John Deere 8530
Member
Going off what everyone had said about @Electricfencer feed composition; I presume that this what I just bought at £317 isn't too great either?
Concentrate Price Tracker
- Thread starter Baling Hay
- Start date
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
Oh dear no
Get them to come and lift it, say your ewes won’t eat it
poorsheepfarmer
Member
- Location
- North York Moors
John Deere 8530
Member
It's for 4 month old dairy beef cattle. What defines it as bad?
John Deere 8530
Member
What do I need to be looking for in the future other than just the protein level?
Skintagain
Member
- Location
- Perched on the Pennines
Maize barley wheat sugar beet molasses soya
The ash over 10% shows its full of shite imo
PK and Oat feed in the top four of ingredients also rapeseed being first, these are all by products of other industries. I like to see barley, wheat, maize and a distiller by product
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
Rule of thumb is the lower the fibre and Ash added together below the protein the better it is, if it higher than protein its not good, this is a guide,
Look for the top 4 ingredients, as these are the main quantities, after that it's in small volumes and not as important, hi pro soya may be a bit down the list yes, but it's hi pro, so not as much needed, things like Oat bran has next to nothing in it, bit like lettuce, it will fill your belly but you cannot work off it.
Things I like to see is Whole wheat, Whole barley, whole maize, distillers if any sort, sugar beet pulp, rape meal. Soya.
Less desirable is anything else, how less desirable does not mean its no good, just needs to be further down the list, and they can give a little of what yhe others are lacking.
With regards minerals, anything with Safmannan in is generally good feed, as this is a far better mineral and no point putting it in shit3, as it won't make shit3 better,
Put it in lay terms, you would not eat a plate of steak on its own, and you need other things to compliment it and balance it up, same for feed.
Don't blame to suppliers for bad cake, they have to price accordingly to the market, they all make good and bad, and is priced accordingly, the main problem with getting feed, is some are constantly changing the ingredients to get same specs due to price, so loads vary from week to week even.
A constantly same ingredients cake will be better in long run.
Feed a better quality cake and less on it if need be, prity much as humans.
The stock will tell you best, they don't lie,
Over the years in general, them that feed better stuff have better stock, but that may not be down to just the feed
Plain steer
Member
3 out of 4 top ingredients are fillers and as said before oatfeed is no better than straw
- Location
- Essex
Palm kernal and soya are rainforest products.
- Location
- Essex
Presume you are highlighting the difference between wheat feed and whole wheat?
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
I have done yes, but wheat feed does have it place in some mixes, to balance out the mix,
I have to say I am not a nutritionists or a sale man,
Only passing on what I have picked up over the years of delivering it
John Deere 8530
Member
Thanks for all the advice. Will try and get something better then next time now that I know what to look for. Weighing cattle so will see how they do on it. Was thinking of feeding 2kg of it a day and 1kg a day of home rolled barley to 140kg 4 month old brbx heifers with ad lib hay.
Helpinghand
Member
if you are feeding this, you might as well just go and buy a load of whatfeed pellets and the minerals seperate. will do just as well and cheaper.
We have turned so many people away from blends, you can do just as good if not better job by feeding 1 high quality product. Maize gluten feed great for growing cattle. Or even getting someone to make you a bespoke blend. you could do, Soya (because its cheaper than rapemeal), sugarbeet nuts (for fibre), Rolled barley (for a bit of starch to flesh them up as they grow). Also do not be afraid of Asking your company what the sugar and starch content is as well, you never get it and it is such an important part of any ration. too much starch and those small cattle will risk getting plump and lack frame, not enough and they wont be able to utilise the protein and you are basically wasting money.
Hope that helps
John Deere 8530
Member
Okay thanks. I'll have to ask for sugar and starch content next time. What sort of money will wheatfeed pellets be? Or are we better off just feeding our own rolled barley with mollases & minerals that we already have and then buying some protein nuts/soya to mix in?
Just feed your own
John Deere 8530
Member
We do to anything over 10 months. Just presumed, until today, that bought in 18% nuts would be better. Learn something new everyday.
I should know this, but what is wheat feed?
- Location
- 200 miles N,NW of New York
The likes of a flour mill takes in whole wheat, Mills it at make flour,
Takes the good bits, and all the left over stuff in made into a nut,
Sold as Wheatfeed.
Bit like an ice cream van selling you an empty cornet