It is a Claas act for contractor’s silage first cut
AN AGRICULTURAL contractor tested his latest machine during the first silage cut at Moy Farm.
Dougal Young and his son James put their Claas Jaguar 850 silage chopper through its paces for the first time during the cut at The Moy farm for Donald Mckay.
Mr Young, who is a contract cutter as well as running his own dairy farm, said that this year’s first cut is a week later than its usual third week of May but the quality on Mr Mckay’s 65 acres seemed good.
Mr Young said: ‘May has been a very good warm growing month but April was a bit cold which held back the growth.
‘We cut the field on Saturday and Donald should have it sheeted over in the silage pit by the end of today.
‘The quality is good. It is a lot drier than last year. We will not know the exact quality until it is analysed in about eight weeks.’
After eight years running a silage chopper he bought when it was four years old, Mr Young decided the time was right for a replacement.
He said: ‘I part exchanged my old machine with Campbeltown’s Glenside Tractors and for the first time ever have a brand new machine.
‘It is a self-propelled precision chopper with metal and stone detection systems. Stones or metal can do a lot of damage so it is really good having the latest protection.
‘I decided to buy new this time for the reliability and knowledge that servicing will be much less but it is a long-term purchase.’
During the chopping operation the new machine was kept in constant action as it filled the trailers of three tractors in rotation.
On Tuesday, making the best of this week’s fine settled weather, Mr Young was working at another farm in Southend.
He even offered a weather prediction for the rest of summer saying that the El Nino effect had passed and Kintyre could be in for a long settled spell, although he admitted that some regular rain would be beneficial as well.