3 in 1 feeders

[Bury the Trash]

Put one in Sunday to bunch of newly weaned lambs who have never had hard feed. Put some finisher nuts in to start a few just getting the idea will move onto oats as soon as harvested.

is it going ok @pgk ?

 

[pgk]

Oats a bit dusty and maybe not that palatable but some soya bean meal in and that seems to have done trick for ram lambs who are now really motoring on it. Brought them into polytunnel 10 days ago as grass going straight through them as so lush. Am at last getting a good number to finish. Have a bunch of ewe lambs finishing on more stemmy grass and whole oats alone, they are taking similar volume per head. Like the ease of moving them on forks. If I can get some barley will add some in now they have the idea.

 

[PFH]

So has anyone got 3in1 feeders working successfully indoors for ewes pre lambing or does the access to nearby water bowls cause them to over indulge?

 

[pgk]

Will tell you in a few weeks, bringing a bunch of 100 ewes in next week who will have access to oats in 3 n 1 feeder will keep it tight to regulate intakes, have just over 3t bagged up which needs to take them to end of march.

So has anyone got 3in1 feeders working successfully indoors for ewes pre lambing or does the access to nearby water bowls cause them to over indulge?

 

[exmoor dave]

So has anyone got 3in1 feeders working successfully indoors for ewes pre lambing or does the access to nearby water bowls cause them to over indulge?

Really would like to know the answer too, ewes been in a week now and twice-day cake scrum is getting right on my wick!

I've put a 3-1 in with the 2t ewes and to be honest they haven't gone mad on it!
Set on 200/250g/d setting, guards on, just oats, having cake separately.

 

[yellowbelly]

Really would like to know the answer too, ewes been in a week now and twice-day cake scrum is getting right on my wick!

I've put a 3-1 in with the 2t ewes and to be honest they haven't gone mad on it!
Set on 200/250g/d setting, guards on, just oats, having cake separately.

We finished some hoggs inside on ours 2 yrs ago and they were the most settled sheep I've ever had inside. They never bothered to get up when you went in to fill it up.

 

[exmoor dave]

We finished some hoggs inside on ours 2 yrs ago and they were the most settled sheep I've ever had inside. They never bothered to get up when you went in to fill it up.

I've done the same and agree but I had them on basically ad lib,
The challenge with ewes I think will be reliably getting the intakes right with out them eating us out of house and home

 

[yellowbelly]

I've done the same and agree but I had them on basically ad lib,
The challenge with ewes I think will be reliably getting the intakes right with out them eating us out of house and home

Yeah, that's the tricky bit.
I'm planning on using our's for the ewe lambs this year. The plan is to steam them up on it a little bit, leave them on it after they've lambed (depending on grass) and then drop the creep lids down so their lambs use it as a creep feeder.
It's a bit of faffing about getting intakes right but I like the system when you get it right.

 

[Bury the Trash]

could try blocking around the feeders at night but would be bit a a scrum down in the morn tho i guess.

i try anything once

 

[PFH]

@Dealer can it be done?

 

[Bury the Trash]

@Dealer can it be done?

just put some hurdles around ....


and try with oats only see how it goes.

trial + error = experience

 

[CornishRanger]

Anyone using sugar beet shreds or pellets through one? How well do they work?

 

[Dealer]

Right guys I can give some guidance on what works but it will vari due to lots of factors

Particle size is a big factor in intake rate

I,e. Bigger the pellet / particle size the wider the adjuster gaps need to be remember sheep take the feed by dipping the tongue into the feed slot and feed sticking to it, they don't tend to curl the tongue like cattle

With this in mind we need the gap wide enough for the to happen, if they lick and the feed does not stick the they keep licking and make it wet then pellets go to mush and you will need to clear the slot more.

8 mm is the smallest gap sheep need for tongue width but that won't allow a 6 mm pellet through very well so we need the gap wider and then they eat more.

In general minimum restrictions are as follows

Grain in barley wheat oats. Feed whole with average dust and chaff would be around 100- 150 grams per day top adjuster open just enough to allow flow into the groove

3 mm pellets would be around 300 / 400 grams per day

6 mm pellets 600/ 800 grams

Any bigger would probably be an ad-lib figure

But even ad-lib through our feeders are better than bulk ad-lib if they have to lick it out as they take lots of smaller amounts as opposed to larger single amounts

The massive advantage in this is maintained PH levels above 6 at all times

If we drop PH below 6 the efficiency of the rumen is reduced and less productive

Feeding ewes during pregnancy is common with the better control via grain mixed with protein balancer pellet. Of 3 or 4 mm in diamiter

This mixes with the grains and is of similar size

Don't let the feeder go empty and let the animals have full access if you restrict the feeding times available you will encourage bullying and increase the potential for shy feeders



If you do need to stop the animals eating say over night you should just drop the creep panel fully down and they won't get access to the feed area so no need for gates or hurdles

 

[Bury the Trash]

But even ad-lib through our feeders are better than bulk ad-lib if they have to lick it out as they take lots of smaller amounts as opposed to larger single amounts

thats what we have found with hoggs.... they cant gorge so easily

 

[Razor8]

Seeing as the weather is going to leave grass very scarce I’m wondering have any of ye guys fed ewes & lambs with the 3 in 1 feeder & how did it work out?

Bought one here at end of last year but only fed lambs

 

[exmoor dave]

Seeing as the weather is going to leave grass very scarce I’m wondering have any of ye guys fed ewes & lambs with the 3 in 1 feeder & how did it work out?

Bought one here at end of last year but only fed lambs

Yep got all my twin ewes (with lambs) on them.

Started on just whole oats as plenty of grass as the ewes were turned out from mothering pens.

Then as grass starts disappearing /ewes are milking more and more, I add cake to about 55% oats 45% cake,

then back to just oats as I'm winding the ewes down, same time close creep panel down on one side and put pellets in for lambs.

Little while longer, close other side creep panel, so it's just lambs feeding.


Couple of points I've found- when feeding just oats, ewes will moderate themselves reasonably well, AS SOON as you add cake they go abit mental for the feed.
So use the ladder restrictor to stop ewes just working up and down the slit.

Any cake in the mix will want to block up, so use the ladder restrictor in the position that uses the dots on the ladder not the lower adjuster on the feeder.

Generally setting feeders at position 3 top and 3 bottom, or for grimmers, poor ewes etc, 4 top, 3 bottom.
Seems to work out about 1/kg day of mix, less if just oats.

Lambs will be nibbling from quite a young age (I've just included that in the 1kg/day)

 

[yellowbelly]

^^^^^^ what he said

 

[yellowbelly]

The lambs get 'taught' by the ewes how to use it and when (if, this year) the grass comes you are able to drop the creep flaps and it's a creep feeder.
The only problem when it's as wet as it is now is that there's a lot of 'traffic' round the feeder and you have to keep moving it on a lot (or carpet your fields like @exmoor dave )

 

[Razor8]

Cheers

Il probably use pellets

I’ve a 500 model. How many ewes with lambs would you put to one feeder?

 

[Dealer]

60 ish ewes. 100 ish lambs