If you’re a livestock farmer, it’s common knowledge that you need specialized equipment that other farming practices don’t. Livestock farmers need equipment like utility tractors, balers, bale spears, and pallet forks to make raising cattle, pigs, or other livestock easier and more efficient.
Do you know the essential equipment that every livestock farmer needs to do their job? We’re here to help break it down and tell you the seven critical pieces to help you accomplish more in your operation. Let’s dive into what every livestock farmer needs.
Every farmer needs a tractor to get the job done, and the compact utility tractors (CUTs) from John Deere are the perfect workhorse (no pun intended) for keeping your livestock farm running smoothly. These tractors come in multiple sizes and horsepower, but the most common CUTs from John Deere are the 1 - 4 series. These tractors offer a versatile and robust solution for not only tending crops but livestock as well. The John Deere CUTs start at 21.5 horsepower with the 1 Series but go as high as 65.9 horsepower in the 4 Series. With such a diversity in power, you can tackle any job, large or small. CUTs can handle all sorts of everyday livestock farm tasks, from transporting feed, hauling manure, or clearing land to expand your farming operations.
Livestock needs to be fed, and one of the most common sources of food and nutrients for livestock is hay bales. However, in order to bail the hay, you need the right equipment to tackle the job. Round and square balers are essential for livestock farmers due to their efficiency and convenience. They save time and labor by automating the baling process and cutting down on the time it takes to create bales. These machines also produce high-quality, uniform bales that maintain nutritional value and reduce spoilage. Additionally, the compact design of square bales optimizes them for storage and transportation, making it easier to manage large quantities of hay. A baler, whether it’s round or square, can dramatically increase your productivity.
Pallet forks are a great tractor implement for making large pallets of material or feed around. The high-tensile, heavy gauge steel frames allow for the picking up and moving of heavy materials, making them more manageable and less intensive than trying to move them by hand. But pallet forks aren’t just essential for pallet moving; they can also be used to lift and store hay bales, logs, heavy brush, pick up seed or fertilizer bags, or heavy building materials. The Frontier AP11F Pallet Fork is an outstanding option. The tines float while picking up and removing pallets on uneven terrain, and set screws allow you to set it in any position.
A cattle chute is a narrow, enclosed structure used to move and handle cattle safely and efficiently. It’s an essential part of livestock farming. Cattle and other livestock can be stubborn when it comes to moving them from one area to another. A cattle chute is beneficial because it forces the livestock to move through a narrow pathway, keeping them in a line and reducing the time it takes to move them safely. If you’re a livestock farmer, you should consider purchasing a cattle chute to make transporting livestock easier and quicker.
If you have bales, you’ll need an easy way to transport them. That’s where bale spears come into play. These tractor loader attachments allow farmers to easily lift and transport large bales, saving time and labor compared to manual methods. This is especially important during busy harvest seasons when quick bale movement is essential to reduce spoilage. Baler spears are versatile tools and can handle various bale types, whether round or square, making them adaptable for different farming needs. They can significantly enhance overall farm productivity by speeding up and streamlining your operations related to feeding and storage.
Frontier equipment makes many different sizes of bale spears, including the Frontier AB13E Bale Spear. You can check out our current inventory of bale spears online.
Pasture harrows are essential livestock equipment because they allow farmers to maintain and improve their pastures and hay fields. These simple but handy implements use chains, disks or other tools to scrape away dead grass and rocks. They are also great tools for leveling out the ground and improving drainage, making your soil healthier and more likely to grow hay, grass, or other feed for livestock. Take a look at the RT12 Series Rotary Tiller from Frontier, an excellent tool for removing dead grass, aerating soil, and more.
A feed mixer is essential for mixing various types of feed to create a balanced, nutrient-rich mixture. If feed isn’t mixed correctly, it can harm the animals' health. You can do this by hand, of course, but a feed mixer can automate the mixing process. This saves time and labor so farmers can focus on other aspects of animal care. Many types of livestock feed mixers exist, like vertical, horizontal, and stationary mixers. Find the one that works best for you and automate your mixing process!
If you’re looking for livestock equipment to make your operation run smoothly and save you money and time, then visit us at Koenig Equipment. We have many convenient locations near you, and our staff is ready to help you get your farm up and running.