Opico is launching a range of Strautmann self-propelled diet feeders bringing opportunities for farmers to improve efficiencies in time, labour and fuel, and also benefit from more accurate ration mixing.
Uniquely, these new machines aren’t for sale, but instead come on a contract-hire package that negates the need for large capital investment and spreads the cost monthly over three-, four- or five-year terms.
There are three models in the Strautmann self-propelled feeder range. The smallest is the Sherpa, which is becoming the company’s most popular model in the EU. It’s a two-wheel-drive, single-auger machine, and comes in two sizes. The smallest has a 12 cubic metre mixing capacity and is suitable for dairy herds with 200-plus cows. It’s only 2.54m in height, and its milling head can reach up to 4.30m at the clamp face.
The other two models are the Verti-Mix SF single (one auger) and the SF double (two augers), with mixing capacities ranging from 11 to 20 cubic metres. These are suitable for dairy herds with 400 milking cows upwards.
On all machines, the mixing auger is fed by a 2m wide milling head and a centrally mounted, reversible conveyor. The central mounting maximises throughput from the milling head to speed up forage collection. Additionally, the collected forage is discharged from the conveyor into the middle of the tub, which aids mixing.
Opico’s managing director, James Woolway, said that even before he took on the Strautmann franchise, he was convinced that self-propelled diet feeders were the future for many medium to large dairy units in the UK.
“In fact, our financial model shows that herd sizes from 250 cows upwards can justify a self-propelled diet feeder,” he added.
Self-propelled diet feeders have a number of benefits compared to trailed machines: only one machine to run and maintain instead of three (loader, tractor and trailed diet feeder); big savings in time and labour; improved ration accuracy as exactly the correct amount of ration components are loaded; less waste as the reversible loading elevator allows the operator to load the exact weight of material (forage, grain and so on) required, and the milling head removes forage cleanly leaving a smooth clamp face, preventing spoilage and material falling onto the ground; a quicker mix time is achieved as machines start mixing as they load; and driver comfort is improved as there’s no need to leave the cab, which also saves more time.
Prior to launch, Opico has invested in both training and replacement parts to ensure the technical backup to keep these machines working on-farm, at all times.
There’s also a mandatory service and maintenance contract that runs alongside the hire contract to ensure the machine is well-maintained. At the end of the hire term, farmers can either buy the unit, or upgrade to a new one.
“The contract hire and service package negates the need for upfront capital investment and fixes the monthly cost of a farm’s feeding machinery,” Mr Woolway added. “After the past few years’ price volatility, we believe this’ll be an attractive option for dairy farmers.”
For more information visit: www.opico.co.uk.
