Orby Engineering is a long-established company with over 60 years engineering experience and is renowned for manufacturing a range of livestock feeding equipment for the agricultural sector.
The company (originally based in Portadown) was founded by Orby Brown, who led the family-owned business for many years. When the company came up for sale three years ago due to retirement it was purchased by Stephen Cromie, the managing director of Exact Group NI.
With a wealth of precision engineering experience in the aerospace sector and cutting-edge equipment and techniques, it is an ideal collaboration, ensuring that Orby remains a market leader in its ‘field’.
Orby equipment is famed for its quality of design, product build and enjoys a reputation for reliability in build-quality and service.
Orby feeding equipment makes feeding livestock more efficient than traditional methods, saving farmers’ time through batch-feeding, as half a parlour can be fed instantly at the push of a button and can top-up or feed each cow individually as required. Fully controllable feeding reduces under/over-feeding, keeping cows contented and resulting in better animal health and an improved yield.
At the heart of every Orby feeder is the original patented Orby mechanism – a stainless steel measuring cylinder with spring-loaded finger seals which prevents cows (or vermin) from deliberately dislodging and pilfering extra feed. Used for over 40 years, this highly reliable system gives accurate and consistent results, with the cylinder/seal arrangement unique to Orby feeders.
Orby feeders are designed to give constant accurate and reliable performance and years of trouble-free operation, Orby feeders are powerful, with smooth and controlled speed of operation.
There is also a choice of easy to operate electronic controls which can be fully integrated with the most sophisticated computerised farm management/Auto ID systems.
Orby Feeders are extremely competitively priced compared to competitor offerings and now come with stainless feed shoots (legs) as standard. Available extras include; full stainless-steel version, stainless steel hoppers and longer/shorter chutes, flexible chutes, bespoke sized hoppers/ loft hoppers, and a full range of spares.
“Another key selling point is that our feeders are eligible for the maximum grant under the TAMS scheme which is open to dairy farmers until 31st December 2020,” explained Orby’s Technical Sales Manager Pascal Whyte.
“For example, a farmer under 40 is eligible to receive up to €668.97 towards the cost. A general farmer over 40 is eligible for up to €445.99 of the cost. As regards our batch feeders, a young farmer under 40 will receive up to €306.12 and farmer over 40 will get up to €204.08. To cut a long story short, our electronic feeders are eligible for the maximum grants under the TAMS grant.
“That’s a huge selling point for us as well as the fact that they are user friendly and modern feeders.”
Orby’s route to market is underpinned by a 50-strong dealer network covering the North and South of Ireland.
“All 32 counties are well provided for,” Pascal explained, “and we recently started collaborating with Fabdec Ltd, a company based in Ellesmere, Shropshire, England, which is famed for its pioneering stainless-steel footbaths. They are well known as a leading developer of innovative, high quality products and they have connections with every dairy dealer in Great Britain, as well as offices in Germany, Russia and Poland.
“It made good sense for the two companies to collaborate and we have been busy promoting our feeders at all the major shows in England. It’s a growing market for us and, as a result of our link up with Fabdec, we’re starting to see some traction there. Over the next three years, we will be entering the market in Europe and to that end we have already started researching the prospective markets there.
Another string recently added to the Orby Engineering bow was securing the sole dealership in the Republic of Ireland for the ADF automatic dipping and flushing system. The ADF system is considered an essential tool in mastitis reduction, coupled with considerable time savings and cost savings, along with other obvious health implications which significantly devalue the animal.
ADF has a presence in 30 different countries and the system takes the stress out of the parlour for both farmer and cow.
All in all, these are exciting times for the progressive Orby Engineering. “We pride ourselves on providing the end user with exactly what they need, a trouble free, versatile and extremely accurate feeder,” Pascal concluded.
Contact Pascal and the Orby Engineering team for more information and to see how Orby Engineering Parlour Feeding Systems could work for you on your farm.
Orby Engineering Ltd
Unit 7-8 Craigmore Industrial Estate
Craigmore Road
Newry
BT35 6LF
PHONE: ( +44) 028 3025 7222
EMAIL: [email protected]
WEBSITE: www.orbyengineering.com
First published in Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 7 No 7, December 2019/January 2020
