Silage to dye for

23 April 1999




NEW PRODUCTS

Move and scratch with mobile house

FREE-RANGE egg producers can relocate scratching areas to suit with Patchetts mobile poultry house, which can hold 600 birds.

The previous scratching area was covered with fixed sheet steel. This has been replaced with plastic slats overlaid with loose chipboard fitted with a loose metal surround, which can be quickly and easily located.

Other improvements include repositioning of lights to give more uniform illumination, a new method of securing the wind-skirt to prevent birds burrowing beneath it, thicker nest box floors and a beefed-up draw-bar and chassis, says the company.

The mobile poultry house costs £9650 ex-works (01274-882333).

Organic seed mix

FIND out which grass and forage crops will suit organic systems in Cotswold Seeds new catalogue Forage Seeds for Organic Farmers.

The company will supply seed mixtures for those in organic conversion, seeds for organic short term leys for forage production and longer term high clover leys for grazing and cutting. Legume crops such as sainfoin and lucerne can also be supplied.

According to Cotswold Seeds, the advice in the free catalogue will help producers new to the subject and wishing to start an organic rotation. (01451-822055, fax 01451-810300).

More data from stock indicators

WEIGH stock more quickly and obtain customised information on read-outs using Ritchey Taggs Tru-Test Series 2000 electronic indicators.

Designed for use with existing Tru-Test loadbars and Ezifeet, the company says its range of indicators is flexible, rugged, user-friendly, and designed for use even by techno-phobes.

Technological advances allow faster weighing, a larger memory capacity, more information on screen and screens which can be configured to customise the information displayed.

The JR2000, which costs from £560, can be upgraded and is aimed at producers requiring individual animal recording but not statistical functions. The SR2000 offers more comprehensive features, says Ritchey Tagg (01765-689541, fax 01765 689851).

Silage to dye for

COPE better with different harvesting conditions using re-formulated Biophage-X silage inoculant, says manufacturer FSL Bells.

The UKASTA approved additive now includes a new lactic acid bacteria growth medium. It also has a special dye which changes from blue when it contains 1m lactic acid bacteria/g of grass to yellow/green after overnight development in warm water when it contains 2m lactic acid bacteria/g of grass.

After overnight additive development, a 1000t clamp will require 20 packs of Biophage-X, costing £76.50/pack or 76.5p/t, says the company (0800-374325, fax 01249-700751).


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