Robinson Farms is Ireland’s leading hay and haylage supplier. Based in Maynooth, Co. Kildare, the family business prides itself in producing superior nutrition for the horse industry.
With 120 years of tradition behind it, Robinson Farms is famous for its top quality horse feed. Father-and-son Peter and David Robinson specialise in producing premium hay and haylage for champion horses, leisure horses and ponies. They produce high quality dust-free forage for a wide variety of clients from leading stud farms, racing and competition yards to horse and pony owners.
Robinson Farms produces approximately 4,000 tonnes of haylage and 3,000 tonnes of hay per annum on a 900-acre farm (about half of which is rented). The forage is grown on Kildare’s limestone land, which is one of the most fertile soils in the world.
The Robinsons guarantee that their hay and haylage is fresh, clean and dust-free. They regularly test feeds for microtoxins to ensure the highest quality for their customers. They are dedicated to providing the very best customer service, meeting the agreed delivery dates and keeping quality and standards very high.
“Our goal is to produce forage of the highest quality,” David Robinson says.
“We have a good system in place to ensure our customers of a consistent, high quality product. We supply hay and haylage to everyone from a child with a pony to a top racehorse trainer. We’ve also started exporting in the last four-five years. We receive enquiries from all over the world.”
Robinson Farms sells and delivers forage all year round. Hay and haylage is made two-three times each year from three different grass types – Italian ryegrass, Timothy and mixed meadow grass. Timothy (dried to 10-12 per cent moisture), meadow and rye hay comes in 3ft x 3ft square bale size.
A beneficial forage solution for horses, Haylage is a dust-free alternative that can help manage respiratory problems and alleviate coughing symptoms. Haylage is very palatable and nutritious, and is not as dependent on good weather for long harvesting periods.
Robinson’s haylage is made from a selection of ryegrasses specially grown in Kildare suited to the needs of your horse. It is cut and left in the field to wilt for two days, then baled, packed and sealed immediately to preserve maximum nutritional value for your horse. It is supplied in 75-litre sealed bags which are ideal for feed shops shows, transport, small yards etc.
Large haylage is also available in 3ft x 3ft square bales. The bales can be collected from the Robinson Farms yard six days a week (open from 8am to 6pm) or delivered.
In the early 1990s, Robinson Farms expanded its operations and became the first producer of small bags of dust-free haylage. This was the birth of Equihaylage, which has been supplied to feed shops and yards nationwide ever since.
The Robinsons boast a large customer-base that includes top racehorse trainers Gordon Elliott and Eddie Lynam, Irish show-jumping champion Cian O’Connor, Dublin Zoo and the Garda Mounted Unit.
The Robinsons employ four full-time staff which rises to eight at harvest time. They operate John Deere tractors, Krone balers, Merlo teleporters as well as Lely tedders and rakes.
Peter Robinson has over 30 years’ experience in farming cattle, dairy cows, sheep and tillage, while producing forage for sale at the same time. He is constantly looking at different ways to increase quality and output, and purchased the first Veda Hay Dryer in Europe, which has allowed Robinson Farms to produce a dust-free high quality hay for customers in Ireland’s unpredictable weather.
“Reading the racing and horse news and seeing winning horses that feed on our forage is what drives us to produce a product of such high quality,” he says.
David Robinson has been on the farm since a very young age and has gained a huge amount of experience from his father. Since he returned to the farm full-time in 2007, production has increased by 50 per cent. David is at the heart of the farm’s operation and is involved in all aspects of the business.
Like Peter, he is always researching and developing new ways of increasing output, exploring new markets and identifying the most up-to-date and efficient machinery.
“Quality is of utmost importance for us as our customers expect a consistent fresh dust-free product every time,” he stresses.
“Whilst there are only a handful of hay and haylage specialists in Ireland, the marketplace in very competitive due to the large amount of French and Canadian hay and haylage which is being imported. You won’t last long in this business if you don’t offer the customer a top quality product, a reliable service and value-for-money.”
David concludes by saying: “Like nearly every other type of farming in this country, the weather dictates everything. There is a small window every summer in which to get the hay saved. The more favourable the weather, the better the quality the hay and haylage will be.”
Robinson Farms
Crinstown Business Park,
Maynooth,
Co. Kildare.
Telephone: 01 6286554
Website: www.robinsonfarms.ie
Taken from Irish Tractor & Agri magazine Vol 3 No 7, August 2015
