Feeding freshly combined barley

[Jerry]

Something in the back of my mind from college days says you cant feed freshly combined barley to stock and it has to "mature" in the heap fr a few weeks, is that right?

 

[goodevans]

I personally think its a myth and have done it many times when the need has arisen, on the other hand I won't be held responsible

 

[ploughman1963]

Two loads to deliver tomorrow off the combine - will have been eaten by beef cattle within a week

 

[David1968]

Anything on a ration will be fine.

Anything on ad-lib I would mix with what's left of the old stuff for a few days. But I think I'm probably just being over cautious.

 

[thorpe]

the grain need's to die! plenty of limestone flour help's calm it down.

 

[davidroberts30]

i will be mill and mixing 4ton tomorrow but will have bicarb in

 

[Jerry]

This will be fed whole to lambs mixed with a protein balancer, Should have stated that in the original post....sorry

 

[czechmate]

I thought it was a myth. I hammer mill before add lib bulls. Had one die 10 days after feeding fresh barley a few years back
i haven’t tried it since

 

[serf]

Means as it's sheep then they will be looking for any opportunity going to croak it ......

 

[andybk]

Its the yeasts and bacteria on the fresh harvested grain that can cause upsets ,and husk will be softer on fresh harvested so may get broken down quicker , be ok but be a bit careful introducing it , usually ok after a few weeks

 

[betweenthelines]

Uncle was a feed merchant, he always said that half the grain harvested wasn't properly ripe

 

[holmes65]

Uncle was a feed merchant, he always said that half the grain harvested wasn't properly ripe

It will be this year by the time the fecking weather let's us get to it.

 

[thorpe]

Its the yeasts and bacteria on the fresh harvested grain that can cause upsets ,and husk will be softer on fresh harvested so may get broken down quicker , be ok but be a bit careful introducing it , usually ok after a few weeks

like i said let it die!

 

[casper74]

I always mix with old barley for a couple of weeks if possible, the new barley gets treated with propcorn before mixing as well. A fair few years back lost 3 bulls which went onto new barley to quick.

 

[tr250]

I think it’s true it can be done if they are used to barley but I’d be very careful it upsets our suckled calves on creep if we’re not careful and they only have a 3rd barley in their mix

 

[davidroberts30]

I think it’s true it can be done if they are used to barley but I’d be very careful it upsets our suckled calves on creep if we’re not careful and they only have a 3rd barley in their mix

Mine are on 2.5 to 3kg a day anyway

 

[BAF]

It will be this year by the time the fecking weather let's us get to it.

The weather forecast I saw yesterday said no appreciable sun/dry for about 3 weeks! It'll be past ripe, the stuff knocked down in the thunderstorms a few weeks back will be sprouting!

 

[Full of bull(s)]

People have got a bit complacent the last few years as round up has been cheap and sprayed everywhere to ripen it, round up kills the amino acids that cause the upset. This year will be a bit different and they may well get caught out. Flashing it through a hot drier kills it again not something the early harvested barley will have had. Winter Barley cut from now on will probably be ok as it’s well/over ripe. Prop corn or urea treating it will also kill it but you are giving it a week or two anyway by doing either

 

[davidroberts30]

People have got a bit complacent the last few years as round up has been cheap and sprayed everywhere to ripen it, round up kills the amino acids that cause the upset. This year will be a bit different and they may well get caught out. Flashing it through a hot drier kills it again not something the early harvested barley will have had. Winter Barley cut from now on will probably be ok as it’s well/over ripe. Prop corn or urea treating it will also kill it but you are giving it a week or two anyway by doing either

Mines not had liquid sunshine

 

[thorpe]

Mines not had liquid sunshine

if it's ow't like ours it'll be dead when we cut it , got couple of week's of old crop any way