NSA Advantage Feeder prize giveaway 2014: Anthony Spencer, Warwickshire
3rd March 2014
Warwickshire farmer Anthony Spencer was ‘over the moon’ when he heard he was the first NSA member lucky enough to win a 3in1 Advantage Feeder in the 2014 membership recruitment campaign.
Being the very first winner was a result of Mr Spencer filling in a membership form at the Lamma machinery show in January 2014. Mr Spencer says: “I had been meaning to re-join NSA again for quite some time and was quite surprised to see the stand at Lamma. Being an out-and-out stock person, I’d soon worked out where to make for to get away from the tractors for a bit and I found myself at the Advantage Feeders stand where I could happily chat away about feeding sheep without reference to any sort of horsepower! Roll on NSA Sheep 2014 at Malvern; it’s more my scene.
“I am very glad to be a member of the NSA again. In this ever uncertain agricultural world it’s good to know UK sheep farmers have a voice – plus I’d forgotten what good bath-time reading Sheep Farmer magazine is! And I was absolutely over the moon to hear I was the lucky winner of the feeder as a result of joining up.
“I have been looking at the 3in1 Feeder for some time now, especially after one of my neighbours has been so pleased with his. I can’t wait to put this one to work, as I still have about 600 store lambs left on roots and will probably pull off some smaller ones to try the feeder on, particularly as you can restrict their intakes, making it possible to feed whole barley at a fraction of the price of pellets.”
Restricted intakes is a key feature of the 3-in-1 Feeder. It can be set for ewes or lambs to feed ad lib or, using a saliva restriction system, limit intakes to varying amounts. The restricted system requires stock to lick feed out of the groove between two adjusters, which can be moved into different positions to limit feed. Advantage Feeders says when the lick system is in the most restricted setting the stock lick for five to 10 minutes between periods of grazing. The licking period is limited because the livestock use the saliva from their tongue to get the feed out of the groove and the saliva decreases with progressive licks.
Mr Spencer is a fan of any kind of technology to make his life easier, be it the Advantage Feeder or automatic weighing and drafting systems. “My goal is to build up to 1,000 breeding ewes in the near future and invest in new equipment and technology to make the job easier,” he says. “My labour force consists of a collie, kelpie and huntaway, and a very understanding fiancé (complete with our six-month-old son) when needed, so anything to make life simpler has got to be a winner.”
Winner Profile
- Anthony Spencer of Lower Quinton, Stratford Upon Avon, Warkwickshire
- Started his own sheep flock on the family farm when he was 20, buying pedigree Vendeen ewes and becoming active on the show circuit.
- Supplements his income as a sheep contractor, offering jetting, dipping and shearing services. Works with a couple of neighbours to shear around 15,000 sheep a year.
- Built flock up to 500 breeding ewes today, with about 350 of these as North Country Mule ewe lambs to sell as theaves or with lambs at foot. Aim to increase to 1,000 ewes in the near future. This year also bought 700 store lambs to finish on stubble turnips rented from an estate that he lambs for.
- Base is 75 acres belonging to his mother, with other land spread ‘far and wide’ in blocks ranging from five to 140 acres.
3-in-1 Advantage Feeders
- Save time. The 800 feeder (the model being given away by NSA) holds 500kg of pellets or barley. For 75 sheep on 0.5kg/day, the feeder will only require filling every 13 days.
- Save money: Removing feed from the ground reduced waste, while discouraging ewes from running for a daily feed reduced mis-mothering and makes it easier to check stock each day.
- Helps health. Eliminates over-consumption of corn-based diets and acidosis by allowing slow introduction of feed and progressive increase of ration by widening the adjustment system. This also allows you to utilise home-grown corn.
