Chaffcutter
Pastoralists tend to bundle green and dry fodder mostly all over the animal, some pastoralists cut it into two or three pieces. Due to the length of the pieces, it is not easy for the animal to eat and about 20 to 30 percent of the fodder remains in the wast and goes to the garbage. The dry leaves of sliced sorghum and millet are eaten by the animal and the stalks are left as they are, wasting the nutrients in such a race. In addition about 30 percent of the 10 kilograms of kadab go to the garbage instead of going to the animal's stomach. From an economic point of view, we throw away three kilograms of the grass, estimated price of Rs.12. This is not going to work in today's era of inflation. Approximately Rs. 4000/- per fodder for two animals a year. Losing is not fair.
If sorghum is cut into small pieces, the animal can eat all the fodder without wasting it and the wastage of fodder can be prevented. Large herdsmen use electric chaff cutters to cut small pieces of fodder.
Feeding dairy cattle with chopped fodder saves their feeding power and time. Which is used to chew animal food. Only if the animal chews for at least 12 to 14 hours a day will it be in good health and milk production and milk fat-S.N.F. Increases.
Types of chaff cutters
A) Hands Sudo for cutting grass:
This hand suda has been adopted by many progressive pastoralists of North Gujarat. These sudas can be used very easily. If you find it tedious to sit on the ground and cut into pieces, you can quickly make a three-foot-high, one-and-a-half-foot-long and three-foot-long earthenware and stone porch and place the soda on it. Suda's handle is long and low strength is used when mowing. This operation is done quickly if a man puts a bundle on a blade and a man cuts it.
B) Round wheel chaff cutter:
Such a chaffcutter has a round egg (clay wheel). Inside which are given two blades. The wheel has a handle. So that the blade that rotates it gets a toning speed. The flywheel is mounted on an axle that rotates directly adjacent to the iron stand, with wheeled wheels arranged on the same axis. From the roller arranged on the stand the pulses have to be carefully pushed into the roll. Operation is a bit faster and a little harder in such chadkatras than hand suds.
The wheel of such a round wheeled chaff cutter can be attached and rotated using a pulley with a cutter wheel, a diesel engine or a tractor. The advantage of such a chaff cutter is that the chaff cutter can be operated even if there is no electricity. There is no need to install a separate motor. Such a chaff cutter can cut 400 to 500 kg of grass in an hour.
C) Cylinder Pie Chaff Cutter:
There are two types of this type of chaffcutter which are hand operated as well as electric. Such a chaffcutter has three to four blades in the cylinder. The bundle is passed through a roller so that it comes in small pieces when it comes in contact with the blade in the cylinder. Electric-powered chaff cutters have the facility to make a heap of cut pieces of kadab in a closed beehive with the help of a blower. The fodder can also be loaded directly into carts or tractor trolleys. Such chaffcutters cut fodder in proportion to the capacity of the motor.
Benefits of using Chaffcutter:
(1) The leafy part of the fodder is collected in small pieces by squeezing the kadab or other fodder, so the part with the stalk which is not eaten by the animal on a normal night is also mixed with the leaf and the fodder is not spoiled. About 30 percent of the fodder survives. The tea factor can cause small pieces of fodder to be eaten by the animal. So that milk production can be increased up to 10%.
(2) When cutting into pieces in a chaff cutter, greens and dry leaves can be combined and cut. Thus even dry fodder is eaten without spoiling the animals.
(3) There is a problem when there is no electricity (power supply) in an electric chaff cutter. But for this we should start the practice of cutting the fodder one day in advance and making a heap. Fodder cutting can be planned using leisure time.
Maintenance of Chafcutter:
(1) Chaffcutter blades should be periodically sharpened and used properly. If the edge has settled, use it only after rubbing with a handgrinder and periodically inspect the space between the cutter blade and the head. Doing so maintains speed in cutting operations.
(2) Oil/grease should be applied to the wheels and where necessary before operating the chaff cutter. Check if the machine is free.
(3) To tighten the loose bolts before operating the chaffcutter so that an accident does not occur.
(4) Regular overhauling of chaffcutter should be done.
(5) When the chaff cutter is not in use, it should be kept covered properly so that it does not get wet in rain.
(6) Before turning on the chaffcutter, make sure that the electric point, wiring is correct.
(7) Do not operate the machine at low voltage and do not operate the machine by pulling wires at very long distances.
(8) Fodder according to the capacity of each type of machine, do not overload.
(9) If there is any problem in the chaff cutter machine, immediately inform the company or the concerned officer.