barley beef need some advice

[mph04]

looking at setting up on contract with beutlair to take calves at 3 months old upto 12 months on a barley systm

my thoughts

bring them in feed them for first few weeks on a feed nut mixed with alittle barley feeding twice a day with adlib straw
then after few weeks bring them onto a fully adlib systm of a mill and mix blend of bly minerals beans or a protein pellet to the age of 8 months

then change the diet for the last 3 to 4 months to really push them to finish them

my question is how many barley beef feeders would I need for a batch of 30 would one twin sided be big enough as there on adlib and not all feeding at once

or would you go with a rectangle feeder trough and feed them in this like one for silage or straw would be a cheaper option but birds would be in it any advice welcome

 

[joe soapy]

Feed hopper for adlib needs to be matched to size of your bucket, more important than the number of animals

 

[beefandsleep]

30 too big a group for Bulls. 20 max per group. 3m wide single sided hopper perfect for that size group. Don't forget, plenty of clean fresh water, just as important as ad lib straw. Make sure the water bowls are man enough for the Bulls or you will be constantly cleaning out flooded pens.

 

[Jon.S]

I would seriously look at some alkaline treated grain. 15% protein add some minerals sprinkled on top of every bucket. Then as they get to 7 months start adding some biscuit meal. Increase the biscuit meal to 50:50 in 6 weeks. You get a cost effective roughly 12.5% protein high starch diet that is pretty safe to feed. Get them on a hopper, 30 is a big bunch of bulls though and aside from the bossing element you will have to handle them at some point.

 

[pellow]

I would ad lib from the start

 

[Chae1]

30 too big a group for Bulls. 20 max per group. 3m wide single sided hopper perfect for that size group. Don't forget, plenty of clean fresh water, just as important as ad lib straw. Make sure the water bowls are man enough for the Bulls or you will be constantly cleaning out flooded pens.

We've a pen of 54. No problems.

 

[gone up the hill]

looking at setting up on contract with beutlair to take calves at 3 months old upto 12 months on a barley systm

my thoughts

bring them in feed them for first few weeks on a feed nut mixed with alittle barley feeding twice a day with adlib straw
then after few weeks bring them onto a fully adlib systm of a mill and mix blend of bly minerals beans or a protein pellet to the age of 8 months

then change the diet for the last 3 to 4 months to really push them to finish them

my question is how many barley beef feeders would I need for a batch of 30 would one twin sided be big enough as there on adlib and not all feeding at once

or would you go with a rectangle feeder trough and feed them in this like one for silage or straw would be a cheaper option but birds would be in it any advice welcome

You need to ad lib from the word go, also you will need to feed bicarb or else you will get feet problems.

What weight spec have they got to be when they go on that scheme?

 

[Chae1]

I'd have thought if on a contract they will tell you what to feed.

 

[beefandsleep]

We've a pen of 54. No problems.

I used to have pens with 40 odd, the problem is when you draw out to kill it upsets the group, they fight, dont grow/lose weight/get injured take your pick. Too much bullying at the trough, poor doers, uneven growth. Now with smaller groups, virtually al in all out and hardly any problems.

 

[mph04]

You need to ad lib from the word go, also you will need to feed bicarb or else you will get feet problems.

What weight spec have they got to be when they go on that scheme?

they have to be 440 kgs before 12 months ideally they will come to me at 120kgs or better

 

[mph04]

I'd have thought if on a contract they will tell you what to feed.

as long as it ceral fed they don't mind what you feed no silage hay etc

 

[mph04]

I would seriously look at some alkaline treated grain. 15% protein add some minerals sprinkled on top of every bucket. Then as they get to 7 months start adding some biscuit meal. Increase the biscuit meal to 50:50 in 6 weeks. You get a cost effective roughly 12.5% protein high starch diet that is pretty safe to feed. Get them on a hopper, 30 is a big bunch of bulls though and aside from the bossing element you will have to handle them at some point.

alkaline grain ???? do you mean caustic treated ?

 

[mph04]

I have beans too feed also so would like to incorporate them into the diet also add some yeast as I say all new too this been out of stock for 15 plus years so lost touch with all technics

 

[mph04]

You need to ad lib from the word go, also you will need to feed bicarb or else you will get feet problems.

What weight spec have they got to be when they go on that scheme?

what is biscarb ?

440 live weight minimum 220 dead

 

[gone up the hill]

Bicarb is a fine powder that acts as a buffer in the rumen and stops the PH level dropping too low, using it will stop them getting feet problems, if your feeding ad lib for 12 months you will need to feed something unless your very lucky.

 

[mph04]

thank you for that very help full

 

[Chae1]

I used to have pens with 40 odd, the problem is when you draw out to kill it upsets the group, they fight, dont grow/lose weight/get injured take your pick. Too much bullying at the trough, poor doers, uneven growth. Now with smaller groups, virtually al in all out and hardly any problems.

our bulls are weird then. Don't really show normal behaviour that you would expect from bulls. They are Salers which are a maternal breed. Would this have an influence on behaviour. Almost like less testosterone going about.

 

[beefandsleep]

Ah, they are homebred and been together nearly since birth, not really the same thing. They will already have a well established social hierarchy.

 

[Jon.S]

Alkaline grain is dry grain rolled and sealed airtight for 3 weeks with a urea pellet that produces a gas once clamped that essentially increases the barley to around 15% protein but more importantly makes it alkaline to prevent acidosis and the risk of walking into the shed and finding a bull four feet in the air and 3 times the size it should be.

This normally occurs the day before they are due to be killed for absolutely no apparent reason whatsoever.

Maxammon and five f alkagrain are the two main products used to produce alkaline grain.

We use five f and think its bloody marvellous stuff. Harper Adams did some trials on it, think they are on the national beef association website.

 

[RAF]

Run pens of 60 bulls for buitilaar, all in all out . Drive in with 4 quads on loadall place round cut strings and let them get on with it .