Crops for bedding

[William26]

What's people's thoughts on miscanthus for a bedding alternative to straw, cheap and easy to grow and plenty of bulk

Any others which would be better?

 

[In the pit]

Dusty crap

 

[Beef farmer]

What grow it on your own land just to use as bedding?

 

[steveR]

What's people's thoughts on miscanthus for a bedding alternative to straw, cheap and easy to grow and plenty of bulk

Any others which would be better?

https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/media/departmental/ibers/pwllpeiran/ongoingresearch/Miscanthus.pdf

AG Products | Cattle and animal bedding l Dairy & Poultry, Husks & paper

AG Products supply bedding materials for farmers around the country. We supply oat husks, crushed or whole which can be used in either feed or bedding, Miscanthus which is the modern alternative to straw & paper gypsum which possesses excellent characteristics to make it suitable for dairy bedding.

www.ag-products.co.uk

 

[William26]

What grow it on your own land just to use as bedding?

That's it

 

[Beef farmer]

That's it

Your land have no.asset value? Or rent free?
I mean straws expensive, but not that expensive

 

[Jdunn55]

Surely if you have "spare" land available you would be better off growing barley/wheat and then having the straw and having the corn available as an added bonus for feeding?

 

[William26]

Wasn't a case of spare land more of just putting the idea out there to see what had been done before

 

[William26]

https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/media/departmental/ibers/pwllpeiran/ongoingresearch/Miscanthus.pdf

AG Products | Cattle and animal bedding l Dairy & Poultry, Husks & paper

AG Products supply bedding materials for farmers around the country. We supply oat husks, crushed or whole which can be used in either feed or bedding, Miscanthus which is the modern alternative to straw & paper gypsum which possesses excellent characteristics to make it suitable for dairy bedding.

www.ag-products.co.uk

Interesting read thanks for that

 

[spin cycle]

Your land have no.asset value? Or rent free?
I mean straws expensive, but not that expensive

i think op is right to consider it....'straw security' isn't a given anymore...even out here i met a cattleman who gave up because he lost to much 'straw land' to development...even i struggle to find 'top up' straw facing competition from pigs/equine/chopping...transport costs are going to increase.....and heaven forbid the 'envo experts' might decide to pay arable farmers to chop straw via elms

if op has awkward/poorish bits land it might be an idea.....only problem is conventional harvest date is feb making it problematic in wet areas

 

[Will 1594]

i think op is right to consider it....'straw security' isn't a given anymore...even out here i met a cattleman who gave up because he lost to much 'straw land' to development...even i struggle to find 'top up' straw facing competition from pigs/equine/chopping...transport costs are going to increase.....and heaven forbid the 'envo experts' might decide to pay arable farmers to chop straw via elms

if op has awkward/poorish bits land it might be an idea.....only problem is conventionalm harvest date is feb making it problematic in wet areas

Spin there is some down the lime kiln lane with your name on it if you desire more

 

[Beef farmer]

i think op is right to consider it....'straw security' isn't a given anymore...even out here i met a cattleman who gave up because he lost to much 'straw land' to development...even i struggle to find 'top up' straw facing competition from pigs/equine/chopping...transport costs are going to increase.....and heaven forbid the 'envo experts' might decide to pay arable farmers to chop straw via elms

if op has awkward/poorish bits land it might be an idea.....only problem is conventional harvest date is feb making it problematic in wet areas

At best a yield of 2 ton acre? Intrest and repayments on land alone £600/acre.
Heah give up the cattle before planting a weed just to bed them. As said, more straw from a crop of barley, so take the grain and the straw. Sounds pretty conventional to me

 

[spin cycle]

Spin there is some down the lime kiln lane with your name on it if you desire more

no i'm ok til harvest m8...thanks anyway....i'm having swath from them hopefully

 

[Bald Rick]

Wool is worthless

Plenty of scraggly sheep here. Hmmm

 

[William26]

At best a yield of 2 ton acre? Intrest and repayments on land alone £600/acre.
Heah give up the cattle before planting a weed just to bed them. As said, more straw from a crop of barley, so take the grain and the straw. Sounds pretty conventional to me

2t acre of miscanthus do you mean?

 

[Will 1594]

no i'm ok til harvest m8...thanks anyway....i'm having swath from them hopefully

Are y you sure on that one

 

[Beef farmer]

2t acre of miscanthus do you mean?

That's about it isn't it?

 

[Jdunn55]

The other option is cubicles? Depending on what you're housing!
Steers obviously are a no go, but heifers once weaned can almost definitely all go into cubicles and be bedded on sand, straw, sawdust shavings etc
Then if its beef steers you're meaning a slatted shed would be fine for them too?

 

[DairyGrazing]

Straw will be £80 a ton this coming winter.

 

[Jdunn55]

Or will it be chopped because the arable farmers are now used to selling it for £150/t?!

Straw will be £80 a ton this coming winter.