Finishing rations

[Nae bother]

Was wandering who other people use for finishing rations for cattle and sheep,I usually use a merchant but wandered about alternatives,Tia.

 

[jackrussell101]

There is that free ration calculator download on the AHDB website that's not bad, I'll see of I can find it and post a link on here.

 

[jackrussell101]

Beef ration calculator | AHDB

ahdb.org.uk

 

[shearerlad]

Cattle finishing ration here is 12lb bruised barley, 2.5lb distillers grains and 2.5lb of Davidsons 5star 16%blend. That is split equally between morning and afternoon feed, put along the trough. Ad lib silage bunker at the door

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Often go full circle and come back to wheat and barley and some protein after costing all byproducts

 

[neilo]

Was wandering who other people use for finishing rations for cattle and sheep,I usually use a merchant but wandered about alternatives,Tia.

For lamb finishing look at the Alkagrain/Home’n’Dry/Maxamon threads on here.
I can’t see why it wouldn’t work just as well with cattle, given a bit of extra processing/rolling.

 

[Samcowman]

At the moment untill the maize is ready ours are on 11.4 ME grass silage, barley, beans red clover wholecrop and a bit of urea to use to pallet up then no more of that.

 

[Nae bother]

Thanks everyone for you're replies.

 

[Fergieman]

Do you have your own cereals on farm?

 

[Nae bother]

Yes we do

 

[ilovemilk90]

uncle makes a blend of rolled barley, waste bread, brewers grains and hay. very rarely misses the grade and finishes at 18-20 months hitting 340-380kg deadweight consistently

 

[jackrussell101]

uncle makes a blend of rolled barley, waste bread, brewers grains and hay. very rarely misses the grade and finishes at 18-20 months hitting 340-380kg deadweight consistently

Is that dairy bred beef or suckler bred?

 

[Fergieman]

When you say you use a merchant do you mean you buy a protein blend from a merchant to mix with your cereals to feed? Or what is your current mix/system

How do you store your cereals and have you thought about treating them with a urea based product. As your in Aberdeenshire I would have thought there will be plenty wheat distillers grains available?

 

[Nae bother]

No we propcorn our barley,use potale,minerals and usually dark grains but maybe want to tweak it a bit.

 

[Fergieman]

Norvite (Aberdeenshire Company!) have a very good nutritional guy who will check over your current ration if you can email it to him and will advise if it needs tweaked.

If interested I can PM details (I have no connection with Norvite)

 

[Optimus]

No we propcorn our barley,use potale,minerals and usually dark grains but maybe want to tweak it a bit.

No access to tatties?

We use draff, tatties, barley, bread/biscuit.sometimes crushed maize if the biscuit is too dear.

 

[Nae bother]

Don't have a mixer wagon just telescopic for mixing ration I'm afraid.

 

[Optimus]

We just use a Ritchie root bucket.everything goes through it.

 

[ilovemilk90]

Is that dairy bred beef or suckler bred?

Both. he buys in dairy bred stores for finishing in the autumn and winter as well, continentals only. One fatting ration for all but the suckler bred cattle get extra barley a month before they are ready to go to get that extra cover to try avoid penalties.

 

[icanshootwell]

We mill 5 ton at a time here, 2 ton barley, 2.5 ton wheat, 500 kg beans, additional protein and minerals added. This is fed to limx twice a day, we used to add molasses but used to heat up in the bags when mixed for longer than a week.