For Donald Fraser and his brother James, the role of a Kverneland tedder is essential to get the most from their grass.
“We’ve recently improved mowing performance with a trailed 4332LT, and have now added an eight-rotor 8590 Pro Line tedder to speed up wilting,” says Donald. “Wilting wasn’t a problem in last year’s unusually dry season – in fact we had more trouble keeping moisture in. But in more ‘normal’ seasons, we do need to ted to make the most of weather windows.”
Based at Easter Clune Farm, Lethen, Nairn in the Scottish Highlands, the Frasers’ cut around 200-250 acres each season, to produce high quality silage for cattle, and premium quality haylage for local equestrian customers.
The farm’s 110-cow herd favours a high dry matter diet, and having steel conditioner tines, plus a wider and more efficient tedder from local dealer HRN Tractors, the Frasers can continue to make the most of their grass crops.
In addition, high quality forage is utilised with the Frasers’ calf fattening enterprise which sees around 120 head finished each year for ABP at Perth.
For 2019, HRN Tractors has also supplied the farm with a new rake - a 9590C Hydro. This twin rotor rake offers an adjustable working width from 8-9m, and a rear axle that allows the rake to be lowered by 40cm, reducing its transport height to less than 4m, without removing tine arms.
“The two extra rotors on the tedder and the new Kverneland rake will help us to stay comfortably in front of our neighbour’s self-propelled forager,” says Donald. “And it’ll be particularly useful on contract work too.”
April 2019
