Lambs on sugar beet tops

[roseshep]

Any advise on lambs going on to sugar beet tops? Lambs have all had a mineral drench and access to rock salt but won’t have any grass run off. Any problems to look out for and will they do well?

 

[Lincs Lass]

We used to feed tops back in the day before 6 row harvesters shredded everything so there was a nice lump of crown aswell ,,the tops would have wilted for 3-4 days first ,,fresh tops will gas up and likely kill them

 

[roseshep]

We used to feed tops back in the day before 6 row harvesters shredded everything so there was a nice lump of crown aswell ,,the tops would have wilted for 3-4 days first ,,fresh tops will gas up and likely kill them

Thanks for the advise, did you have to give them any silage or hay at all?

 

[Lincs Lass]

Thanks for the advise, did you have to give them any silage or hay at all?

Hay when it turned really cold which also helped in scours cases ,,kept them firm and plenty of salt blocks ,,The ewes thrived on tops ,in lambers got extra rolled barley and linseed cake

 

[yellowbelly]

Any advise on lambs going on to sugar beet tops?

Have they had Heptavac/Ovivac? Depending on your soil type, modern harvesters tend to 'suck' a bit of soil up if it's a flail topper

 

[Lincs Lass]

Have they had Heptavac/Ovivac? Depending on your soil type, modern harvesters tend to 'suck' a bit of soil up if it's a flail topper

Landlord has a ropa panther 6 row ,,theres nothing left ,,the flail mulches everything and what bit of crown comes of goes through the spirals behind the lifting wheels ,,whats left is mush

 

[roseshep]

Have they had Heptavac/Ovivac? Depending on your soil type, modern harvesters tend to 'suck' a bit of soil up if it's a flail topper

Yep 2x heptavacs, I’ve never grazed the tops before mainly just fodder beet with cattle so unsure on how the lambs will do on it

 

[Al R]

Yep 2x heptavacs, I’ve never grazed the tops before mainly just fodder beet with cattle so unsure on how the lambs will do on it

What harvester?
I used to run an old Agrifac and although circa 30t/acre of tops were going back on the ground within 3 days of dry weather it would have all wilted to nothing, unless you literally have nothing else to feed and it’s all fenced ready perfectly I wouldn’t bother.

 

[Lincs Lass]

Even though everybody cursed standen equipment ,,the three row topper left a lovely thick trail ,,tops lasted for weeks

 

[neilo]

Yep 2x heptavacs, I’ve never grazed the tops before mainly just fodder beet with cattle so unsure on how the lambs will do on it

Forget the old wives’ tales about having to let the tops wilt. My ewes strip graze fresh fodder beet all winter, so no wilting involved there at all.

If I lift any surplus beet, then let ewes over the residue, I have put some loose GP minerals out for a couple of days, otherwise they drop like flies with Calcium deficiency (worth having some in the fridge ready in any case). After a day or two there are no issues.
Beet will be low in iodine or rather, high in goitrogens, which will lock Iodine up. Iodine supplementation is vital ime. Boluses don’t work for that (here), and most trace element drenches have quietly removed it without telling anyone.

 

[MJT]

Lift ours with old armor salmon . In lamb ewes have the tops, strip grazed it works very well .

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Lift ours with old armor salmon . In lamb ewes have the tops, strip grazed it works very well .

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Beautiful job

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Lift ours with old armor salmon . In lamb ewes have the tops, strip grazed it works very well .

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How old is your Armour Salmon ?

 

[MJT]

How old is your Armour Salmon ?

Not sure exactly, but it’s pretty ancient, had it 7 or 8 years .Bought it as it Saves the tops and there’s no stones lifted with the beet either .

 

[Norfolk Hill Farmer]

Not sure exactly, but it’s pretty ancient, had it 7 or 8 years .Bought it as it Saves the tops and there’s no stones lifted with the beet either .

Don’t think anyone has made a top Lifter for years, I may be wrong. Would be hard to find one now , let alone maintain it.

 

[davidroberts30]

Don’t think anyone has made a top Lifter for years, I may be wrong. Would be hard to find one now , let alone maintain it.

Cross machinery in Ireland are making the armor again now

 

[roseshep]

Forget the old wives’ tales about having to let the tops wilt. My ewes strip graze fresh fodder beet all winter, so no wilting involved there at all.

If I lift any surplus beet, then let ewes over the residue, I have put some loose GP minerals out for a couple of days, otherwise they drop like flies with Calcium deficiency (worth having some in the fridge ready in any case). After a day or two there are no issues.
Beet will be low in iodine or rather, high in goitrogens, which will lock Iodine up. Iodine supplementation is vital ime. Boluses don’t work for that (here), and most trace element drenches have quietly removed it without telling anyone.

I thought it’s a bit odd to have to wilt them, wasn’t sure if I was missing something. I’ll check the drench I’ve given them for iodine they have rock salt all the time to but I didn’t want to have a cock up with running them on like I would do on fodder beet, I’m pretty low on feed and trying to save grass for tupping so the tops would give me a bit of a break if I can get it right

 

[neilo]

I thought it’s a bit odd to have to wilt them, wasn’t sure if I was missing something. I’ll check the drench I’ve given them for iodine they have rock salt all the time to but I didn’t want to have a cock up with running them on like I would do on fodder beet, I’m pretty low on feed and trying to save grass for tupping so the tops would give me a bit of a break if I can get it right

As above, some loose GP mins in a bucket will head off Ca deficiency ime. I only put out a bag or two between 4-500 ewes as they go on, otherwise the change in diet can drop them.
I went out one day to find 17 comatose ewes scattered across a 17ac field of tops, when they’d just gone on. It was a frantic hour or two running around with bottles of Calciject!

 

[Lincs Lass]

I thought it’s a bit odd to have to wilt them, wasn’t sure if I was missing something. I’ll check the drench I’ve given them for iodine they have rock salt all the time to but I didn’t want to have a cock up with running them on like I would do on fodder beet, I’m pretty low on feed and trying to save grass for tupping so the tops would give me a bit of a break if I can get it right

The wilting process reduces the acids in the stalks,,if you look at a puddle with beet tops in , you can see a horible blue coloration and then there's the smell

 

[Derrick Hughes]

I used to graze tops off with lambs before harvesting the beet , was s lot easier to harvest , and lambs fattened like mad