Chris Fernyhough on Shelbourne Powermix Pro 15m3
Robert Davies Machinery customer, Chris Fernyhough of Aberbechan, Newtown runs a farm of 180 Limousin cattle who are fed twice a day from his New Shelbourne Reynolds Powermix Pro 15m3 machine.
Mr Fernyhough has been familiar with the Shelbourne Reynolds feeders after previously having a 13cu machine before moving to a competitive brand. Being left disappointed by the wear on the feed conveyor of the other brand machine and a few other niggles, Mr Fernyhough made the move back to Shelbourne Reynolds and sought a machine from local dealer Robert Davies Machinery.
“I hadn’t dealt with Robert Davies Machinery for a number of years but one year my feeder went down on New Year’s Eve and despite not being a frequent customer, they got me a replacement machine to tie me over whilst the other was fixed. That kind of service is something that sticks in your mind and so I looked to them when I wanted to change my machine.”
“Usability, reliability and good back up. It ticks all the boxes for me!”
Feeding his cattle twice a day with a ration mix of straw, sugar beet and silage, Mr Fernyhough comments on how well the cattle do from the mix and how much more contented they seem.
“We began mixing our feed about 12-15 years ago as we have always found it difficult to make enough silage. So, our main mix of straw, sugar beet and silage are what we feed out twice a day. I have found that the cattle do much better as oppose to feeing straw and silage separately. The machine doesn’t take too long to mix the feed together and it’s done very well! I like the fact I can get jobs done at the same time it is mixing as well. That’s a bonus.”
The Shelbourne Reynolds Powermix Pro is a single auger machine with a capacity of 15m³ which holds approximately 7,000Kg depending on the dry matter of the feed. The feeder has a compact single axle design allowing the machine to be navigated around tight buildings. A stand-out feature for Mr Fernyhough is the elevating conveyor that can be moved to the left or right and into an elevated position allowing feed to be delivered up to 1.65m in height.
“The most important feature for me is having the feed conveyor that can feed on the floor, into troughs and over 4ft high barriers. I need complete flexibility as I feed around different parts of the farm and they all require different heights so its compact design is also a huge benefit. I haven’t found many machines that have the elevating conveyor but the ones I have tried don’t seem to be capable of sticking the work like the Shelbourne! It’s well engineered, its bomb proof!”
The Powermix Pro is designed to chop and mix your feed, getting the correct ration you require. The mix is lifted up the centre of the tub and down the sides of the tub, continuing the cycle until the desired mix is achieved.
“The machine and system are capable of a very sophisticated dairy ration however, my needs are a bit simpler. I find the cab operation is easy and the weighing system allows me to do what I need for my cattle which is great and works for me!”
Most machines are an important part of the running of a farm but a feeder is up there as one of the most important for a livestock farmer. In the winter months the machine will be working consistently twice a day to mix and feed out to the cattle. The machines have to be robust, reliable and be backed up by good service.
“I would say the build quality of the machine is good, its robust and it has improved again since my last Shelbourne. The machine needs to be working consistently and they need to be built well to take the work. I have found the cost of ownership so far is good, it’s low maintenance, only requires my 90 horsepower tractor to run it and whenever I do need anything additional the team at Robert Davies Machinery have what I need.”
“I have been very happy with the whole process from Robert Davies Machinery, they are always there if you need anything and Rhys our salesman is always at the end of the phone. After moving away from the Shelbourne Reynolds brand to a competitive machine, I have realised just how good it is and I have certainly moved forward by purchasing this machine. I am really chuffed!”
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