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Livestock
Dairy Farming
Getting rid of the diet feeder?
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<blockquote data-quote="farmer on a bike" data-source="post: 4276406" data-attributes="member: 295"><p>I am involved in 3 dairy units, one is NZ type spring calving, the second is autumn calving on self-feed silage, the third is fed with a diet feeder. In all cases we want to get as much as we can from grazed grass</p><p></p><p>On the third farm we will be milking just over 400 cows this winter. The unit has expanded from 280 last year and was revamped just as I became involved. The diet feeder is a 22m Shelborne Reynolds. It is driven by a 140hp Claas and loaded with a JCB. All have been costing quite a lot to maintain it in the last year and I am finding very difficult to justify the cost. We have parlour feeders, so could feed our concentrate in the parlour and just put silage in the feed passages with a loader. We do have some rape on contract for this winter.</p><p></p><p>Our plan was to stop using the diet feeder next year if we could not get the performance to justify it this winter. We are now wondering whether to change much sooner to stop the costs associated with the wagon having just had another major breakdown today. Self feed is not really an option due to the farm lay out. </p><p></p><p>We are considering cutting out the maize and grass silage with a shear grab to put along the feed fence. 2 blocks of maize to one of grass.</p><p></p><p>Can we feed rape as a top dressing? Or should we bring the rape contract forward and mix it with the maize at harvest? If so what are others experiences of mixing in the rape and how did they do it?</p><p></p><p>Advice and thoughts welcome.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="farmer on a bike, post: 4276406, member: 295"] I am involved in 3 dairy units, one is NZ type spring calving, the second is autumn calving on self-feed silage, the third is fed with a diet feeder. In all cases we want to get as much as we can from grazed grass On the third farm we will be milking just over 400 cows this winter. The unit has expanded from 280 last year and was revamped just as I became involved. The diet feeder is a 22m Shelborne Reynolds. It is driven by a 140hp Claas and loaded with a JCB. All have been costing quite a lot to maintain it in the last year and I am finding very difficult to justify the cost. We have parlour feeders, so could feed our concentrate in the parlour and just put silage in the feed passages with a loader. We do have some rape on contract for this winter. Our plan was to stop using the diet feeder next year if we could not get the performance to justify it this winter. We are now wondering whether to change much sooner to stop the costs associated with the wagon having just had another major breakdown today. Self feed is not really an option due to the farm lay out. We are considering cutting out the maize and grass silage with a shear grab to put along the feed fence. 2 blocks of maize to one of grass. Can we feed rape as a top dressing? Or should we bring the rape contract forward and mix it with the maize at harvest? If so what are others experiences of mixing in the rape and how did they do it? Advice and thoughts welcome. [/QUOTE]
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Getting rid of the diet feeder?
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