home'n dry.....again

spin cycle

Member
Location
north norfolk
so it's my annual dither as to if i try this or not :scratchhead:

chewing it over it more/less boils down to will treated home'n dry barley.....assuming an uplift in protein to about 15%......fatten lambs as the sole concentrate part of the diet? + minerals + straw or pea haulm as buffer.....or would i still need something else in mix.....either protein or palatability wise

:)
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
so it's my annual dither as to if i try this or not :scratchhead:

chewing it over it more/less boils down to will treated home'n dry barley.....assuming an uplift in protein to about 15%......fatten lambs as the sole concentrate part of the diet? + minerals + straw or pea haulm as buffer.....or would i still need something else in mix.....either protein or palatability wise

:)

I finished lambs on just that last year, ad-Lib Alkabarley with hay in a rack. They didn’t take much hay, but did nibble on a bit, as well as their bedding straw obviously.

Do make sure you add minerals though. I let it lapse and they almost stopped growing overnight. Palatability certainly wasn’t an issue.

I used the same ration in the 2018 drought, and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again. It doesn’t look like I’m going to be flush with winter fodder crops this year, whilst ewe numbers are up, so I will probably house and finish hoggets in Jan/Feb, as my lamb contract gives a decent price at that time.
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
thanks @neilo .... i thought you and @Bury the Trash possibly would be the boys to answer :)

With the barley sale price last year (& likely this:(), I reckon the finishing ration cost me about £150/t, including the minerals (+ a tenner if you’re buying in I guess). At the time a concentrate to finish them would have been £238/t, with a risk of acidosis that isn’t there with Alkagrain.

It wasn’t a hard decision, certainly if you have home grown cereals, that may well be damp.:(

Currently I’m wondering if I can strip graze (partially)standing barley...
 

spin cycle

Member
Location
north norfolk
With the barley sale price last year (& likely this:(), I reckon the finishing ration cost me about £150/t, including the minerals (+ a tenner if you’re buying in I guess). At the time a concentrate to finish them would have been £238/t, with a risk of acidosis that isn’t there with Alkagrain.

It wasn’t a hard decision, certainly if you have home grown cereals, that may well be damp.:(

Currently I’m wondering if I can strip graze (partially)standing barley...


might be worth a try...think they may paddle it down though :scratchhead:.....chop it/clamp it as alka/straw + grain perhaps

my previous rations have been mvf multimix 1 to 2 .....so circa £215....and midland feeds 50/50 £175.....but have to watch intake and feed twice a day....risk underfeeding and they standstill....over feed and it's acidosis and a check:rolleyes:
 

neilo

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Montgomeryshire
might be worth a try...think they may paddle it down though :scratchhead:.....chop it/clamp it as alka/straw + grain perhaps

my previous rations have been mvf multimix 1 to 2 .....so circa £215....and midland feeds 50/50 £175.....but have to watch intake and feed twice a day....risk underfeeding and they standstill....over feed and it's acidosis and a check:rolleyes:

No usable clamp here, or any way to feed the output from 60ac of Spring Barley (50t? :cry: 🤣 ). It'll come, it's only August yet. :)

It really is a safe, good feed and is dead simple to make & use.
 

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