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Victorian contractor knows quality counts.

Wayne Spinks is an example of the new breed of hay & silage contractor making hay while the sun shines, and sometimes when it doesn't.Based at the home property "Greenvale" at Broken Creek near Benalla in Victoria, Spinks Agricultural Company is growing solidly as a result of his quality methods, and preparedness to apply new technology to his operation.The family has been producing hay and contracting for more than 40 years, with Wayne contracting for around 10 years. The highly experienced operation specializes in supplying and baling hay of consistently high quality to produce stores and customers. Their reputation for quality work led to other local farmers wanting them to contract bale for them.Wayne considers himself a small operator in the industry, with the volume of work only what they can handle within driving distance and still do a quality job. They also contract for local dairy farmers needing bunker silage.Equipment used by Spinks Agricultural Company has been essentially for their own irrigated Lucerne and dryland hay. Machinery includes two Case Centreline small square balers, plus associated equipment such as mower conditioners, rakes etc. For silage and hay, they operate a Massey Ferguson 187 4x3 chopper baler. They also have a silage wrapper for both round and square bales plus two super-conditioners. Round bales are subcontracted to a neighbour.When asked about what drives his success, Wayne says "We're fussy in what we do - it must be done right. We achieve consistent sales due to doing it right which makes for happy customers. If we say what quality the hay is, it will be what we claim - it's important to do what gives the best result, and not use the cheapest option."In 2006 and 2007, the drought presented Wayne and many other contractors with difficult baling conditions due to the significant number of failed cereal crops which had varying levels of moisture particularly due to high levels of concentrated sap in the plant material.With significant number of haysheds and haystacks still burning down across NSW and Victoria, Wayne is strongly of the opinion that Si-Lac® Extra has a firm place in managing high moisture hay and reducing the potential for spontaneous combustion fires.Wayne started using Si-Lac for silage and Si-Lac Extra for hay in 2006 with great results and points to baled high moisture hay that he has stored on his own property. "We did our own experiments this year with large square and round bales at varying moisture levels up to 35 percent that we treated with Si-Lac Extra and stored on the home place. The results have been fantastic." The high moisture round bales were superconditioned twice and were at least 2-3 good hot days away from baling. "But with 50mm of rain on its way, we applied Si-Lac Extra and baled ahead of the rain. This was extremely successful, with no signs of heating" Other large square bales also treated and stored away have resulted in excellent quality hay, with no temperature issues. Not recommending pushing the boundaries too far, Wayne says "It's good to know you have options when you're under the pump."In normal use, Wayne sees Si-Lac Extra being an "Insurance policy". He will be using the inoculant on all his hay allowing him additional flexibility and reducing risk, baling up to a day or two ahead of normal baling time, minimizing leaf loss, and maximizing quality. Wayne indicates "Farmers and contractors can also extend the window for baling longer into the night when dew is beginning to settle."Wayne believes that quality is paramount right through the process - from the tightness and weight of the bales, through moisture management to the final storage and stacking of the end product. Where cereal hay is considered, he believes it is difficult to get the hay right for baling due to the moisture retention in the nodes and stems. "Most moisture meters miss this fact" he says. "And this is probably a reason for so much hay going up in smoke. Plus contractors must be careful to ensure that all the hay is properly conditioned and treated. It can be the hay from the headland or hay that wasn't raked and conditioned properly that will give grief even when the rest of the paddock was fine. It only takes one bale in a stack to send the whole lot up in smoke."When asked where he sees the industry going, Wayne is quite emphatic, "In the future people will have to take more responsibility for what they do. Contractors must be up front and do what is right for the customer. When customers are paying for and expecting quality, we must deliver it." "Unfortunately hay making if far from an exact science and there may a be rationalization in the industry based around people's ability to deal with difficult conditions and their willingness to use the technology provided from products like Si-Lac Extra."Wayne says, "We actually did jobs for people this last season who have their own balers - we worked beside them as they weren't sure if the crop was ready and when to start and stop baling. It proves it's to risky to go out and buy a baler and stick it in the paddock and hope for the best."