TMR for sheep

[Nithsdale]

Bit in TSF on Friday - condition is the most important thing pre lambing. I tend to agree.

ME sources are vital.

 

[bobajob]

ME of that silage last yr was 11.04
D value 69
Crude protein 14.5

I forgot I typed that last yr, a few of the problems we had could be put down to what we eventually found out was listeria. Poss from feeding Draff to the ewes.

 

[Hilly]

We have housed our March lambing flock and for the first time ever they're getting just silage for a while. I can't believe how stress free it is for both us and the sheep. It's got me onto thinking about feeding TMR. Could we just mix ewe nuts with silage? Obviously this would involve buying a s/h mixer wagon but wouldn't need anything fancy. Anyone doing it?

Seen tmr fed to ewes years ago when keenan first came out, works exceptionally well, just need clean silage with no soil ie moles.

 

[Hilly]

How much silage would a 70kg ewe eat between 1st jan 1st april ?

 

[Nithsdale]

How much silage would a 70kg ewe eat between 1st jan 1st april ?

Inside or outside?

 

[Hilly]

Inside or outside?

Inside.

 

[bobajob]

Depends how dry it is and if your feeding anything else with it. Rough guide for pit silage would be 4-5kg/ hd a day.?

That sound about right

 

[ratchet spanner]

We have housed our March lambing flock and for the first time ever they're getting just silage for a while. I can't believe how stress free it is for both us and the sheep. It's got me onto thinking about feeding TMR. Could we just mix ewe nuts with silage? Obviously this would involve buying a s/h mixer wagon but wouldn't need anything fancy. Anyone doing it?

We used to house 1500 ewes and feed with TMR.using rolls,nuts or even bruised barley didnt work as the first ones in would pick out the hard feed. When the more timed ewes got there turn at the feed barrier only silge was left.cured it with high protein meal mixed in with silage and liquid mollasses.worked really well and an easy way to feed housed sheep. Dont do it it now as sold the sheep and upped the cow numbers and got a life.

 

[Derrick Hughes]

We used to house 1500 ewes and feed with TMR.using rolls,nuts or even bruised barley didnt work as the first ones in would pick out the hard feed. When the more timed ewes got there turn at the feed barrier only silge was left.cured it with high protein meal mixed in with silage and liquid mollasses.worked really well and an easy way to feed housed sheep. Dont do it it now as sold the sheep and upped the cow numbers and got a life.

yes i worked out that the only way it may work was with very fine meal or liquid feed

 

[tr250]

when i did it ewes went in scrum down to pick all the concentrates out .if yiu did not have full face access it was a desaster . how come you guys dont have this

Silage needs to be leaf not bents well chopped and 30% dm no dryer

 

[Shep1]

I tried it the first year I got the feeder for the cattle . I fed precision chop silage, barley, soya and mineral. Never did it again for a few reasons.

The sheep were sorting out all the barley, so I wasn't sure the shy feeders were getting enough. Also they were flicking out the silage into the middle of the passage, which meant more forking. It meant I had to feed everyday as if I fed every second day, they would have all the meal eaten the first day. Also as it took too long to keep make different mixes, the twins and triplets ended up getting the same amount of meal.

I ended up using a lot more straw for bedding as the pit silage was wetter than the haylage I feed now. Now I just throw a few bales of haylage every 2nd day. For meal,I fed along the barrier and feck a few buckets of nuts on top of the straw for what cant eat at the barrier. Much simpler, and all the ewes are fed exactly for liltter size and condition.

Quick summary: Seemed like a great idea in theory, but not in practice (for me anyway)

 

[Bury the Trash]

I have written on a previous thread about this. These are only my thoughts of how it worked when |I did it.
1) The mixer was used for the cattle as well else very expensive fixed equipment. auger mixer rather than paddle.
2) do need a headspace for each sheep. mine was a heath robinson outdoor affair but worked well.
3) ewes much healthier than with cake and bales
4) only fed 24 hrs at a time - let them clean up - access to a ring feeder of clean straw.
5) keep water troughs regularly clean
6) used a meal mix. thought it would be a great idea to mix all straights but actually a ball ache.
7) maize silage made the ewes milk beautifully
8) very relaxed lambing shed - no evening feed which was bliss.
9) fed the same ration outside pre lambing so no stress from housing at the last minute

I don't think I saved a great deal on ingredient costs, but ewes much happier and shepherds much happier.

Feeding the cattle from the clamp makes it doable to keep the freshest /best silage for the ewes .. something thats much harder to do without, or a large flock using it quick enough....
This niggles me as i don't like feeding baled stuff.

 

[Bury the Trash]

Seen tmr fed to ewes years ago when keenan first came out, works exceptionally well, just need clean silage with no soil ie moles.

and be able to use it quick enough..... so the face doesn't go off

 

[tr250]

and be able to use it quick enough..... so the face doesn't go off

Both things I suppose we take for granted I suppose

 

[Nithsdale]

Feeding the cattle from the clamp makes it doable to keep the freshest /best silage for the ewes .. something thats much harder to do without, or a large flock using it quick enough....
This niggles me as i don't like feeding baled stuff.

Would putting a division wall up the pit, halving the face (Making 1 pit into 2) work?

 

[Bury the Trash]

Would putting a division wall up the pit, halving the face (Making 1 pit into 2) work?

yes it would. and not getting it too dry. and plus additive as well i suppose.

 

[unclescrooge]

Might as well revive this thread instead of starting my own. Just planning for next year lambing now and looking at starting TMR ration for my sheep have big enough shed which I can easily put feed barriers on got the wagon for cows so no cost there work with pit silage bruised barley and pot ale for calves so should be able with maybe a tweek of ingredients to get sheep diet easy enough. My main question for all is after they have lambed and you put them out do you keep them on TMR or do you go back to feeding concentrate?

 

[tr250]

Might as well revive this thread instead of starting my own. Just planning for next year lambing now and looking at starting TMR ration for my sheep have big enough shed which I can easily put feed barriers on got the wagon for cows so no cost there work with pit silage bruised barley and pot ale for calves so should be able with maybe a tweek of ingredients to get sheep diet easy enough. My main question for all is after they have lambed and you put them out do you keep them on TMR or do you go back to feeding concentrate?

We feed tmr in individual pens and then put them in yards with their lambs until the weather is nice enough or more to the point there is enough grass then feed with concentrate that we mix up so it’s exactly the same but with no silage fed in bags. We tend to leave them in with lambs a fair time because it’s easier to feed them than running around with bags etc. we feed in hoppers though after lambing as lambs jump through feed fences

 

[Sheep92]

Might as well revive this thread instead of starting my own. Just planning for next year lambing now and looking at starting TMR ration for my sheep have big enough shed which I can easily put feed barriers on got the wagon for cows so no cost there work with pit silage bruised barley and pot ale for calves so should be able with maybe a tweek of ingredients to get sheep diet easy enough. My main

question for all is after they have lambed and you put them out do you keep them on TMR or do you go back to feeding concentrate?

Ours get nuts and hay in the individual pens for handiness then go straight out to grass the change from tmr doesn't effect them

 

[unclescrooge]

We feed tmr in individual pens and then put them in yards with their lambs until the weather is nice enough or more to the point there is enough grass then feed with concentrate that we mix up so it’s exactly the same but with no silage fed in bags. We tend to leave them in with lambs a fair time because it’s easier to feed them than running around with bags etc. we feed in hoppers though after lambing as lambs jump through feed fences View attachment 1115409

There is normally a good 6/8 weeks from lambing starting to grass appearing here and unfortunately not enough roof space for the ewes and lambs to keep them on very long.

Ours get nuts and hay in the individual pens for handiness then go straight out to grass the change from tmr doesn't effect them

That's good to know as I feel after lambing it would be easier feeding nuts and hay in the field still, hopefully for a shorter period if I can rest the fields by having the sheep off them for longer period.