Business-like route to share silaging load

FARMERS T.B Hasell and Son, and D. and P.R Tibbs and Son, based just outside Bristol, take a business-like approach to silaging, having formed a syndicate to purchase and run their equipment some 30 years ago – long before the phrase ‘machinery sharing’ had been coined.

“We have always managed the silage operation in-house rather than using a contractor,” explains Keith Hasell, “as it gives us flexibility of timing. We can stop if it is going to rain and work at our own pace.

For example, last year the forecast was bad, so I took a day off and went to the Bath and West Show, where the weather was terrible, but the next day we were able to mow and were back on schedule by the end of the week.”

The syndicate has owned a number of trailed forage harvesters over the years but, when looking to replace the previous machine three years ago, found the market had shrunk somewhat.

“We used John Deere foragers until they pulled out of the market and the last make we had proved unreliable, so when our local dealer, Andrew Curtis, of H. Curtis and Sons, suggested the Pottinger Mex VI, we thought it was worth a look.

“We did consider a small self-propelled machine, but again there was not much choice and it would have worked out too costly,” says Mr Hasell.

Costs are split

“Parts and labour costs are split at the end of the year, but if a machine breaks down, it is up to the farm which was using it to fix it,” he adds.

A buckrake, John Deere mower and Krone rake are also shared between the partners, who own a total of three farms and harvest some 140 hectares (350 acres) at first cut, plus a smaller second cut.

The three farms also provide two men, two tractors and a trailer each, with some tasks allocated to particular syndicate members – Stuart Tibbs is on the buckrake, son Alan Tibbs on the forager and Keith Hasell in charge of the rake.

Grass harvesting usually starts around May 18 with the Tibbs’ farm at Stanton Drew the first under the mower, destined to feed a 150-head dairy herd.

The gang then heads to the Hasell’s farm at North Wyck, which rears 150 beef cattle, and then on to the third farm 20 minutes away at Bourton.

All crops are harvested with the same silage quality in mind – Mr Hasell says chop lengths have increased over the years as nutritional opinion has changed.

“The shorter chop was better to work with, though,” says Stuart Tibbs, “and much easier to consolidate.”

Smooth operation

This will be the partnership’s third season with the Mex VI and Mr Hasell says its belt drive means it is quiet and smooth to operate.

“We have plenty of steep hills, so have to side-load the trailers. The forager has an extended spout so that it blows the crop down into the trailer which makes it easier to control the flow, particularly in windy conditions.”

A later start to the harvest than on many farms in the area means that the first crop can be heavy, but the forager copes well – covering 24-28ha per day (60-70 acres).

Keith Hasell generally puts two rows together with the Krone rake, but says that the two-metre pick-up will take three rows in lighter crops.

The output is such that mowing needs to be started two days ahead, and the forager team can find they are catching up with the mower, if all goes well.

“We hire in a 150 or 160hp tractor from Andrew Curtis,” explains Mr Hasell, “as you do need plenty of power - you would not want to be declutching all the time. That would not do the forager or the tractor any good.”

Stuart Tibbs says it certainly keeps him on his toes loading the clamp with a buckrake on the front linkage of his John Deere, as there can be five or six loads an hour.

Easy to maintain

He is trialling a reverse drive tractor and rear-mounted buckrake this season to see if it will boost workrates.

Performance and reliability of the Pottinger machine are praised by the partners: “We have not needed to replace any knives and have needed very few other parts,” says Mr Tibbs.

“The forager goes into H. Curtis and Sons for its winter service but is easy to maintain on day-to-day basis. Our dealer has looked after us well – his workshop manager spent half a day helping us get used to the machine when it was first delivered, and he is nearby if anything did go wrong.”

One small criticism is that the forager does not side shift quite far enough back in for transport, and can be a little unwieldy on the narrow lanes.

“The outlay on a new forager may seem steep, but it is the most cost-effective system for us,” comments Mr Hasell.

“We can spread the costs between the three farms and expect the Mex VI to last seven years Sor more.”

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