200 lambs to finish

[Mr Optimistic]

Looking at putting all lambs 37kg & over inside to finish them now grass quality has reduced to make room for ewes and get the lambs gone, looking at most cost effective way, just started feeding 18% nut outside, do I continue with that along with straw for roughage or add rolled barley to the mix to reduce cost or feeding hay too, all lambs are up together on worms & just been bolused and now just doing their seasonal slow up with the weather and grass quality. Have a deadweight contract so not interested in selling stores and the current market price doesn't effect the question. Look forward to some useful answers.

 

[livestock 1]

I would add some barley to the mix gradually but as you increase it I wouldn’t roll it. Rolled barley gives a greater chance of acidosis here in my experience. Whole oats would be good to add and superflow which would mean you could get away with more barley and less pellets therefore more £££

 

[neilo]

Alkagrain is your friend. I will be doing similar with a couple of hundred of mine shortly, aiming to push them out in early November. I reckon on it costing me, with the current price I can sell Barley for, about £150/t by the time i’ve Added some minerals to the diet. That’s for a 15% protein, high starch diet that pretty well eliminates acidosis.

 

[milkloss]

Not too up on sheep rations but isn’t 18% a little hot?

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Not too up on sheep rations but isn’t 18% a little hot?

Right, 16% plenty.

 

[Agrivator]

I would advice you to use a reputable intensive lamb-finishing pellet. It will be expensive but it will give more predictable and higher gains, and take significantly less feed to finish them.

 

[Six Dogs]

Alkagrain is your friend. I will be doing similar with a couple of hundred of mine shortly, aiming to push them out in early November. I reckon on it costing me, with the current price I can sell Barley for, about £150/t by the time i’ve Added some minerals to the diet. That’s for a 15% protein, high starch diet that pretty well eliminates acidosis.

Tell me more about the Alkagrain please @neilo

 

[Bury the Trash]

rats do like it

 

[Mc115reed]

18% ??? The money you’ll save feeding them for less time you’ll spend on footbath solution!! They’ll be walking into the slaughter house on there knees because they’ve burnt there feet out lol ... I’d say 16% is plenty and will keep them on there feet... mix in whole barley or oats as it doesn’t fly through them like rolled stuff does

 

[Ross121]

Would maize silage work?

 

[neilo]

Tell me more about the Alkagrain please @neilo

It was discussed recently here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/maxammon-grain-treatment.181760/

Maxammon is essentially the same stuff, just from a different company.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Would maize silage work?

Yes, if youve got some thats unalocated its bit more difficult to balance though and it needs to be kept fresh.

 

[michael N123]

I would add some barley to the mix gradually but as you increase it I wouldn’t roll it. Rolled barley gives a greater chance of acidosis here in my experience. Whole oats would be good to add and superflow which would mean you could get away with more barley and less pellets therefore more £££

I crush it all for mine but do introduce it very slowly over a few weeks

 

[Bury the Trash]

Looking at putting all lambs 37kg & over inside to finish them now grass quality has reduced to make room for ewes and get the lambs gone, looking at most cost effective way, just started feeding 18% nut outside, do I continue with that along with straw for roughage or add rolled barley to the mix to reduce cost or feeding hay too, all lambs are up together on worms & just been bolused and now just doing their seasonal slow up with the weather and grass quality. Have a deadweight contract so not interested in selling stores and the current market price doesn't effect the question. Look forward to some useful answers.

In with A 15 / 16 % pellet fed to adlib with nice clean straw or if you have none and have some of last years 'dry as sticks' hay to pick on will be the simplest quickest way to finish them

 

[Bury the Trash]

I forgot, make sure water drinkers are kept fresh and clean. Small easy to clean ones are better for sheep.

 

[livestock 1]

I would advice you to use a reputable intensive lamb-finishing pellet. It will be expensive but it will give more predictable and higher gains, and take significantly less feed to finish them.

Possibly true. I have a mate that fattens 100,000 plus and doesn’t use any pellets unless the sheep are on land which produces seed barley or other areas where rogue grains could cause issues.

 

[LAMBCHOPS]

Possibly true. I have a mate that fattens 100,000 plus and doesn’t use any pellets unless the sheep are on land which produces seed barley or other areas where rogue grains could cause issues.

Is your mate buying now with brexit worries

 

[livestock 1]

Is your mate buying now with brexit worries

Don’t think he’s ever worried about anything in his life

 

[LAMBCHOPS]

Don’t think he’s ever worried about anything in his life

Have the big store lamb buyers got the brakes on i wonder. Does anybody know the mechanics of this intervention if lamb trade does go to the wall with no deal?

 

[neilo]

Have the big store lamb buyers got the brakes on i wonder. Does anybody know the mechanics of this intervention if lamb trade does go to the wall with no deal?

I don’t think anyone knows anything yet, even those trying to come up with knee jerk schemes.

Surely nobody has ‘the brakes on’ looking at the store lamb trade. It’s mental considering where the fat is, and the uncertainty over what may, or may not, happen over the next few months.