Feeding sheep oats

[MrFencer]

I run a small flock of texel sheep and have been given some of this harvests oats to use. Just wondered how best to use them to feed the sheep I run most of the gimmer lambs and Tups on and lamb in march. Can I use them on there own or would it be best to mix concentrate pellets/ beer pellets etc in with them?
Many thanks

 

[Northeastfarmer]

So you're wanting to feed them to inlamb sheep?

 

[MrFencer]

Just across the board really ewe Hoggs tups and lambing and lactating ewes. Can get as much as i need so was wanting to know how best to use them.

 

[aled1590]

I feed oats to inlambers, buy in 30% protein blend, mix both to reach 18% feed

 

[Nithsdale]

I feed oats to inlambers, buy in 30% protein blend, mix both to reach 18% feed

You must go through a lot!!

Good thing it's cheap

 

[aled1590]

How else would i reach 18%? Might use soya next time. Grow our own oats

 

[Nithsdale]

How else would i reach 18%? Might use soya next time. Grow our own oats

I wasn't knocking you! But knowing how much barely we add to maize grains mixed with beet pulp to bring it down from 18% to 15-16%, you must mix in alot of oats to your 30% - 5t oats to every 3t of 30%, roughly?

If you grow it, in plentiful tonnage - keep at it

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Soya and minerals. On grass they OK with just mineral. Roll them for poor mouth ewes or changing teeth

 

[MrFencer]

Soya and minerals. On grass they OK with just mineral. Roll them for poor mouth ewes or changing teeth

Can I buy the soya and minerals in bags to mix by hand? What quantities of each would you use?

 

[aled1590]

I wasn't knocking you! But knowing how much barely we add to maize grains mixed with beet pulp to bring it down from 18% to 15-16%, you must mix in alot of oats to your 30% - 5t oats to every 3t of 30%, roughly?

If you grow it, in plentiful tonnage - keep at it

Yes around that much! If you grew oats and wanting to feed to inlambers, what would you feed with it? i might be missing a trick! So many feedstuffs around, not sure whats good and bad!

 

[Newby]

Yes around that much! If you grew oats and wanting to feed to inlambers, what would you feed with it? i might be missing a trick! So many feedstuffs around, not sure whats good and bad!

Unless your going to grow something else it will all be to buy in, so then you've got to weigh up cost against convenience, personally I'd stick with the 30% pellets

 

[yellowbelly]

Can I buy the soya and minerals in bags to mix by hand? What quantities of each would you use?

Yes. But soya bean meal in bags is expensive.

Assuming oats @10% protein and sbm @45% protein.............

750kg oats
240kg sbm
..10kg mins
gives a mix just over 18% protein

 

[andybk]

treat oats a bit like SBP , we feed them at grass , but pre / post lambing i would use barley , soya with some oats for fibre and slow release energy (instead of sbp) , barley has that bit extra energy and you need that kick , you cant take chances over lambing , After a few weeks and with good grass available go back to straight oats

 

[Derrick Hughes]

You won't beat oats and soya for lambing ewes .

 

[cattleman123]

How about feeding oats to store lambs .....hogs by the time you start feeding oats with crstalix high energy sheep tubs to save the hassle of mixing as i have limited room at that time of year

 

[Newby]

How about feeding oats to store lambs .....hogs by the time you start feeding oats with crstalix high energy sheep tubs to save the hassle of mixing as i have limited room at that time of year

You'd struggle for protein

 

[cattleman123]

You'd struggle for protein

Yes possibly but i am really talking about just holding hogs for a week or two if keep is short in say Jan/Feb ..then putting onto a finishing pellet

 

[MrFencer]

Yes. But soya bean meal in bags is expensive.

Assuming oats @10% protein and sbm @45% protein.............

750kg oats
240kg sbm
..10kg mins
gives a mix just over 18% protein

Just a general mineral, should I be looking out for anything in particular in the mineral?

 

[dec]

Are cereals low in calcium?

 

[yellowbelly]

Just a general mineral, should I be looking out for anything in particular in the mineral?

Just a general purpose sheep mineral. You may need extra Mg when there is a high risk of staggers( e.g. spring flush of grass when ewes are milking)