Tractorman810 Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 round you way does have a lot of big open fields even compaired to Suffolk ,well where I go, and they get bigger as you head into wilts and that way , they seem to go on for ever as you drive along, its just something I can say I have never seen as yet . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dave the farmer Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 I see Ben smith of wantage,Oxfordshire.run a 13.5m home made horsch co drill.there biggest field is 135 ha.333 acres. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 Stock feed loaded and ready for delivery this morning, shame we have to resort to this to get rid of some spuds, 400 t of slightly scabby stuff we where hoping to go for value pack but no trade so this is the next best thing, expensive way to pay off a spreading bill though! image.jpg image.jpg A big shame but you have to get rid of them somehow! Are there stock farms taking such large amounts or will they go in a digester? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 20, 2015 Author Share Posted February 20, 2015 Ultimately they will probably end up in the digester but we can't store them for that long, costs too much electric wise. Fingers crossed we can get some movement at Easter if not then all stockfeed im afraid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Palmer Posted February 20, 2015 Share Posted February 20, 2015 i must admit,that horsch drill is a cracker 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Niels Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Ultimately they will probably end up in the digester but we can't store them for that long, costs too much electric wise. Fingers crossed we can get some movement at Easter if not then all stockfeed im afraid. We've had two dry weeks so things started looking like spring. Lots of rain again now which will hamper early planting. Considering what amount of crop is left in store we need a late spring to ensure a market! Potatoes are especially bad. Carrots and onions are now shifting more and more but prices still marginal. Problem is stock farms won't take large volumes of potatoes and digesters don't really want them as well. I don't know what you should do. Sell them for fries and put pressure on the market or dry and find another market. Less potatoes here this year for sure. Certain shift towards more seed grown which also isn't a good thing really. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Nice updates , grain store is looking very impressive. Some tidy machines you have, do you just have the 1 materials handler on the farm ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 We've had two dry weeks so things started looking like spring. Lots of rain again now which will hamper early planting. Considering what amount of crop is left in store we need a late spring to ensure a market! Potatoes are especially bad. Carrots and onions are now shifting more and more but prices still marginal. Problem is stock farms won't take large volumes of potatoes and digesters don't really want them as well. I don't know what you should do. Sell them for fries and put pressure on the market or dry and find another market. Less potatoes here this year for sure. Certain shift towards more seed grown which also isn't a good thing really. We were going to cut right back to 150 acres but many growers in our area are giving up and then we have contracts for fries next this year and also a niche market for potato vodka in Herefordshire, with the reduction of growers locally we will take a small gamble on the open market as we have always had good relationships with Branston taking our spuds and not others, will we come out on top, i doubt it but worth a try, i think with many growers giving up there is a small glimmer at the end of the tunnel for the boys sticking with it, in our area anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Nice updates , grain store is looking very impressive. Some tidy machines you have, do you just have the 1 materials handler on the farm ? Cheers Dan, yes currently the one JCB, we did have a TM but sold that uncomfortable thing and we do that the builders JCB on site too. Plans are underway to upgrade the handler with the extra grainstore going up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Cheers Dan, yes currently the one JCB, we did have a TM but sold that uncomfortable thing and we do that the builders JCB on site too. Plans are underway to upgrade the handler with the extra grainstore going up IF you load a lot of grain with a handler, would a loading shovel be better for the job ? I know it wouldn't be as versatile on the farm but would having 2 machines be out of the question as some form of backup. Yeah JCB good choice suppose if it is changed regularly the need for a backup isn't realy justified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 We wouldn't go down the loading shovel route, we like flexibility so if both machines can do all jobs from loading grain to sat on the box tipper to being lowloadered about for fertiliser the better, if one breaks down the other is there, in the summer one will be full time on grainstore duties pretty much 24/7 so the other will be stacking straw or loading seed for drilling etc, which ground all over the place its important we have that flexibility Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Fair point suppose it wouldn't be much use on the spud side of the business. Yeah having 2 handlers offers that flexibility. On the fertilizer point would some sort of hiab be better than running a handler about with the spreader or is there a man with the handler for faster loading ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractorboy Posted February 21, 2015 Share Posted February 21, 2015 Up here in Yorkshire Id say its the growers finding the land they need for growing spuds most need 300 - to 500 ac & and many farmers don't want the trouble of late crops or the heavy kit now used , East Yorkshire always used to grown seed spuds which did well on price , so with Oakley growing spuds I always find that reading good , so in othere words Alex you ll have to grow a few just for me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 21, 2015 Author Share Posted February 21, 2015 Fair point suppose it wouldn't be much use on the spud side of the business. Yeah having 2 handlers offers that flexibility. On the fertilizer point would some sort of hiab be better than running a handler about with the spreader or is there a man with the handler for faster loading ? Well normally we run a chap on the spreader and a chap running the handler on a low loader and fetching bags, we do this to stay efficient but only when we are away at customers farms where we usually take over their yard, with the move over to liquid N soon we will only be spreading base elements. A HiAB trailer would be useful but sometimes if I'm honest we are slightly over staffed on the arable side of things, we need the staff we have for potatoes, a labour intensive operation and sometimes we have to make use of people, not only that but it speeds the operation of spreading up vastly making sure we cover ground quickly. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 A wet day here so iv been continuing with scratch building the elevators and conveyors complete with platforms for the new dryer and grainstore set up. Its slow painstaking work thats got to be right and this is the result after 20 hours. Still got hand rails to do, conveyors over to the old store, paint up and fix into position. I'll be glad when its done and i can crack back on with the store. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tractorboyjules1977 Posted February 22, 2015 Share Posted February 22, 2015 thought u was washed away down there this afternoon ! looks like its coming on well though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted February 22, 2015 Author Share Posted February 22, 2015 Thanks mate, horrible days weather, coming on well but slow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 Monday 2nd March Still no drilling happening with heavy storms of rain, had hoped to have made a start today as things are warming up a little now, but with that we have Steve Burcham main man from Horsch UK with us for the day to go through set up of the drill with Chris, Phil, James and myself. He will be back down again when we first put it in the ground. This is a prototype Sprinter 12SW we are trialing for Horsch with the intoduction of auto shut off. When ordering the drill we announced our concerns with the amout of overlap when finishing land bouts at say 45 degrees to the headland, not so bad with 4 or 6 meters but with 12 thats a lot of wasted seed so we have auto shut off and shut on in 3 meter sections similar to spray booms. If successful it will become an option or developed further to individual coulters. We speced it with Duett seed and fert coulters for simultaneous placement with seeds in a double row. I love these coulters with the yellow plastic side shield with stops soil sticking even in wet conditions. Also comes with a true tracker and steering axle to keep the drill on course. Im looking forward to getting it out. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 The idea came from... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tractorman810 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 how many acres would you expect to plant with a full seed tank on that rig then alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael6270 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 thats a nice drilling rig. whats the first crop you ll be planting with it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Light Land Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Really nice Alex. What fert are you putting down with what crops? How many units of p and k do you have there by you?. 40 Olsen p? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 how many acres would you expect to plant with a full seed tank on that rig then alex Very much depends on what seed your drilling and to what seed rate, although the tank looks big its split 60:40 for grain and fert so we don't gain much more than the tank on the old Vaddy. Just cover the ground a dam sight quicker! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 thats a nice drilling rig. whats the first crop you ll be planting with it? Thanks Michael, first crop going in for us will be Wizard spring beans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Oakley Farms Posted March 2, 2015 Author Share Posted March 2, 2015 (edited) Really nice Alex. What fert are you putting down with what crops? How many units of p and k do you have there by you?. 40 Olsen p? Hi Ol, being honest its mainly for DAP ahead of OSR to help vigour but will also be linked to SOYL to do variable rate P & K as a trial, im not convinced we will see much benefit but N is a no in the autumn, our land rarely lacks nutrients in the autumn. We will also use it to drill Phosate below the seed in our spring crops. As the seed has is own supply initally and not required until to roots get down to it Edited March 2, 2015 by Oakley Farms Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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