Investment in straw spreading equipment could help livestock farmers overcome the high price of bedding straw this winter by cutting requirements by up to one-third.
So says Duncan McLeish of Kuhn Farm Machinery, who points out that many farmers will also save time by upgrading to an efficient mechanised approach rather than bedding yards manually or using out-dated equipment.
“The labour-saving benefit of modern bedding equipment is an obvious attraction,” says Mr McLeish, “but with wheat straw currently trading at up to £75/tonne in the livestock strongholds of the country the benefits of reducing the amount required is more significant than ever. In our experience, modern machines such as the Primor, with strength and versatility to handle long fibre fodder or bedding, typically reduce straw usage by 20-30% when compared with manual straw distribution. This is due to the shredding and the evenness of spread that can be achieved with either trailed or tractor mounted machines.”
Mr McLeish urges farmers to consider machines’ ability to handle varying straw quality as well as spreading range, capacity and manoeuvrability when reviewing their options.