what straw to feed in field ?

bluebell

Member
suckler cows and calves at grass, if you had a choice of straw what would you put out in round feeders, any comments please
 

Agrivator

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Scottsih Borders
Wheat straw seems to be the most palatable. That's assuming that all straws are well preserved.

One benefit of straw at grass is that it reduces the risk of staggers, because it helps dry up their dung and means that any Magnesium (and Phosphorous) is more likely to be absorbed instead of passing straight through.
 

delilah

Member
Fella I work for will only ever feed barley straw. Ever. He says wheat stray gives them a stoppage.

I’ve fed wheat straw myself with no problem.
Barley looks nicer 🤷‍♂️

Killed a cow last winter with wheat straw blockage. I have a theory that it was as much to do with the straw being shorter than previous years (different rotary combine) as the type of straw. They are on oat straw now. Which probably wont prove anything as its from a different farmer and longer straw.

stock aug 20 16.jpg
 

nails

Member
Location
East Dorset
suckler cows and calves at grass, if you had a choice of straw what would you put out in round feeders, any comments please

Nowadays i would say the best is Spring Barley , ideally just weathered , To get the best out of straw feed a mollasses feed with a little urea in it as it will make the straw more digestible. Bitty Wheat straw out of a rotary combine will be more likely to cause compaction in the Rumen . Always best long fibre.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
suckler cows and calves at grass, if you had a choice of straw what would you put out in round feeders, any comments please
A chap near here uses oat straw and gets on well

We use to supply someone with wheat straw to feed to suckler cows, the farm we got it from also grew spuds if we could get the straw from the crop following the spuds the cows would eat it like made, don't really know why perhaps it was the fert they used on the spuds
 

digger64

Member
bobk said:
Hardly relevant as there's grass everywhere.
Not here there isnt got some growing cattle on silage outside, grass starting to come back as burnt up till about 14 days ago on higher ground away from the rivers , even the hedges were wilted, silage down by 40% no 2nd cut .Straw down by 75 % on winter crops .worse than 2018 I think .
 

steveR

Member
Mixed Farmer
get a few of each and try all , see how you get on (y)
like we did in the days before socialmedia..:oops:

btw barley is best quality for feeding and none of it want to be baled in haste.

I lobbed round bales of wheat and of barley in the same feeder two years ago, and was surprised the following morning all the wheat had gone, yet it was lovely barley straw..... Cows, hey?
 

Bury the Trash

Member
Mixed Farmer
I lobbed round bales of wheat and of barley in the same feeder two years ago, and was surprised the following morning all the wheat had gone, yet it was lovely barley straw..... Cows, hey?
i meant best analysis didnt mean which they would prefer, i guess barley isles arent that nice if theyre being picky
cant remeber how to spell isles..:(
 

Radio

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Radnorshire
I lobbed round bales of wheat and of barley in the same feeder two years ago, and was surprised the following morning all the wheat had gone, yet it was lovely barley straw..... Cows, hey?
Same happened here years ago half the barrier with our spring barley straw the other with bought winter wheat,wheat all cleared up barley untouched even though well harvested
 

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