Concentrate Price Tracker

[Stw88]

I could be totally wrong here but I was once told Fixed formulations don’t take into consideration the altering quality levels of the ingredients and that’s why the ingredient order sometimes changes to keep the correct energy/ protein levels right depending on what the raw materials test at when they arrive at the mill.
there again this could just be some salesmen bull**it to slag off competitors.

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Isn't davidsons around 300£.

 

[Stw88]

Isn't davidsons around 300£.

Rep mentioned starting with a 3 when he was in the other day but didn’t nail down a definite price. Recons if stuff hadn’t been forward bought we would be looking at mid 300’s

 

[Greythundercloudys]

Rep mentioned starting with a 3 when he was in the other day but didn’t nail down a definite price. Recons if stuff hadn’t been forward bought we would be looking at mid 300’s

Nothing below 300. I, ll need a load in a months time. Seem the prices are a big secret this year.

 

[neilo]

I could be totally wrong here but I was once told Fixed formulations don’t take into consideration the altering quality levels of the ingredients and that’s why the ingredient order sometimes changes to keep the correct energy/ protein levels right depending on what the raw materials test at when they arrive at the mill.
there again this could just be some salesmen bull**it to slag off competitors.

I won’t entertain dealing with any company that doesn’t offer fixed formulations.
Years ago, we used to have dairy cake from a national compounder. One load would be good, then the next would be dusty shite that the cows left in the feeders, although they always swore the analysis was the same . No good at all when feeding stock imo.

Those big compounders are fond of ‘least cost rationing’, where rations are constantly tweaked to use the lowest cost ingredients to reach their designated analysis, within tolerance of course. That’s where the filler ingredients come into their own…

I don’t buy a lot of feed these days, but when i do, I want to know what’s in it.

 

[jendan]

I won’t entertain dealing with any company that doesn’t offer fixed formulations.
Years ago, we used to have dairy cake from a national compounder. One load would be good, then the next would be dusty shite that the cows left in the feeders, although they always swore the analysis was the same . No good at all when feeding stock imo.

Those big compounders are fond of ‘least cost rationing’, where rations are constantly tweaked to use the lowest cost ingredients to reach their designated analysis, within tolerance of course. That’s where the filler ingredients come into their own…

I don’t buy a lot of feed these days, but when i do, I want to know what’s in it.

They are not just fond of it,but use "least cost" all the time.Its how they make their profit. I know some of the smaller independent farmer/compounders wont even use wheatfeed in their lamb/hogg fattening rations because they even consider that to be just filler.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I won’t entertain dealing with any company that doesn’t offer fixed formulations.
Years ago, we used to have dairy cake from a national compounder. One load would be good, then the next would be dusty shite that the cows left in the feeders, although they always swore the analysis was the same . No good at all when feeding stock imo.

Those big compounders are fond of ‘least cost rationing’, where rations are constantly tweaked to use the lowest cost ingredients to reach their designated analysis, within tolerance of course. That’s where the filler ingredients come into their own…

I don’t buy a lot of feed these days, but when i do, I want to know what’s in it.

This was why we stopped using GLW, according to the sheet it was all the same… except it wasn’t. Unpalatable brown dust was very prevalent.

 

[neilo]

They are not just fond of it,but use "least cost" all the time.Its how they make their profit. I know some of the smaller independent farmer/compounders wont even use wheatfeed in their lamb/hogg fattening rations because they even consider that to be just filler.

I understand that ‘wheatfeed’ can be anything from bran to miller’s fines, so a huge variation in feed value. I know Heygates used to use a lot of it, but they had their own flour mills too.

If a feed company won’t offer a fixed formulation, and send me a full ingredient list, then I’m not interested in doing business. Cost per ton is well down my list behind those basics tbh.

 

[thorpe]

I would say that was a very keen price, would be nice to know whats in it

george has bought wheat barley forward very well, we normaly sell all ours to go in there as we are only 5 miles away currently sending it 100 miles and getting£££££ more. not good for the carbon foot print!

 

[Al R]

This was why we stopped using GLW, according to the sheet it was all the same… except it wasn’t. Unpalatable brown dust was very prevalent.

Rape meal or palm kernal possibly?

 

[aangus]

Rape meal or palm kernal possibly?

PK I would say

 

[livestock 1]

Ewe rolls at £300 plus a tonne is very dear. It adds up fast. I know of two sheep farmers who have 2000 plus mule ewes plus hill sheep feed nothing but their own grown barley and oats and have done for some years now

 

[Stw88]

A £40 a ton increase in ewe rolls seams a lot but when you brake it down per lamb sold it isn’t as bad as you think. Will hopefully be only £1 per lamb for me. Don’t get me wrong it’s not nice but could be worse. Fert is more worrying.

 

[BRBX]

george has bought wheat barley forward very well, we normaly sell all ours to go in there as we are only 5 miles away currently sending it 100 miles and getting£££££ more. not good for the carbon foot print!

I bought barley at harvest to roll but George came up with such a good price for the whole winter wasnt worth the hassle of doing myself.
Nice that he passes on the benefit of shrewd buying !

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Rape meal or palm kernal possibly?

Whatever it was the troughs were 4 inches deep with it after a week. Shouldn’t have too force cattle too eat blend

 

[neilo]

Rape meal or palm kernal possibly?

Not much. Their sheep rations have good levels of Soya in (one off the reasons I use it) and whole maize. Barley is the top ingredient iirc.

Obviously they offer lower spec rations too.

 

[neilo]

A £40 a ton increase in ewe rolls seams a lot but when you brake it down per lamb sold it isn’t as bad as you think. Will hopefully be only £1 per lamb for me. Don’t get me wrong it’s not nice but could be worse. Fert is more worrying.

^this. I wouldn’t want to be running a high concentrate system like early lambing ewes now.
Housing on straw and concentrates must make for interesting budgets too.

 

[neilo]

Ewe rolls at £300 plus a tonne is very dear. It adds up fast. I know of two sheep farmers who have 2000 plus mule ewes plus hill sheep feed nothing but their own grown barley and oats and have done for some years now

Ingredients will be £30+/t up on last year, which was already up on a year before. If concentrates aren’t up by at least that then I’d have alarm bells ringing tbh.

Feed mills also use a lot of energy, as electricity and oil/gas. I was told increases in those, and upping drivers’ wages, had added £10/t across the board. I don’t doubt it.

Feeding your own saves a bit, but less than you think by the time you’ve added minerals, protein and labour to make an equivalent spec ration. That homegrown barley is still costing £210-220 currently if they’re not sticking it on a lorry.
Likely £40-50/t saving now I suppose, which would certainly add up if you’re feeding those numbers on much. For the little bit I use, I’ll take the convenience of chucking rolls in the bedding from outside the pen.

 

[d williams]

Where would be the best place to get whole oats from in the South West of England and what price per ton at the moment?

Cannot help with where but sold at 204 ton this week

 

[livestock 1]

A £40 a ton increase in ewe rolls seams a lot but when you brake it down per lamb sold it isn’t as bad as you think. Will hopefully be only £1 per lamb for me. Don’t get me wrong it’s not nice but could be worse. Fert is more worrying.

It’s £50/£60 a tonne more than last year for me
I had 18% ewe rolls fixed at £257 all the way through this time it’s going to be £307/£317 and only room for upwards movement from there at a guess
I do agree though it’s probably very investable per lamb but still hard to swallow all of these top heavy figures before the chickens have hatched