Lambs on turnips and hoppers

[Stockwell]

Broadly speaking, how much do people think lambs will eat per day from a hopper when they are on stubble turnips?
when we have them inside I budget on 2kg a day. Would it be nearer 1kg on turnips? Lambs about quite framey, 40 kg approx
Thanks

 

[Humble Village Farmer]

Are you short of turnips? Otherwise don't waste your money.

 

[Stockwell]

Are you short of turnips? Otherwise don't wast your money.

They Seem to be disappearing fast

 

[4R Man]

Buy some Oats, mix 50:50 with your pellets, as most creep feeds give them more energy than they need. Extra roughage from the oats will also help to fill them up too

 

[Derrick Hughes]

How much is fodder beet around you , be a better option if already on roots

 

[HarryB97]

With all this wet weather and damp air a hopper of pellets outside will gum up and turn into a mess. Fodder beet would be an easier transition.

 

[yellowbelly]

when we have them inside I budget on 2kg a day.

2kg (4.5lbs)/ hd for a lamb seems a lot to me.

Big ewes with triplets don't get much more than Ikg/hd here. Maybe I'm just stingy

 

[neilo]

2kg (4.5lbs)/ hd for a lamb seems a lot to me.

Big ewes with triplets don't get much more than Ikg/hd here. Maybe I'm just stingy

They’ll clear that easily if on ad-lib ime. The only way you’d reduce that is by trough feeding instead, but maybe I’m just lazy?

 

[Stockwell]

They’ll clear that easily if on ad-lib ime. The only way you’d reduce that is by trough feeding instead, but maybe I’m just lazy?

What do you think @neilo , regarding intakes when on turnips?

 

[neilo]

What do you think @neilo , regarding intakes when on turnips?

Sorry, no idea as I've never done it.
I couldn't put a hopper out on the soils we have here and, if I could, I would never get a tractor to it to fill it up.

I would imagine it would depend on how much green fodder they had to go at. If you make them clear the turnips up then they'll eat as much as in a shed. If they are just taking the tops off, they'll hardly take any pellets.

 

[DB67]

Got lambs on rape going well. Toyed with idea of getting creep in to get even more weight on but waste of time unless trade lifts every week. Plus you get some lambs that just hang about creep all day and ignore the fodder.

 

[livestock 1]

They won’t eat much at the start but will eat well as they start to motor 2kg and more

 

[Anymulewilldo]

 

[Derrick Hughes]

3 loads gone off fat today from grass leys
Trailer loads that is

 

[Anymulewilldo]

I’ve had hoppers in with turnips, finish way more per acre… one of those years when the turnips had got to mid calf height and not done much else. If I was still growing at home I’d get hoppers out at the same time.

 

[johnflimston]

How much is fodder beet around you , be a better option if already on roots

Will they finish on fodder beet?

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Will they finish on fodder beet?

They do better if you can feed them on grass as on their own they are low In protein as you would have no tops , we have plenty of grass here atm though , lambs going off most weeks off grass only , they would fly if we put roots out

 

[Hilly]

Hoppers in with 50-50 oats on green crop is a game changer ! They grow/finish so much better and so many more per acre , well worth it imo if you can .

 

[Derrick Hughes]

Best crop I ever grew for fattening lambs was swedes and Ox cabbage, every 6 th row Ox cabbage seed, 4 big tup lambs feeding around a big Ox cabbage was a sight to see

 

[DB67]

Hoppers in with 50-50 oats on green crop is a game changer ! They grow/finish so much better and so many more per acre , well worth it imo if you can .

Undoubtedly they do well. But if the price is standing still is the extra cost worth it? A kg a day could be £2.50 a lamb a day.