Fattening beef cattle

[beefandsleep]

That field has gone into wheat now but I have put some more straight red in as well as a ryegrass clover cutting ley for cutting next year.

 

[tr250]

Nothing to do with heat from the barley!

What is it to do with then? Am I right in saying their body's run hotter when being finished hence they are often sweatyer

 

[Samcowman]

Was thinking about this today and talked about it with nutritionist. We had some red clover silage we fed to some dairy bred Angus this autumn at housing and they seem to have done pretty well on it. They changed massively when they were housed. Unfortunately only had a bit so going to run out in January.
Seriously considering putting in some more for the finishing cattle.

 

[hendrebc]

You've got me there, will see him tomorrow will inquire! genuinely thinking of doing this my self !

Let me know because if it works then I would be very intrested to know more as its certainly something I would look at doing.

( esp if the new stewardship schemes pay good money for legume grass crops and which high clover based grass leys would qualify for )

@tinsheet id be interested to know more too

 

[hendrebc]

What is it to do with then? Am I right in saying their body's run hotter when being finished hence they are often sweatyer

Feet issues could be to do with laminitis when their hooves go soft from too much starch in the diet. Im no expert on it though but i have heard of that happening.

 

[Ocm-1994]

Hi. Was this 90% soya hull and rolled barley ration straight in an ad lib hopper slower decreasing the percentage of soya hulls every time you filled the hopper.

Straight into a hopper feeding roughly 50 bullocks in each yard. Mixed with loader bucket on the front of a heap of soya hulls, worked quite well. We found mixing barley with sugar beet pulp used to skitter a lot of cattle and found the soya hulls bulked out the barley quite well.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Straight into a hopper feeding roughly 50 bullocks in each yard. Mixed with loader bucket on the front of a heap of soya hulls, worked quite well. We found mixing barley with sugar beet pulp used to skitter a lot of cattle and found the soya hulls bulked out the barley quite well.

Sugar beet won’t skitter the cattle

 

[Top Tip.]

Sugar beet won’t skitter the cattle

The barley would.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

The barley would.

Well only if you rush them onto it

 

[Full of bull(s)]

Feet issues could be to do with laminitis when their hooves go soft from too much starch in the diet. Im no expert on it though but i have heard of that happening.

Not necessarily too much starch but incorrect balance of starch and protein. Too low in protein and laminitis starts. The higher the carbohydrate levels the more protein is needed to digest it. Also too little protein increases feed intakes with no additional weight gain so you're not saving money by using less

 

[hendrebc]

Not necessarily too much starch but incorrect balance of starch and protein. Too low in protein and laminitis starts. The higher the carbohydrate levels the more protein is needed to digest it. Also too little protein increases feed intakes with no additional weight gain so you're not saving money by using less

Thanks for the explaination. I knew it was something to do with starch or carbohydrates somehow but wasnt sure exactly how it worked

 

[tinsheet]

@tinsheet id be interested to know more too

@hendrebc @gone up the hill
Red clover lays neighbour uses are about 25% to 30% red clover
The rest is made up from either Italian rye grass (2 year lays)
Or perennial rye grasses ( 3-4 year lays)
These lays are not grazed, except by a neighbour with a few lambs over dec/jan
Basically just a silage crop, gets three cuts with a sprinkling of slurry inbetween. Critical that you let the red clover flower before you mow.
He's doing this at 1000ft + on the edge of Exmoor, good stuff!

 

[hendrebc]

@hendrebc @gone up the hill
Red clover lays neighbour uses are about 25% to 30% red clover
The rest is made up from either Italian rye grass (2 year lays)
Or perennial rye grasses ( 3-4 year lays)
These lays are not grazed, except by a neighbour with a few lambs over dec/jan
Basically just a silage crop, gets three cuts with a sprinkling of slurry inbetween. Critical that you let the red clover flower before you mow.
He's doing this at 1000ft + on the edge of Exmoor, good stuff!

Does sound good stuff worth a look methinks. Thanks @tinsheet

 

[Ocm-1994]

Sugar beet won’t skitter the cattle

No but a change in diet from been out at grass to a finishing ration would? The soya hulls seemed to ease the transition better than the sugar beet pulp stiffer muck samples less cases of acidosis etc

 

[Northeastfarmer]

No but a change in diet from been out at grass to a finishing ration would? The soya hulls seemed to ease the transition better than the sugar beet pulp stiffer muck samples less cases of acidosis etc

Well I’ve never used soya hulls but use SB religiously when starting them onto barley and never ever get acidosis

 

[Timbo]

So.. balanced tmr silage maize cereal protein ration or ad lib cereals to finish these beasties ?

 

[mo!]

So.. balanced tmr silage maize cereal protein ration or ad lib cereals to finish these beasties ?

Depends what you have available. We have the former because we have cheap high DM.

 

[onthehoof]

@hendrebc @gone up the hill
Red clover lays neighbour uses are about 25% to 30% red clover
The rest is made up from either Italian rye grass (2 year lays)
Or perennial rye grasses ( 3-4 year lays)
These lays are not grazed, except by a neighbour with a few lambs over dec/jan
Basically just a silage crop, gets three cuts with a sprinkling of slurry inbetween. Critical that you let the red clover flower before you mow.
He's doing this at 1000ft + on the edge of Exmoor, good stuff!

@tinsheet did you say he was feeding arable silage too i.e. not only red clover silage

 

[tinsheet]

@tinsheet did you say he was feeding arable silage too i.e. not only red clover silage

Yes, grown as a cover crop for the clover, doesn't rate it as rocket fuel though! but gives a clean sward after. (Cows get it not the Youngstock I think).

 

[Kiwi Pete]

Does sound good stuff worth a look methinks. Thanks @tinsheet

Rocket fuel