut it in such a way for easy handling and loading into chipper.
Proper management and training here will save you a lot of labour hours into the future.
When harvesting Black wattle, Poplar, Port Jackson etc, it is suggested that harvesting is done a day or two before chipping, in manageable pieces.
In the rainy season when growth is prolific, please cut your harvested pieces a max of 1 to 1,5 meter in length for loading– This to allow the grinding chamber to keep up with the chipping function without being over fed and causing blocking.
Otherwise, 2 to 3 meter lengths no problem!
Here too growth which is 2 years and younger is best!

DID YOU KNOW?

Tannin binds the proteins in the rumen and stops any protein uptake causing the animal to die of starvation. We found that with lying, chipping and grinding a massive percentage of the tannin is dispersed from the feed being produced!

Read here about Browse what Ritlee found on the market if you want to feel safer!

Ouhout chipped and ground

Black Wattle after chipping and grinding

Swart Haak