There is nothing more satisfying than a happy customer and witnessing the completion of another successful installation.
On a recent trip to Mid Wales, we paid a visit to Rob Ruell’s beef, sheep and poultry farm. Rob is a second-generation farmer, having taken over the family farm from his parents, who are still heavily involved in its day-to-day activities. A couple of years ago, Rob had the bright idea of upgrading his flat-deck laying system to a modern multitiered egg production unit. Having done his research and spoken to his Area Sales Manager, Rob was certain that a Big Dutchman Natura system would be the right fit. He mulled it over for some months before eventually deciding to bite the bullet with a completion date set for summer 2026.
Rob explains, “We’d had the old flat-deck system since June 2009, so 17 years in total. The time was right to make the investment into multitier, and we have now welcomed our very first multitier flock. We only have 300 acres here, so we had to diversify into eggs. Everything seems to be running smoothly with the new equipment, and the birds have settled in nicely. They are eating and drinking and doing everything right. I wish I’d done it sooner!”
Rob has 32,000 birds across the two adjoining sheds. He has many farming friends and relations who had previously chosen Big Dutchman, and they all made recommendations to contact the Newquip team. Rob said, “They are an extremely talented bunch of people at Newquip. It took less than a month for them to build the system and it was even finished ahead of time. I knew a few people who had refurbished timber sheds like mine. Big Dutchman works well in a posted shed, and the ventilation is impressive. It is the best system on the market.”
Rob’s next step is to seek planning permission to build his own muck store, as he currently transfers it to another site on the England-Wales border. He adds, “I have seven or eight farms that take the manure and they want it clean and dry. It can be a valuable commodity when done properly. Today, if farms are not involved in pigs or poultry, they need to look for another income stream because you cannot do beef and sheep alone anymore. This regular income enables farmers to look ahead and future-proof their business for the next generation.”
For further information on Big Dutchman pig and poultry equipment, call Newquip on 01677 428600 or visit www.newquip.co.uk