Feed prices

[neilo]

Its not quite the full story.

The mixed farmer has more options he can crimp grain, just blow with cold air or even wholecrop. The mixed farmer can also use manure to maxium effect. Less transport, I like mixed farming.

I like mixed farming too, that’s why I do it. Mixed farming doesn’t mean you have to feed lots of grain though, and the manure can always be spread by the animals themselves.

The same reasoning applies though, grain (& straw) is still worth what you can otherwise sell it down the road at.
Growing your own makes for cheaper grain than buying it in, but only by the transport cost in reality.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I like mixed farming too, that’s why I do it. Mixed farming doesn’t mean you have to feed lots of grain though, and the manure can always be spread by the animals themselves.

The same reasoning applies though, grain (& straw) is still worth what you can otherwise sell it down the road at.
Growing your own makes for cheaper grain than buying it in, but only by the transport cost in reality.

And some years if you have a cock up its dearer homegrown than bought! That’s what I was advised by a mate who grows 400 acre of cereals all for home use. And he costs EVERYTHING. Even down too “time spent with torch checking if the pigeon in the corn bin is still there”

 

[Chev54]

Alkagrain doesn’t contain urea. The urea in the product absorbs moisture in the grain, converting to ammonia gas, which then percolates through the heap and treats the grain. That’s why there is a smell of ammonia when you lift the sheet.

Not a good feed for pre-ruminant lambs, but I can’t imagine the odd grain they may take when feeding ewes would be any issue. I wouldn’t put it in a creep for lambs under 8 weeks or so though, just to be on the safe side.

Thanks NeilO

Would possibly be feeding it to ewes with 2-4 week old lambs at foot , both inside and out, lambs fo nibble at feed a bit then ,do you think I’d be better off using untreated and add soya , or wouldn’t worry ?

 

[neilo]

Thanks NeilO

Would possibly be feeding it to ewes with 2-4 week old lambs at foot , both inside and out, lambs fo nibble at feed a bit then ,do you think I’d be better off using untreated and add soya , or wouldn’t worry ?

No idea. I’ve fed it to 8-10 week old weaned early lambs/cades before now with no problems though.

 

[som farmer]

when grain rises in price, conc rise with them, and they blame the increase, on the grain, but very often, the amount of grain in the mix, is reduced, so something cheaper goes in.
We have done crimped maize, and bought in wheat, for soda grain, and both work well, especially crimped maize, both produce good results.
For the first time in years, we grew some spring barley, plenty of grain and straw. And we have rolled the barley, and fed the dairy with it.
We would have a job to sell it, as not farm assured.
Due to our calving pattern, milk cheque, aug sept and oct, are the smallest, and when we start buying conc in, so from cash flow, it's been brilliant.
Baled a lot of straw, so haven't had to buy so much in.
And perhaps more importantly, we think the cows milk better, on rolled barely, with a blend, than on conc. Neither barley or blend, have to much cheap filler in, as conc does.
So, all in all, for us, helps cash flow, fits nicely into our rotation, following kale, gives us straw, and stock do better on it, cake rep doesn't like it !
And, we are doubling the amount grown, this coming year. Yes, you can argue, better sold, or value it at mkt price, but for us, it's double cropping, and works well, also gives options, whole crop, crimp, or rolled.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

when grain rises in price, conc rise with them, and they blame the increase, on the grain, but very often, the amount of grain in the mix, is reduced, so something cheaper goes in.
We have done crimped maize, and bought in wheat, for soda grain, and both work well, especially crimped maize, both produce good results.
For the first time in years, we grew some spring barley, plenty of grain and straw. And we have rolled the barley, and fed the dairy with it.
We would have a job to sell it, as not farm assured.
Due to our calving pattern, milk cheque, aug sept and oct, are the smallest, and when we start buying conc in, so from cash flow, it's been brilliant.
Baled a lot of straw, so haven't had to buy so much in.
And perhaps more importantly, we think the cows milk better, on rolled barely, with a blend, than on conc. Neither barley or blend, have to much cheap filler in, as conc does.
So, all in all, for us, helps cash flow, fits nicely into our rotation, following kale, gives us straw, and stock do better on it, cake rep doesn't like it !
And, we are doubling the amount grown, this coming year. Yes, you can argue, better sold, or value it at mkt price, but for us, it's double cropping, and works well, also gives options, whole crop, crimp, or rolled.

If it fits your system! Roll with it

 

[Agrivator]

When a farmer finally sells up, a field of stubble ain't worth a lot. But a shed full of cattle................

That’s true, but the grain money will already be in the bank.

But once the money is in the bank, there's an awful temptation to fritter it away spend it.

I've said before - cattle are a very good way of keeping your money safe, waiting to be passed on to the next generation ...........

 

[digger64]

I could see how someone could rightly persuade themselves of that, if they’re making a comparison to buying all grain in at harvest normally, laying the money out then and have suitable storage available.

Whichever day you choose to value it though, it’s worth what you could sell it for, not what it cost to produce.

I remember the old fella at Dugdales trying to tell me that Alkagrain worked out at less than £100/t, compared to bought in feed at £240/t at the time. He was trying to persuade me that the barley would only cost £60/t to grow, when in actual fact I was putting it on a lorry at £175.
I could see how anyone could make beef finishing pay well on paper with grain at £60/t.

We started rolling/feeding barley etc when FA made accessing our normal market outlet unavailable without significant capital investment etc which would have made it unviable anyway , having and created our own market . A few years later BPS made renting the land to grow it in unviable , but most years have been able to buy it around the COP and help non FA growers locally .
I would cost our own barley as a feed at the COP in the shed as selling into the normal commodity market is not an option without significant deductions even if a merchant would take it .
Also if it left the farm it would need to be replaced with compound or something similar or the animals sold earlier .
I tend to view growing a small area of grain as a "hedge" against being over exposed to high feed costs like this year it also provides straw , somewhere for outwintered stock and somewhere to put the muck regardless of grain prices .