Cutting out the feed mill

[farmer1989]

How much do nutritionists charge if they aren't getting the blend order?? When I was a feed rep sampling silage, formulating rations, farm visits to assess ongoing performance etc were all included in the feed price. Something that most people forget to include and could cost a few quid a tonne.

Join a buying group most have an independent advisor you pay into pot and he goes round all the farms in the group cheaper for all works for us

 

[Adam@Rumen]

It could also be argued that when your mix your own straights, you know exactly what's in your mix... the same sometimes can't be said for a blend that's mixed by someone else....

 

[ollie989898]

I check our diet is adequate with The Feed Into Milk programme on CD which cost £25.00 at the time.

I have a copy of that on CD somewhere I could give to someone for free!

 

[ollie989898]

It could also be argued that when your mix your own straights, you know exactly what's in your mix... the same sometimes can't be said for a blend that's mixed by someone else....

What you are suggesting is illegal and would destroy the reputation of the business in question instantly. Having dealt with one of the big feed firms a lot in my previous life I can tell you unequivocally they would be the last people to do anything remotely underhand.

 

[jimmer]

But they are perfectly aware of the 10% tolerances

 

[Adam@Rumen]

What you are suggesting is illegal and would destroy the reputation of the business in question instantly. Having dealt with one of the big feed firms a lot in my previous life I can tell you unequivocally they would be the last people to do anything remotely underhand.

You must be joking.

"Optimisation" is standard practice, going past the tolerances is not uncommon.

 

[ollie989898]

You must be joking.

"Optimisation" is standard practice, going past the tolerances is not uncommon.

What do you define as 'optimisation'?

 

[ollie989898]

But they are perfectly aware of the 10% tolerances

Ask to see your product mix chart.

 

[jimmer]

Ask to see your product mix chart.

Mixer wagon, 12 bunkers of raw materials, and a spotty yoof on the loading shovel
Good luck

 

[ollie989898]

Mixer wagon, 12 bunkers of raw materials, and a spotty yoof on the loading shovel
Good luck

Its a legal document.

 

[jimmer]

Its a legal document.

I'm sure it is, but are you sure the yoof either cares, or can read

 

[Sheep]

My 4 bunker straights shed paid for itself in the 1st 6months of use.
I don’t use small ingredients it all comes in an artic tipper.
The best way of pre-mixing is to use a tub mixer with a rear door.

What sort of shed is it? 30x20 high roof style? I cant make it pay with the shed outlay.

 

[Blue.]

What sort of shed is it? 30x20 high roof style? I cant make it pay with the shed outlay.

50’ wide mono pitch 40’ deep but the 12’6” bunkers are 30’ deep,it’s about 35’ high at the front.

 

[Young Apprentice]

Is It possible to completely cut the feed mill out and source and mix our own feed supplements? Our 3 main ingredients in our complete feed are ground corn, canola meal, and dried distillers grain. Easy enough to source those 3 and save a fair bit. Would it be worth while mixing the other ingredients on farm ourselves? If you used a private nutritionist and could source the small ingredients to make a mix and then buy the 3 main ingredients as commodities? How much savings could there be? I’m betting it would be substantial savings for us but looking for opinions before we look hard at it.. has anyone attempted this before? How much would on farm milking cost?

Excuse the plug but I may have a machine that fits your requirements?

Many thanks
YA
www.calamill.com

 

[Farmer_1994]

View attachment 850714

Excuse the plug but I may have a machine that fits your requirements?

Many thanks
YA
www.calamill.com

Looks like quite the mix mill. Currently grind corn with another brand. Do your machines have scales or are they just a basic mix mill?

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

You must be joking.

"Optimisation" is standard practice, going past the tolerances is not uncommon.

You really should not judge others by your own standards,
What you may or may not know is trading standards pop in unannounced at any time, once there in the office they ask for the samples for the last 5 days, after looking through them, they take several at random, along with a sample of the current mixes being made be it compound or blend, they are taken away and analysed for both the ingredients and spec of the feed, for the spec side of it a spec sheet has to be given to them as well, a feed company will never know when they are coming, and a sample from yesterday's blend mix cannot be put right, and they get a letter back in 10 working days of there findings,
And if there findings were bad and not where it should be, They can and Will take action, no different to anything that is counterfeit,

 

[Young Apprentice]

Looks like quite the mix mill. Currently grind corn with another brand. Do your machines have scales or are they just a basic mix mill?

Tractor driven mainly but electric options. Mills only or milk mixers.

Two sizes of hammer mill, four sizes of mixers, auger or pneumatic delivery, electronic weighing, single through triaxle, solid through to hydraulic suspended axles with hydraulic or air brakes with ABS and steering axle options.

Hopper fill and filling lids on mixers. Too many options to list really! If I have specific details of what you are thinking of doing I can tell you if I think we can provide a useful solution.

Many thanks
YA

 

[betweenthelines]

You really should not judge others by your own standards,
What you may or may not know is trading standards pop in unannounced at any time, once there in the office they ask for the samples for the last 5 days, after looking through them, they take several at random, along with a sample of the current mixes being made be it compound or blend, they are taken away and analysed for both the ingredients and spec of the feed, for the spec side of it a spec sheet has to be given to them as well, a feed company will never know when they are coming, and a sample from yesterday's blend mix cannot be put right, and they get a letter back in 10 working days of there findings,
And if there findings were bad and not where it should be, They can and Will take action, no different to anything that is counterfeit,

Yeah, right.

I've worked in the industry-most important document at a feed mill is the "Subs" list-and I'm not talking about who's on the bench for the next match! Even the hauliers know that Hi-pro soya is the only ingredient that can't be replaced by something else.

Mill managers are told to use more molasses than on the spec sheet as "it's cheap." And as for ingredient quality "remember Bin 3 has 20t of PK stuck in it, so don't order too much" and "Better run down the Rape meal stock, some of it's been in the back of that bay for months"

 

[Young Apprentice]

What you are suggesting is illegal and would destroy the reputation of the business in question instantly. Having dealt with one of the big feed firms a lot in my previous life I can tell you unequivocally they would be the last people to do anything remotely underhand.

Unfortunately I have seen many many “discrepancies” in feed quality, some mistakenly, others not so!

The problem is the compounders usually have access to “least cost formulation” programs, these are not always digestible for all livestock. Unfortunately I have spoken with clients that have found wood and sand in rations, neither are digestible but do fill the lorry! These are bad examples but they have happened.

YA

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Yeah, right.

I've worked in the industry-most important document at a feed mill is the "Subs" list-and I'm not talking about who's on the bench for the next match! Even the hauliers know that Hi-pro soya is the only ingredient that can't be replaced by something else.

Mill managers are told to use more molasses than on the spec sheet as "it's cheap." And as for ingredient quality "remember Bin 3 has 20t of PK stuck in it, so don't order too much" and "Better run down the Rape meal stock, some of it's been in the back of that bay for months"

Well what you have experience of is your experience, however where I cart out of, it don't happen, and never has in the last 8 years I been carting out of there