Here in Ireland, the management and conservation of grass has fallen into a well-established routine. That which is not grazed is ensiled in either a clamp or bales, while a field of hay is occasionally taken here and there.
Yet, the world moves on and a challenge to the ‘status quo‘ is now emerging in the form of the forage wagon.
Usually thought of as just another way to collect the crop and take it to the pit, this type of machine is gradually emerging as a grass management tool in its own right.
Certainly those that have invested in them claim that the purchase has encouraged a re-assessment of their feeding routines, while apparently saving both time and money.
One farm that has taken to the forage wagon with great enthusiasm is run by Padraig and Helena Claffey of Mount Temple, Co. Westmeath.
Their first foray into the mechanisation of feeding fresh grass came with a purpose built zero-grazing machine (equipped with a drum mower) which was becoming troublesome after its third year of use.
The machine had been purchased in a bid to reduce feed bills and, in this, it had proven to be highly successful.
However, with ongoing reliability issues and the realisation that they had become as reliant upon the zero-grazing unit as they had the milking machine itself, it became clear that a replacement was needed.
The issue came to a head in the summer when two gearboxes failed in quick succession.
Having made the second fix, Padraig Claffey decided to explore other options and contacted TFM (Templetuohy Farm Machinery). A demonstrator machine was on the farm the next day.
This was the Schuitemaker Rapide 58 (pictured above); it has not left the farm since.
The Schuitemaker Rapide is a self-loading forage wagon with no mower attachment. This meant that a separate mower had to be purchased – to mount on the tractor’s front linkage.
A second-hand, 10ft-cut Kuhn disc mower was acquired as part of the deal; this has proved to be the ideal match to both the forage wagon and the 155hp Deutz-Fahr Agrotron 6155 that powers it.
One major concern with the new set-up was that it would cause more damage to the grass and so reduce its palatability.
The Claffeys cut the crop everyday for the 350-cow dairy herd; so it’s all used within that time-frame.
A significant advantage of the Schuitemaker and mower is that it is far quicker than the previous arrangement of an integrated mower and wagon.
To fill and return with two loads takes around two hours, whereas before a whole morning could be taken up collecting the grass.
The larger cutting width accounts for some of this time-saving, but Padraig simply puts it down to the Schuitemaker and mower being a lot easier to use.
Does he still feel vulnerable to breakdowns?
“I don’t worry like I used to, but I am thinking of buying another used machine to back this one up,” he replied.
The new forage wagon also offers a great deal more flexibility, for it can be easily switched over to silage production simply by introducing the knives back into the crop-flow; a matter of tapping the control pad in the cab.
At the time of AgriLand’s visit, Padraig was being joined by Richard Massey, area sales manager for Schuitemaker in Ireland and the UK, for his first go at silage making with the machine.
Richard himself had brought along a Rapide 5800 model (pictured below), which is the same size as the one sold to the Claffeys but with a stronger gearbox – more suitable for farmers and contractors with very high-horsepower tractors.
The philosophy behind Schuitemaker’s forage wagon range is to provide various machines in different versions to suit the purchaser’s requirements.
Progression up the scale is mainly denoted by stronger gearboxes and more sophisticated axles.
Basically, there are three different versions known as the ’10’, ‘100’ and ‘1000’ series. All the wagons have self-steering as standard.
It’s the method of actuating the steering that differs; the top-end models having ‘forced/active steering’ and up to 40t of carrying capacity.
Schuitemaker is not, as yet, a hugely familiar brand around Ireland.
However, the firm has been around for a century now, having started as a forge at Notter (in the east of the Netherlands).
The entity’s first self-loading silage wagon was built in 1986; such machines have since become the company’s most popular products.
In addition to wagons, they also produce feeders and farm trailers as well as high-end slurry tankers; although there are presently no plans to import these latter products into Ireland.