Feeding protein to B&W steers on ad-lib
- Thread starter FarmerK
- Start date
dinderleat
Member
- Location
- Wells
They don’t need protein the f**kers will grow big enough as it is, just plenty of starch
Mixing the protein in here through a roller mill/mixer
- Location
- nottingham
Along the trough with a bucket
Just on its own or are you mixing a bit of barley in it too? Just a bit frightening of giving them too much
- Location
- Ceredigion
If your on add lib you need to mix it in , it won't work just chucking it on top ,
Well I thought that but someone was on about it the other day so just thought I’d ask other people what they did
casper74
Member
- Location
- North Yorkshire
All my cattle are on adlib barley, I know the weight of a bucketful of barley and each bucket full get 3/4 measure of protein put in the empty bucket, then fill bucket with rolled barley, then put rest of the required protein on top of barley quick mix with a shovel and tip into adlib hopper. simple, straight forward and quick and works well.
- Location
- Ceredigion
Always best to ask if your not sure , as above , I used to mix feed for 400 bulls against a shed wall
I’m not very well set up as I’m Just starting off with it. To be honest I’d ideally want to just buy some ready mixed barley protein Mineral mix but I’m struggling to find anywhere because I don’t have my own mill or mixer.
gone up the hill
Member
- Location
- Devon
1 : if you put protein/ minerals in ration by way of mixing then you not only need to keep records/ samples for FA you will need the correct permit from TA.
2 : If you put the protein/ minerals along the feed barrier on top of the barley that is called top dressing and you do not need to do either of the above!
On a practical point you should just put the protein/ minerals on top of the barley, as for feeding too/not enough protein/minerals, keep it simple= just get a bucket/tub and weigh the protein to get the amount you need/ want to feed a day, IE : say for example you have 20 cattle in one pen and want to feed 0.5 head of protein a day just get a bucket, weigh it and when it is 10 kilos then that is the height/amount you need to fill it each day for that pen and no need to weigh it after day 1.
Of course if you want to start off with 0.25 kilos a day then just weigh the bucket untill it has 10 kilos in it then chuck half of it out and go from there.
Do not make it over complicated!
- Location
- Ceredigion
I may bewrong but if he's on add lib he won't have a feed barrier just a 10 ft hopper
So would you just feed ad-lib barley then put that on top once a day or?
- Location
- Ceredigion
How much feed space do they have
There is enough space to eat at the barrier if that helps
- Location
- Ceredigion
The problem as I see it is your combing two systems , little and often add lib , with restricted once a day , can't see that working for the good of the animals myself , but will leave it to others to comment now
Yeah I understand that. I’ve heard of people doing the top dressing as @gone up the hill says. I’m Just curious
- Location
- Ceredigion
As no one else seems to want to comment I will try and help , if your feeding a small amount along a feed fence you need cattle that are hungry and come to the fence others wise some will get to much and others very little , the idea of add lib feeding is the cattle never get to hungry or it won't work , you either do one or the other but not both
- Location
- Cheshire
We certainly get less gut problems with the bulls when on full ad lib. No gorging or bullying. Everyone can eat as much as they want, whenever they want.
gone up the hill
Member
- Location
- Devon
First question's we should have asked is how big are these steers and what do you intend doing with them in a few weeks/months time??
On the ad lib you do not need one place per animal for the grain if on ad lib, just put it in a heap along part of the barrier and they will help themselves thru the next 24 hours.
Certainly no problem top dressing even if you do not have enough feed space for every animal to eat altogether.
On the ad lib you do not need one place per animal for the grain if on ad lib, just put it in a heap along part of the barrier and they will help themselves thru the next 24 hours.
Certainly no problem top dressing even if you do not have enough feed space for every animal to eat altogether.