High quality ewe nut , Mole valley champion 18% , or For Farmers super ewbol21

[Gulli]

they would be out on dairy grass in december / jan , so prob a 18% with some oats be a better bet ,

Do they even need that on good dairy grass?

 

[neilo]

I’ve seen sheep wintered on sugarbeet pulp, fodderbeet, barley, molasses and silage all short of protein but rarely seen any problems. But with high protein cake, draff, urea I’ve seen plenty of issues usually thin ewes and big lambs

Any concentrates should only ever be fed to match the rest of the diet, in theory. Without knowing that, it's impossible to say which nut wold be best for the OP. If he's feeding his Red Clover silage, I suspect a lower quality nut would be better (if anything needed).

I take your point on the low protein rations though. My April lambers have no cereals or concentrates, and graze entirely on roots (usually low protein in theory) until they move to their pp lambing paddocks (usually on the day they start lambing). I don't think I've ever seen a case of twin lamb in that flock, and thin ewes are usually the result of diet/weather earlier in the winter.

 

[livestock 1]

Any concentrates should only ever be fed to match the rest of the diet, in theory. Without knowing that, it's impossible to say which nut wold be best for the OP. If he's feeding his Red Clover silage, I suspect a lower quality nut would be better (if anything needed).

I take your point on the low protein rations though. My April lambers have no cereals or concentrates, and graze entirely on roots (usually low protein in theory) until they move to their pp lambing paddocks (usually on the day they start lambing). I don't think I've ever seen a case of twin lamb in that flock, and thin ewes are usually the result of diet/weather earlier in the winter.

I’ve fed whole barley to ewes with great success in fact some of the best lambings we’ve ever had. Getting it to them in wet clarity conditions is the issue. I’ve fed whole sugarbeet and fodderbeet right up until lambing ad lib with great success too. I am very sceptical about the actual availability of analysis of any manufactured feed as it rarely compares here, maybe it’s just me. We still use plenty of it having said that

 

[andybk]

Do they even need that on good dairy grass?

i see your point but ped lambs really need a good start , we use minimum creep (if any) so like to get lambs off to a good start , your feeding for the weakest really , get them strong and a decent size and they will look after themselves rest of winter

 

[Nithsdale]

Body condition is much more important, IMO.
Keep them fit, they'll do the rest.

I switched from 18% to 16%, 2 lambings ago with good success and aren't worried about the lower protein - but concede the 16% I'm making is a much more complete feed...

 

[D.S.S18]

we use MVF Premier - 18% - fixed formulation, works for us, we switched 2 years ago from a local feed firm.

For Farmers use to be 'Non fixed' formulation - down to a price - so the 1st load could be different from the last, but the price remains the same

 

[andybk]

had mole valley prices this morning , the ones in the OP were from cox and robinson ,(mvf subsidiary) prestige 20% £291 tonne 4t blown (cough) and normal premier 18% £265 , forfarmers 21% looking a good buy depending on ingredient inc

 

[livestock 1]

had mole valley prices this morning , the ones in the OP were from cox and robinson , prestige 20% £291 tonne 4t blown (cough) and normal premier 18% £265 , forfarmers 21% looking a good buy depending on ingredient inc

Holy Christ they are dear prices!

 

[Greythundercloudys]

I think ewe cake will be around 270 this year,

 

[livestock 1]

I think ewe cake will be around 270 this year,

Great news I’ve been buying more ewes
Thought there must have been a reason why they were cheap

 

[exmoor dave]

had mole valley prices this morning , the ones in the OP were from cox and robinson ,(mvf subsidiary) prestige 20% £291 tonne 4t blown (cough) and normal premier 18% £265 , forfarmers 21% looking a good buy depending on ingredient inc

Told you Prestige was pricey check out the ingredients though

 

[AvonValleyFarmer]

Better to feed a little bit of something good than lots of shite.

 

[Tim W]

i see your point but ped lambs really need a good start , we use minimum creep (if any) so like to get lambs off to a good start , your feeding for the weakest really , get them strong and a decent size and they will look after themselves rest of winter

Devils advocate---why do pedigree lambs need a '' good start'' more than commercial lambs
I would argue that lambs destined to become breeding rams should actually be stressed ---to distinguish the worthwhile breeders from the rest of the mob?
Otherwise when their lambs get out on the ground in commercial settings they will also end up needing a ''good start'' ?

 

[Bury the Trash]

 

[andybk]

Devils advocate---why do pedigree lambs need a '' good start'' more than commercial lambs
I would argue that lambs destined to become breeding rams should actually be stressed ---to distinguish the worthwhile breeders from the rest of the mob?
Otherwise when their lambs get out on the ground in commercial settings they will also end up needing a ''good start'' ?

i totally agree , problem is commercial sheep farmers cant see through that down the road , As i turn out a high proportion within a week old in dec / jan it would be very easy to end up with a high proportion of poor doers if the ewes / lambs are stressed by weather like last year , i would prefer to feed the ewe well after lambing for a month then let the lamb look after its self once the rumen is working , A completely different approach than i take in april / may when grass is 20% + when perhaps i will only give some SBP and a bit of barley to help energy content .
Dont forget im not breeding a female sire so ewes milk yeild over and above a sufficient amount isnt important , and some charollais are carp milkers , what is important is the lambs ability to convert any nutrition into extra muscle and growth with their own rumen , as they will be expected to do in a commercial flock .(we dont creep feed beyond 6 weeks )

 

[sheep breeder]

Andy
We work on a 20% coarse ration for the ewes pre and post lambing with soya as the protein source to aim for strong biestings to get lambs filled quickly and up and running, ewes would to on high ground with poor quality grass prior to housing and then silage and ration to scanning results.
After lambing ewes are switched to beet and ration and silage for a month before going to grass. This year looking at going back to nuts instead of coarse ration.

 

[Whitepeak]

When I was in college we did a blind feed trial for Bibby with 16,18, and 20% cakes and after three weeks the 20% bunch were losing so much condition they had to be taken off it. The excess protein was mobilising too much bodyfat and causing too many problems. That was north country mules with twins

Probably very true for the more maternal/mule type breeds, however for continentals they need higher protein to drive milk yield. Many farmers wouldn’t feed the ewes much if anything pre-lambing but then really push them post lambing. At least that’s what I found my customers said when I was selling it ewe feed.

The higher protein nuts very often have higher energy levels as well, which nobody seems to have mentioned for some reason. The nut/roll I normally use for my early lambers is 19% CP and 13 ME (I had it tested). Certainly costs a bit more than the cheapest available, but a lot of the cheaper nuts have no better nutritional value than the haylage they are eating from the rack.

When I was selling ewe feed, our range was 16% 12.5ME, 18% 13ME and 19% 13.5ME. The higher protein feeds also had higher DUP levels. The feeds need the extra energy to help the ewe utilise the protein. There was also some research published that said Rapemeal vs Soya had no effect on milk yields etc.

 

[neilo]

Nobody has mentioned what the OP might be feeding alongside it. There would be a massive difference if feed requirements to balance good hay with a CP of 8-10%, to that needed for a good haylage at 16-17% CP.

 

[livestock 1]

Nobody has mentioned what the OP might be feeding alongside it. There would be a massive difference if feed requirements to balance good hay with a CP of 8-10%, to that needed for a good haylage at 16-17% CP.

Good point. I have been analysing silage for a few years now and I have realised what you think is good actually often isn’t. And protein values are often less effected by badly made or poor silage than energy levels.

 

[andybk]

Nobody has mentioned what the OP might be feeding alongside it. There would be a massive difference if feed requirements to balance good hay with a CP of 8-10%, to that needed for a good haylage at 16-17% CP.

would be ex silage aftermaths , short spell on haylage over lambing (very dry may cut) then back out , grass would still be fairly low protein this time of year ,
i went with forfarmers in the end , 21% , i recon i can add a third barley will bring it back down to 18% if need be , if grass keeps growing , The later half in april i will get some 18% from mvf and compare , £290+ for the premium stuff this time of year was to rich for me , will prob use it another year when it gets back to sensible levels