KVERNELAND HEADLAND NEWS
BOOSTING MOWER CAPACITY Simpson Farms places great importance on forage quality. The family-run dairy farm located in Garlieston, Dumfries and Galloway, aims to produce around 16,000 tonnes of grass silage from four, 750-acre cuts, to keep its 1,050-cow herd delivering a consistent 35 litres of energy corrected milk per cow, per day.
But the ever-present risk of catchy weather in the county of Wigtownshire dictates that high-capacity kit is the order of the day for the Simpson family and its team. “Our coastal location means we’re under constant pressure from the weather,” explains head of field operations Kieran Wright. “Weather windows can be tight, so we need capacity from our equipment, to make sure our silage is the best it can be.” That ethos saw the farm replace one of its two front/rear 6m mower outfits with a Kverneland 53100MT triple mower for the 2025 season, taking the total cutting bed width up to an impressive 15.5m. “We had a demonstration of several triples, and the Kverneland set was by far the easiest to drive – both from an operator point of view and with power consumption. These mowers just slid over the surface and didn’t drag.” “...having a butterfly mower has really improved tractor stability, making headland turns on those steeper banks so much safer and easier.” Kieran Wright, head of field operations
“First cut this year saw 750 acres of grass dropped in just two and a half days, which is impressive,” says Kieran. “Having a 9.5m triple and a 6m double has made it easier to drop a lot of grass very quickly, so we can match the speed of the forager to ensure a consistent wilt time, and make the most of tight weather windows to hit our dry matter target.” A local contractor provides the forager fire-power. Aiming to clear 320 acres/day means the Simpson Farms team needs to make sure enough grass is mown and tedded, ready for the contractor to row-up and chop. Supplied by J&S Montgomery, the 53100MT butterfly boasts a working width from 9.5-10.2m thanks to a pair of nine-disc rear beds that are used in combination with an eight-disc, 3.2m wide 3332FT front- mounted mower conditioner. Kieran currently runs the set on a Valtra T235, though tractor power is expected to get a boost to make the most of the new mowers. Simpson Farms is about to put a more powerful Valtra Q265 on the
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