“Since swapping to a pair of Vicon EXTRA 732 mower conditioners from a trailed machine, we’ve more control of wilting and ultimately our silage quality,” explains Alex Ede who farms at Lower Tean in the UK with wife Felicity, and father-in-law Tony Prince.
“Where it used to take most of the day to mow all our silage ground, it can now be done in much less time,” explains Alex Ede. Supplied by JA Bloor Agriservices, the Vicon Extra mowers use a three-bladed triangular disc, with the front-mounted 732FT model being pulled – not pushed - by its linkage. The rear-mounted 732T mower uses Quattro-link suspension, with contour following and stubble height for both units said to be impressive.
With 235 cows going through the parlour, LTL Partners relies heavily on high quality forage to maintain milk production. While cows are turned out during the grazing season, a supplementary feed ration adds stability with milk volumes and quality. The 360-acre farm aims to mow 200 acres for first cut, with up to three further cuts taken during the season, where weather and regrowth allows. A neighbouring contractor picks up 100 acres/day, which sets the benchmark for output and timings. “We also have Vicon Andex twin rotor rake and a Vicon Fanex 10m tedder, so there’s flexibility available to us depending on the volume of grass mown, and the prevailing weather conditions,” he adds.
“Importantly, there’s now more opportunity to consistently achieve our 27-28% dry matter target,” he says.