Reliability and mixing performance continues to impress on Suffolk dairy farm
10th December 2020
A Shelbourne Reynolds diet feeder achieves excellent mix quality and has proved totally reliable during five years’ use, according to a Suffolk dairy farming family. David Williams reports.
Suffolk-based Fen Farm Dairy uses a Shelbourne Reynolds Powermix Plus 18m3 diet feeder to prepare up to 22t of feed per day for its 300 cows when the herd is indoors.
Fen Farm, near Bungay, has been farmed by the Crickmore family for three generations. More recently, the successful Fen Farm Dairy has been established retailing raw milk, Baron Bigod cheese, Bungay Butter and a variety of yoghurts through an on-site shop, and further afield by mail order, while Arla takes most of the milk for processing. The health and wellbeing of the 300-head herd of Montbéliard and Montbéliard-cross cows are the family’s priority and the cattle graze outdoors as much as ground conditions allow.
Block calving is split equally between spring and autumn, and cows are first calved at two years. The relaxed operation and excellent herd health means most cows remain productive and on the farm for up to 12 years, and milk yields average 8,000 litres.
Mixes perfectly
The diet feeder is used when the livestock are in the yard. The first Shelbourne Reynolds machine was selected 10 years ago after a recommendation by a local dairy farmer and, because it performed so well, it was replaced after five years by another of the same brand. “It’s well designed, it performs well and it’s reliable,” explained farmer Jonathan Crickmore who runs the farm with his wife Dulcie and his parents Graham and Frances.
“Our first machine was the largest single-auger model, but we were operating close to its practical limits so there was a tendency to overfill it which affected the mix quality. A larger Powermix Plus 18m3 twin-auger model replaced it and although we still overfill it at times, that doesn’t seem to matter as it always mixes perfectly.”
Shelbourne Reynolds sales and marketing director Neil Smith said the hopper design guarantees thorough mixing. “The steep sides are very close to the rotating auger which ensures that whether the mix is wet or dry, everything is chopped and mixed thoroughly. Features such as the flush hopper door also contribute to the excellent result as there is nowhere for constituents to lodge.”
The augers are driven through a two-speed transmission. “That is very handy feature,” said Jonathan. “Sometimes we add molasses, and selecting low range ensures easier processing of the thick mixture.”
Shelbourne Reynolds sales and marketing director Neil Smith (left) with Fen Farm dairy partner Jonathan Crickmore.
Accurate mix
Approximately 22t of feed is prepared and fed each day, including four different rations. Jonathan said that the best results are achieved by loading chopped straw first – if it is being included in the ration, then grass silage, pre-chopped fodder beet, a blend of supplements and finally maize silage. Mixing continues during loading, and five minutes after the final bucket load has been added, the mix is ready to use.
Jonathan accurately records the weights of all the concentrates and blends added to each mix. “Many things are out of our control including the weather and commodity prices, but concentrates are our most expensive ingredient and we can control how these are used most effectively. It’s a fine balance – feeding too much creates health issues, but feeding too little means milk yields decline, so careful monitoring is needed. We record exactly how much is fed to each group of cattle every day, plus the milk yields for the same cattle which allows us to accurately monitor herd performance. The first year that I did this, we saved more than £40,000 in feed costs and saw milk yields increase.”
Plenty to appeal
The offset conveyor allows feed to be dropped precisely where it is needed, using a combination of the offset adjustment and variable conveyor speed. “It suits floor feeding in the modern buildings and the trough feeders in older buildings,” said Jonathan. “It’s easy to adjust, so for pens of young calves we can set it to deliver feed close to the rails and within easy reach.
The front-mounted conveyor is easy to watch and adjust, and having the door right at the front means I immediately notice if blockages occur.
“We’ve been very impressed by the Shelbourne Reynolds Powermix Plus, and when it’s due for replacement we will almost certainly go for something similar again,” he continued. “It’s British and locally made in East Anglia, both of which are important to us. “We get on well with Ernest Doe & Sons, our local main dealer, and are always confident that with the good dealer and the manufacturer nearby, we will never be short of back-up.”
