What is "chaff cutter"

Chaff \Chaff\, n. [AC. ceaf; akin to D. kaf, G. kaff.]

1. The glumes or husks of grains and grasses separated from the seed by threshing and winnowing, etc.

   So take the corn and leave the chaff behind.
   --Dryden.

   Old birds are not caught with caff.
   --Old Proverb.

2. Anything of a comparatively light and worthless character; the refuse part of anything.

   The chaff and ruin of the times.
   --Shak.

3. Straw or hay cut up fine for the food of cattle.

   By adding chaff to his corn, the horse must take more time to eat it. In this way chaff is very useful.
   --Ywatt.

4. Light jesting talk; banter; raillery.

5. (Bot.) The scales or bracts on the receptacle, which subtend each flower in the heads of many Composit[ae], as the sunflower.
   --Gray.

   Chaff cutter, a machine for cutting, up straw, etc., into ``chaff'' for the use of cattle.

A chaff cutter is a mechanical device for cutting straw or hay into small pieces before being mixed together with other forage and fed to horses and cattle. This aids the animal's digestion and prevents animals from rejecting any part of their food.

Chaff and hay played a vital role in most agricultural production as it was used for feeding horses. Horses were extensively used in farming operations until they were replaced by tractors in the 1940s.

Chaff cutters have evolved from the basic machines into commercial standard machines that can be driven at various speeds and can achieved various lengths of cuts of chaff with respect to animal preference type. New chaff cutter machines include portable tractor driven chaff cutter - where chaff cutter can be in the field and load trolleys (if required).