Sheep feed

[James169]

looking to start sorting sheep feed for this winter.

We’re lambing 330 sheep this time. Wanted to know if it would be better to buy it pre bagged or bulk. Is there much difference in price?

Roughly how many tonnes do you think we would need?

 

[GTB]

About £20/25 per ton less for bulk than bags. Dumpy bags about half way between (horrible things).

No idea how much you need...

What breed?

Lambing % ?

Housed or outside?

When are they lambing and how long before lambing are you planning on feeding?

What about feeding after lambing?

 

[neilo]

Nearer £30-40 difference when I last had a ton of bags to finish up, so a pound a bag for the convenience.

Depending on how many concentrates you feed (which will vary widely, as pointed out above), you would soon pay for a bulk bin.

 

[James169]

Sorry I was a bit vague. We’re lambing 130 from 8th of Feb and then do 200 from 14th March. There all north country muels. All be lambed inside. I was planning on starting to feed the early lot from around Christmas

I won’t be feeding the singles after lambing
But will feed everything else until the grass is lush and keeping them full

Other years we have lambed late and the ewes have let us know when they have had enough when they stop running for cake


Got a feed rep coming out tomorrow so thought I had better get some ammo

 

[GTB]

Say you start off on 0.5kg per head six weeks before lambing and build up to 1kg at due date (twin bearing ewes) every ewe would need an average of 0.75 per day for 42 days pre lambing which is 31.5 kg per head. So that's just under 4 ton to get 120 ewes to due date?

 

[Bob c]

£40 to £45 a tonne

 

[Adam@Rumen]

As above, £40ish/T difference, you're paying for the convenience factor.

 

[GTB]

Nearer £30-40 difference

£40 to £45 a tonne

As above, £40ish/T difference

Is it really that much nowadays? There was a time ACT were doing bags for bulk price if you bought an artic load at a time when the mill wasn't busy. I must be getting old!

 

[Bob c]

Is it really that much nowadays? There was a time ACT were doing bags for bulk price if you bought an artic load at a time when the mill wasn't busy. I must be getting old!

was last year when ringing up for prices

 

[Dkb]

Rough figures for a lowland flock with their main energy source being concentrated along with hay or silage etc would be about 25 - 30kg if feeding up to 1 kg per day over 6 weeks for twins say and allowing that some ewes will be on 1kg for 2 or 3 weeks as they all don’t lamb the same day.

But they’re is a lot of variables. Silage quality, ewe condition/size/scan housing period..........

 

[Green farmer]

I feed .5kg for singles and 1kg for twins along with straw if inside. Use bagged stuff here as a means of portion control, so keeps maths simple, one bag feeds 50 singles or 25 twins.

 

[Adam@Rumen]

Is it really that much nowadays? There was a time ACT were doing bags for bulk price if you bought an artic load at a time when the mill wasn't busy. I must be getting old!

Afraid so.

To be fair, an artic load would attract a fairly hefty discount against a single pallet or two.

We are going to be offering feed in the next week or two

 

[Wishful Thinker]

I work on 1lb/lamb 1 week before they are due. I only bring in 2 weeks before due and start feeding then, out on plenty of grass up until then. Average quality silage and build up feed over a week. Lambing in January I usually am about 40kg/ewe.

 

[John Chance]

Paying a nutritionist is cheaper than listening to a feed rep.

 

[Gwyn]

Having your silage/hay analysed would be a good point to start. Otherwise from personal experience buy the best cake you can afford, the increase in the quality of ingredients over cheaper cake is worth more than the extra cost