INVEST IN GRASS MACHINERY

W Field Agricultural incorporating Paddock Equipment, based in Somerset, offers a range of grassland machinery solutions to suit every budget, acreage and desired result.

Working as a small team W Field Agricultural offers a friendly personalised service to all customers. Director and lead mechanic Wayne Field is well known within the industry for his outstanding mechanical expertise with some considering him among the top in the country which enables W Field Agricultural to offer a high standard of aftercare to their customers.

The importance of grass to alpacas

Grazing should form the majority if not the entirety of an alpaca’s diet and with them not eating thistles, docks or nettles it makes sense to ensure your grazing land is of the best possible quality it can be. Regardless of acreage chain harrowing should form part of your grassland management routine. Regular chain harrowing helps to stimulate growth by aerating and removing the dead thatch out of the grass, other benefits include breaking up and levelling out soil and spreading fertiliser, visit www.chainharrows.co.uk for the full list of benefits or to purchase a chain harrow.

Regardless of whether you have a large agricultural tractor or a ride on mower the website offers a full range of solutions to suit all budgets and towing vehicles. A great complement to chain harrowing is to roll your grassland. Rolling helps level out any unevenness, firms up the ground and gently crushes the grass crowns, which encourages the grass to spread and also maximises its growth. Paddock Equipment W Field Agricultural offer what they consider one of the best rollers on the market, made with heavy duty steel, and supplied with many extra features as standard. Visit www.paddockrollers.co.uk for more information.

Let’s talk worms

An unpleasant but essential management task for any alpaca keeper. A very simple tool to help prevent a worm burden is to collect faeces off the pasture, this will help to prevent eggs staying in the pasture and hatching out into infectious larvae during the warmer months. Paddock vacuum cleaners are available to purchase through Paddock Equipment. These come in a range of models so whether you want to pull, tow or require something self propelled there is something to suit. All the paddock cleaners on offer use the clean fan technique which means no muck or debris pass through the engine fan ensuring a long working life.

The paddock cleaner uses a suction hose to pick up the droppings leaving a very clean finish and no cross contamination which is essential for keeping your grazing clean and minimising the risk of a worm burden. The paddock cleaners are able to pick up a wide range of materials offering excellent value for money, visit www.paddockvacuumcleaners.co.uk for more information and to see the full list of benefits.

Hay and haylage

There are times it is necessary to substitute hay and/or haylage into your alpaca’s diet, for example during the winter months or during pregnancy and for lactating females. For those who have surplus grassland the opportunity is there for you to produce your own hay or haylage, the benefits of which are endless. No more waiting for your local farmer or contractor to fit you in, you can seize that small window the great British weather gives you yourself, not only this but you know the exact contents of your feed. W Field Agricultural are suppliers of Malone Farm Machinery, Malone being one of the market leaders in grassland equipment. Products include a range of toppers, disc mowers and tedders all of which demonstrate the latest grassland technology and the outstanding heavy duty build quality proves their equipment to be a fantastic investment.

Based in the South West of England just outside Weston-super-Mare, Paddock Equipment, part of W Field Agricultural Engineering & Services Ltd, is one of the largest suppliers of paddock equipment in the UK. We specialise in all types of paddock equipment from trailed and mounted chain harrows to paddock vacuums and field rollers.