The UK’s first self-propelled Siloking Kverneland diet feeder has been put to work by Somerset farmer Stephen Potter. Supplied by Kverneland dealer Uphill & Son, the Prestige-spec 1612 model replaces a 20-year-old self-propelled feeder. It will be used to provide the farm’s 100-head of pedigree Blonde d’Aquitaine cattle with a high-quality ration.
“We feed our Blondes every day with specific rations, and the use of a self-propelled feeder has many advantages for us,” Mr Potter said. “The milling head lets us keep a tight face at the clamp to avoid secondary fermentation. It also has incredible manoeuvrability, with rear-wheel steering and a compact overall size, which makes it very easy to negotiate our traditional farmyard and its buildings.”
In addition, he said that compared to using a trailed feeder, a self-propelled machine saved on the cost of buying an additional tractor, telehandler and a silage cutter.
“A self-propelled feeder might appear to be a high initial cost, but if it’s kept for 20 years, for example, its cost becomes very easy to justify for smaller herds,” he added. “As a result, it’s not significantly more expensive than a trailed set-up, because a trailed feeder needs additional machinery in support. And, our set-up is based around a one-man feeding system, which is easily achieved using a self-propelled feeder.”
“We feed our Blondes every day with specific rations, and the use of a self-propelled feeder has many advantages for us,” Mr Potter said. “The milling head lets us keep a tight face at the clamp to avoid secondary fermentation. It also has incredible manoeuvrability, with rear-wheel steering and a compact overall size, which makes it very easy to negotiate our traditional farmyard and its buildings.”
In addition, he said that compared to using a trailed feeder, a self-propelled machine saved on the cost of buying an additional tractor, telehandler and a silage cutter.
“A self-propelled feeder might appear to be a high initial cost, but if it’s kept for 20 years, for example, its cost becomes very easy to justify for smaller herds,” he added. “As a result, it’s not significantly more expensive than a trailed set-up, because a trailed feeder needs additional machinery in support. And, our set-up is based around a one-man feeding system, which is easily achieved using a self-propelled feeder.”
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| Rear-steering gives the self-propelled Kverneland Siloking exceptional manoeuvrability. |
Mr Potter, and herdsman Pat Hodge, believe this latest feeder, with its sophisticated mixing and feeding capability, delivers consistent ration quality for all animals.
“Giving all our cattle the same quality of forage stops bullying at the feeders,” Mr Hodge said. “And with our plans to develop herd numbers and develop a high meat-to-bone ratio to deliver higher-quality meat, the Siloking feeder will become an increasingly valuable tool.”
For more information visit: www.kvernelandgroup.com.
