Tubs v Liquid for feeding ewes.

[livestock 1]

IIRC it's about 200-250ml/he/day most liquid feeds are quoted as saying intake requirements are... but that doesn't mean the odd ewe won't be greedy and take more, whilst others take less

This urea stuff is slower than the pure cane. The normal molasses they just drink then it’s wasted to a big degree because over a certain amount it’s bypassed

 

[livestock 1]

IIRC it's about 200-250ml/he/day most liquid feeds are quoted as saying intake requirements are... but that doesn't mean the odd ewe won't be greedy and take more, whilst others take less

I’ve just worked out what I’ve been giving ewes and as you say it works out around 0.2 litres per day not sure if that’s because they had ran out now and again

 

[Nithsdale]

This urea stuff is slower than the pure cane. The normal molasses they just drink then it’s wasted to a big degree because over a certain amount it’s bypassed

I'm trying to recall the specs of the Rumenco Eweliq 16% liquid feed I use, I'm pretty sure if you're feeding adlib it says intake should be around the figures we've both said.

As you say, basic molasses ewes will take by the gallon daily... then skitter like mad

 

[livestock 1]

I'm trying to recall the specs of the Rumenco Eweliq 16% liquid feed I use, I'm pretty sure if you're feeding adlib it says intake should be around the figures we've both said.

As you say, basic molasses ewes will take by the gallon daily... then skitter like mad

The other thing to mention is it’s not good if they take too much. The urea protein can cause them to loose flesh if they take too much. They start using fat to digest it. I can’t remember this happening with the promol 20 it must have the correct amount of urea in it but it did happen years ago on one occasion

 

[Wood field]

There’s another thread about pre tupping energy, I posted Brinnicombe’s data sheet for the “ewe 18” feed , here it is again, it may be of use to some

 

[Wood field]

Middle ground of pic, two ball feeders on moor , I’ve just started filling them to use a bit of liquid up on moor , as daft as it is, it also serves to keep them near ( especially hoggs that are new on this part of the moor)

 

[neilo]

I've always found liquid feed intakes vary massively with the other feed available, as well as with the weather. If they are getting plenty of nutrition from forage then the intakes drop right off. If there's only rough grass/hay available, then intakes go up to the 200-250ml/day mark.

The only exception is when they are housed and offered liquid feed, when they seem to take more out of boredom, and being penned near the feeder.

 

[Nithsdale]

The only exception is when they are housed and offered liquid feed, when they seem to take more out of boredom, and being penned near the feeder.

Makes sense.

You always drink a lot more when propped up at the bar...

 

[livestock 1]

Yes I agree with all that. This promol 20 we use doesn’t disappear as fast as some other molasses we’ve used. I remember last backend putting it out for ewes at tupping time and they didn’t take much at all but there was a load of grass for them

 

[Y Fan Wen]

The reason I am trying to move a way from concentrates is.....

1. Easycare ewes don't have a requirement for it if they have grass, or haylage/silage. I am just concerned about minerals and a bit of energy, protein not so much of an issue with ECs as they seem to be able to take care of that bit themselves.

2. Spent £500 on the snacker last year getting the tow bar all replaced and the electrics redone as they gave up. Need a new set of tyres every year on the Can Am with all the miles towing.

3. Checking sheep is just driving around them, feeding sheep is towing the snacker to all parts of the farm up some steep hills and having to return to the feed silo 3 times to get everything fed.

4. Spend 2 hours after everything is fed going round them all again to check that everything has mothered up.

5. Ewes I haven't been feeding have had next to no prolapsed, fed ewes were a disaster for the last 3 or 4 years, no way of stopping some ewes gorging themselves and other ewes waiting til you are away and getting nothing.

6. Had a lot of near death experiences with the snacker on steep wet or snowy hills. Not worth a broken neck for.

7. Every morning the ewes are all at every gate waiting for the feed, no matter what the weather, dragging their lambs after them. And when I go to the next field they all come belting across to the fence to try and get more.

8. If you go in the field with the buggy to check sheep they think they are getting fed and start chasing you.

9. Surely not every farmer that uses tubs or liquid instead of hard feed can be wrong, and the price is set to reflect intakes against the other feed options, no matter what your rep tries to tell you.

10. Every year without fail there will be at least one lorry that arrives when we are snow bound and needs towed out and then the feed blown in to a trailer and then tipped at the main farm which is 4 miles away from where the sheep are which is an added pee about.

11. If I am not feeding ewes I can leave gates open in a lot of fields and not have to worry about 100 ewes appearing at the house when the buggy starts up. Sounds pathetic but when you 25 years of rugby and clipping have screwed your knees up it is not fun getting in and out to open a gate, shut it, feed ewes, then open and shut it when you are out again.... 4 times every gate times 12, no thanks

12a if you start feeding ewes you have to keep feeding them after they lamb. I run 300 ewes to the other farm 17 miles away once lambed, feeding that as well is a nightmare in time and stress about worrying about mothering up. Not to mention time away from the lambing fields. Dad always says leaves them as everything will mother up but with triplets or even pairs, 1 lost lamb every 2 or 3 days is still £100+ if it dies and if you spend 10 minutes trying to get it back to its mum you are probably getting 5 more lost with all the chasing about through the fields.


These are my experiences on a hill farm in Scotland, I am sure everyone will have a reason why I am wrong but every farm is different and every farms ewes are different.

My days of flying about with a quad and a snacker in all weathers are gone, I am trying to get to a system I can still be doing when I am 70!!

As I stated at the start, I wasnt needing a lecture on hard feed, more just people's experiences of the pros and cons of tubs v blocks v Liquid.

Point no 1 is the important one. Rumenco blocks can be used to tune intake by choosing the one that fits your requirements. In olden days in order of increasing intake it used to be: Standard, High Energy and Extra Energy.
Today's names I use are High Energy and Super Energy. I don't know how Hill Grazer and Graze would fit in the list.
I start the season with HE for everyone and then the twin bearers move on to SE after scanning. I've never suffered from excessive consumption which others complain of. This is on swards comprising a small amount of prg, wwc and then bent, fescue, heather, Western gorse (rushes!) etc..

 

[hendrebc]

If you lamb at the time of year when you can have grass for them to graze you won't need to feed them for energy or protein only minerals.
If I leave fields empty over winter from early November onwards I can have grass to lamb on by late march so I lamb early April. Almost all old permanent pasture.
Then I give them some mineral blocks, usually magnesium, to get them started on them and then tip cheap powdered minerals on top. Spring grass will give all the energy and protein sheep need if you have enough of it. Works most years anyway.
Not really answered your question but maybe given you something to think about though. I'd use liquid feed over blocks if I had to choose between the two.

 

[gwi1890]

Liquid feed without urea in is a waste of time they just gorge on it and are covered in sh*t. All the products from Dennis Brincombe is good and has content with value in it and not just made up of crap. I bought a 1000 ltrs last year as I was running a few older ewes they maintained condition through out winter and lambing . If you have good forage available intakes are very low, I offered it to ewes that were lambing on roots 50ltrs lasted them 4 weeks.

 

[neilo]

Liquid feed with urea in is a waste of time they just gorge on it and are covered in sh*t. All the products from Dennis Brincombe is good and has content with value in it and not just made up of crap. I bought a 1000 ltrs last year as I was running a few older ewes they maintained condition through out winter and lambing . If you have good forage available intakes are very low, I offered it to ewes that were lambing on roots 50ltrs lasted them 4 weeks.

‘without’?

 

[gwi1890]

‘without’?

Yes

 

[Kingcustard]

Use buckets (crystalix) every year. Rarely find myself culling on teeth, usually on age.

Do you use any other concentrate or feed or just Crystalyx

 

[Kingcustard]

Yes I agree with all that. This promol 20 we use doesn’t disappear as fast as some other molasses we’ve used. I remember last backend putting it out for ewes at tupping time and they didn’t take much at all but there was a load of grass for them

Who makes promol 20

 

[livestock 1]

Who makes promol 20

I get mine from Lanchester High Performance Feeds other firms do similar blends of liquid

 

[Highland Mule]

Do you use any other concentrate or feed or just Crystalyx

The ewes get rolls in the run up to lambing, but Crystalix is useful in making best use of the rough grazing where they spend most of the winter.

 

[Kingcustard]

Denis Brinicombe were quoting over 60p a litre for the liquid they thought best suited my needs, that's just over £800 a tonne, I reckon 3 tonne of tubs is all I will need for 600 EC ewes (if the first 3 years of having them is anything to go by)

Not sure if the hassle of liquid feed is worth the £600 saving over tubs. I have all the tubs and IBCs but it is a messy job if you don't have an IBC in every field, and there is at least one disaster every year with an IBC falling off the forklift or a tap getting left on haha

I have bolused everything this year so will see if that cuts down the rate they go through tubs, the theory is that if they aren't looking for vitamins they won't eat tubs as quickly for early parts of the gestation period, time will tell.

Might try 100 or so ewes on liquid and see how they go....

 

[Kingcustard]

When I used liquid before we got it direct from Grangemouth Docks, the feed company reps weren't happy because it's where they get it from and they then add their margin, but it saved 8p a litre at the time