Lawn Farm's beef cattle boost with Strautmann feeders

Set across 2000 acres of scenic Shropshire countryside, Lawn Farm has been in the Davies family for over 70 years.

For the entirety of those seven decades, the farm has grown barley, wheat, maize, and fodder beet, while also raising chickens and rearing calves. Today the farm is managed by Colin and Linda Davies, alongside their sons Steve and Andrew.

Steve and Andrew Davies, Lawn Farm, Shropshire, alongside their Strautmann Verti-Mix 3101 double This year marks over four decades since the family shifted focus from rearing calves to beef production.

Lawn Farm has grown significantly since then. Starting with 300 head of beef cattle, the farm now sends 4000 cattle annually to ABP Abattoir in Shropshire and typically keeps between 1200 and 1300 cattle on-site.

Andrew said: “We’ve certainly seen the beef cattle part of our farm increase a lot over the years, and I think we’ve developed a really good reputation for well-fed and well looked after cattle.

“The guys at ABP say they can tell which cattle are ours just by looking at them! I think part of this is down to how we raise them and how we feed them.”

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For the past decade, the Davies family have been using their own unique feed mix, and this is where their Strautmann Verti-Mix gives them an edge.

“The cattle just love our mix,” said Andrew. “In the winter, we’re adding fodder beet and potatoes if we can get hold of them to the silage. In the summer, we’re mixing maize, grass, brewers’ grain, cooked chips, biscuit meal, bread and barley. It’s a sustainable approach all year round and far cheaper than buying the mix in. The quality is 10 times better, and the cattle eat it so much faster.

“By using the Verti-Mix, we’re getting a really consistent product, and you can see this all the way down the line. There’s no sorting and they just can’t get enough of it.”

Few beef farms use the Verti-Mix in the same way as the Davies family. They make the most of their arable crops and Strautmann’s patented knife adjustment system, which allows the twin augers to be precisely set for optimal performance, using the Root Crop Knives instead of standard scrapers or blades.

Their Verti-Mix Expert 3101, part of the Double series, offers high mixing capacity in a compact design. The system’s two augers, combined with its intelligent container design, deliver ideal vertical and horizontal mixing, significantly reducing the mixing time.

The Davies family opted for a front crossover conveyor with a hydraulic folding extension, allowing the driver to see the mix being discharged and ensuring the exact amount of fodder is released, thanks to the built-in weighing system.

The Verti-Mix Expert 3101 they use today is their second Strautmann mixer.

“When we were first developing our mix, we had another make of mixer, but that was pathetic in comparison. We struggled to feed 50 cows with it! It was so slow and really unreliable. I don’t know how we managed to use it for the two years we owned it!

“We bought our first Strautmann Verti-Mix in 2015 and worked it really hard until we decided it was time for a new one. We chose to stick with Strautmann for several reasons. They’re really well made and do a great job – we can mix 30 to 35t quickly and feed 1,200 cows in two hours.”

He continues: “The strength of the tub is really impressive, and it’s much more reliable than what we were using before. The Verti-Mix holds more, chops more, and cuts really well – the blades are really good. The front conveyor gives a consistent output, and you can see the quality of the mix as the whole line is even.

“We also get fantastic backup from our Strautmann dealer and OPICO.”

As Lawn Farm’s success demonstrates, beef farms can expand rapidly. This is where Verti-Mix’s patented extensions come into play. As feed demand increases, the 180mm or 360mm extensions can be added to increase capacity, saving both time and money – something the Davies family has experienced firsthand.

Andrew concludes: “I’d say the Verti-Mix has saved us a lot of money. It’s hard to say how much, but we know it mixes more quickly than the first mixer we had, and as they say, time is money. It’s also very fuel efficient.”

Much has changed in the 40 years since the Davies family transitioned from calves to beef. In today’s tough economic climate, farmers are looking for every opportunity to cut costs, boost efficiency and stay ahead, including utilising the Verti-Mix’s ability to finely chop roots for silage.

For more information on Strautmann and the Verti-Mix range visit www.strautmann.co.uk or call 01778 421111.