At 700ha, Hangawera Station is the largest dry stock station in the Waikato.

Farm manager Ian Mathieson has used other balefeeders, which he says weren’t up to the grade. Now on their third generation Hustler balefeeder, he knows what to look for. “I’ve trialed two other brands and found they didn’t very easily feed-out both square and round bales,” recalls Mathieson.

One of the biggest advantages gained from using a balefeeder strong enough to carry a pair of up to 1000kg oversize (“twelves”) round silage bales is that Mathieson is able to put more stock in each paddock. “It means we’ve gradually lifted our mob sizes to suit the bigger bales, which then has created a higher stocking rate. And the gear handles it,”

After more than 6000 silage and hay bales spread over four seasons their Hustler is still going well. “For a machine which has fed out that amount of bales, it’s a very low maintenance machine,” Mathieson says.

Overall the Hustler Chainless 4000 Balefeeder has proved to be not only the most reliable feeder, but also the best all round option for what they do.

Mathieson says he wouldn’t buy any other type of feeder. “I like its safety features on the hills, the width of the balefeeder, the loading capability and on the hills I can hold the bale from moving around on the platform, which I have to.”

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