Thinking ahead about the next beef fattening ration

[czechmate]

I grow a range of cereals, so I am able to mix up the ration. The mill needs 7 buckets to fill it, so for some time now my mix has been 2/7 barley, 1/7 oats (grown for the cereal rotation), 1/7 spelt wheat (popular here, has the complete ears for fibre and is supposed to be 18% protein)m 2/7 either wheat or triticale and 1/7 of pellets we buy in. Now these pellets are 26% protein and have minerals, they are sold for making up 40% of the ration but over the years we have them down to 14% and the animals still all get big and fat.
Anyway, for various reasons (mainly subsidy led ) we are now growing beans. I was thinking I could use half a bucket of beans and cut the bought pellets to half a bucket.
But now, my question is, could I maybe do away with the pellets altogether, make a whole bucket of beans? If so, would I then need to be adding some minerals? Oh, of course, there is always a fair dash of bicarbonate mixed in.
Any tips ?

 

[beefandsleep]

No need for the pellets at all with the ingredients you have, just buy loose minerals and possibly molasses to prevent sorting and reduce dust.

 

[d williams]

I grow a range of cereals, so I am able to mix up the ration. The mill needs 7 buckets to fill it, so for some time now my mix has been 2/7 barley, 1/7 oats (grown for the cereal rotation), 1/7 spelt wheat (popular here, has the complete ears for fibre and is supposed to be 18% protein)m 2/7 either wheat or triticale and 1/7 of pellets we buy in. Now these pellets are 26% protein and have minerals, they are sold for making up 40% of the ration but over the years we have them down to 14% and the animals still all get big and fat.
Anyway, for various reasons (mainly subsidy led ) we are now growing beans. I was thinking I could use half a bucket of beans and cut the bought pellets to half a bucket.
But now, my question is, could I maybe do away with the pellets altogether, make a whole bucket of beans? If so, would I then need to be adding some minerals? Oh, of course, there is always a fair dash of bicarbonate mixed in.
Any tips ?

Is your mill a hammer mill?

 

[czechmate]

Is your mill a hammer mill?

Yes.
Nervous when we first swapped from rolls but apparently no problem - some years with it

 

[R G Abbott & Son]

No need for the pellets at all with the ingredients you have, just buy loose minerals and possibly molasses to prevent sorting and reduce dust.

Hi. I’m trying to make a ration up with a hammer mill and mix we’ve just bought.. I was considering putting some hay in instead of straw, along with protein pellets and barley.. I’m unsure tho about whether it will work.. any tips would be great!

 

[Matthew Britton]

I grow a range of cereals, so I am able to mix up the ration. The mill needs 7 buckets to fill it, so for some time now my mix has been 2/7 barley, 1/7 oats (grown for the cereal rotation), 1/7 spelt wheat (popular here, has the complete ears for fibre and is supposed to be 18% protein)m 2/7 either wheat or triticale and 1/7 of pellets we buy in. Now these pellets are 26% protein and have minerals, they are sold for making up 40% of the ration but over the years we have them down to 14% and the animals still all get big and fat.
Anyway, for various reasons (mainly subsidy led ) we are now growing beans. I was thinking I could use half a bucket of beans and cut the bought pellets to half a bucket.
But now, my question is, could I maybe do away with the pellets altogether, make a whole bucket of beans? If so, would I then need to be adding some minerals? Oh, of course, there is always a fair dash of bicarbonate mixed in.
Any tips ?

 

[Matthew Britton]

I reckon you would be about right without the expense of the pellets. When we were organic beans featured in my mixes and the cattle always got plenty fat enough. The guy I bought the cheptel from never fed any minerals and did a similar ration. If you boluses like lbp you wouldn’t need any m8nerals in the food anyway.