Brewers Grains

Tim G · Mar 7, 2024

I've been offered a smallish quantity of brewers Grains from a local brewer. Somewhere between 1 and 1.5t per week. I'd like to feed them to our jerseys. Is there a maximum rate they should be feed at and is it possible to clamp them through the summer? Or would I be better feeding them to something else?

connor454545 · Mar 7, 2024

upnortheast · Mar 7, 2024

Good feed
If clamping, make a proper job of sealing the pit or you will get a significant amount of waste.
Advice used to be sprinkle salt on the top, not sure if that is still recommended ?

Tim G · Mar 7, 2024

upnortheast said:
Good feed
If clamping, make a proper job of sealing the pit or you will get a significant amount of waste.
Advice used to be sprinkle salt on the top, not sure if that is still recommended ?

I'm wondering if silage bags might be a good way to store through the summer, for small quantities.

serf · Mar 7, 2024

I get the same sort amount as you are being offered, once they are on it then go mental as soon as there is a sniff of it in the air even if its going to be fed to them or not

In summer I just chuck the lot straight out onto the grass out back of trailer and let them get on with it sheep aswell just to clear it up and stop flies and stop it going off in the sun.

upnortheast · Mar 7, 2024

Tim G said:
I'm wondering if silage bags might be a good way to store through the summer, for small quantities.

Sounds hard work, putting it in & out again

upnortheast · Mar 7, 2024

Do you feed a bought nut in summer.
Maybe replace some or all of the nuts with brewers grains
Will save the storage wastage

Best seek advice from a nutrionist about that

livestock 1 · Mar 7, 2024

I used to pit a few hundred tonnes of grains in the summer you pretty much follow the same as silage pitting but we used to get a couple of tonnes of salt for the top to stop the waste. Roll it with a quad bike salt then sheet weigh the sheet same as silage. Wagons were booked so it could be done in a day or two. Having a trickle of a tonne or two a week would mean pitting it would be impractical. Just feed it as you get it instead

serf · Mar 7, 2024

Need to remember it's a bind and commitment too getting them every week esp in summer when they want them gone quicker .

livestock 1 · Mar 7, 2024

Is it to collect?

O'Reilly · Mar 7, 2024

Our nutritionist reckons no more than 10kg/day or you get butterfat depression. However I have overfilled a trough before now, so they were in effect adlib and appeared to self regulate. They will probably be wetter than what comes from an industrial brewery, so you can feed a higher rate. Definitely worth a try, is a good feed.

Tim G · Mar 7, 2024

upnortheast said:
Do you feed a bought nut in summer.
Maybe replace some or all of the nuts with brewers grains
Will save the storage wastage

Best seek advice from a nutrionist about that

Yes, but only in the parlour, I don't think brewers Grains would work in there.

livestock 1 said:
I used to pit a few hundred tonnes of grains in the summer you pretty much follow the same as silage pitting but we used to get a couple of tonnes of salt for the top to stop the waste. Roll it with a quad bike salt then sheet weigh the sheet same as silage. Wagons were booked so it could be done in a day or two. Having a trickle of a tonne or two a week would mean pitting it would be impractical. Just feed it as you get it instead

That's why I thought about silage bags.

serf said:
Need to remember it's a bind and commitment too getting them every week esp in summer when they want them gone quicker .

It is, but that's the cost of the feed to me as they are for nothing.

livestock 1 said:
Is it to collect?

Yes, it's not far, they are going to put them in lidded dolavs and have a forklift to load so I'll just nip over with a truck and trailer with the empty dolavs and swap for full ones.

upnortheast · Mar 7, 2024

Tim G said:
dolavs

Every day`s a school day on TFF
That`s a word I`ve never heard before

Tim G · Mar 7, 2024

upnortheast said:
Every day`s a school day on TFF
That`s a word I`ve never heard before

The first time I ever heard of them was dealing with another micro brewery years ago, also for their spent Grains. The next time was with these guys, perhaps it's something peculiar to the micro brewery industry!

Bald Rick · Mar 7, 2024

upnortheast said:
Every day`s a school day on TFF
That`s a word I`ve never heard before

It’s what we put any dead calves in before taking to recycling centre. Easy handling with pallet forks.

IIRC, we once sprayed brewers with watered down perasetic acid to stop mould etc

ollie989898 · Mar 7, 2024

For such a small quantity per week I'd be feeding them straight away, don't mess about trying to store and conserve them.

If you go too mad they will depress butterfat as you get a fibre substitution but 1.5 tonne a week isn't likely to do any harm?

serf · Mar 7, 2024

upnortheast said:
Every day`s a school day on TFF
That`s a word I`ve never heard before

Me either and I had to search it too , know what they are called now though

livestock 1 · Mar 7, 2024

You need a lot of it to do much it’s 80% water
Personally I think it’s not worth trying to store it up for a small quantity per week
If you have something to feed it to as it comes it might be worth it

Tim G · Mar 7, 2024

livestock 1 said:
You need a lot of it to do much it’s 80% water
Personally I think it’s not worth trying to store it up for a small quantity per week
If you have something to feed it to as it comes it might be worth it

Yes, there will something to eat it. Always a few pigs here, often a beef animal or two near finishing in the shed. Might even let the cows in the shed after milking to have a kg or two.

livestock 1 · Mar 7, 2024

Tim G said:
Yes, there will something to eat it. Always a few pigs here, often a beef animal or two near finishing in the shed. Might even let the cows in the shed after milking to have a kg or two.

I pick it up from the pub but there isn’t much and I’m past a few times a day it’s barely worth arsing on with

Brewers Grains

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