Who’s feeding turnips to in lamb ewes

[cubby]

I have some main crop turnips put them in to to try reduce the bought in feed . In my head I will put twin bearing mules on them after scanning. Decent crop I have a nice leafy second cut dry bales of 14 percent protein to feed along side . My question is do people still feed cobs along side at reduced rate of day 150g a head or will the bales and turnips be enough.and lastly how long will I take them 2 weeks before lambing ok . Thank you

 

[CopperBeech]

Turnips and bales be fine. Mineral tubs might be a good shout.

 

[cubby]

Thanks for that @CopperBeech you must do the same tubs would be good to balance I will look into them I used rumivite high energy to tup my hill ewes on see if they would do the job I have some there . How long do you keep yours on pre lambing?thank you

 

[CopperBeech]

We’ve had them right up to lambing and indeed lambing on roots

 

[Jerry]

I winter all in lamb ewes in stubble turnips with haylage and mineral blocks.

They don’t see hard feed.

Move onto turnips 1st December band drafted off 10 days before lambing late feb.

 

[Hilly]

Got store lambs on neeps , just spread them
Over the fence with the spread a bale .

 

[Estate fencing.]

Got store lambs on neeps , just spread them
Over the fence with the spread a bale .

Aren’t they Swedes?

 

[Hilly]

Aren’t they Swedes?

Are turnips not swedes ? Swedes turnips ?

 

[neilo]

Are turnips not swedes ? Swedes turnips ?

No, although similar. Swedes are higher energy & DM%, followed by maincrop turnips, followed by stubble turnips.
Tops, where the protein is, runs in the reverse order.

 

[neilo]

I have some main crop turnips put them in to to try reduce the bought in feed . In my head I will put twin bearing mules on them after scanning. Decent crop I have a nice leafy second cut dry bales of 14 percent protein to feed along side . My question is do people still feed cobs along side at reduced rate of day 150g a head or will the bales and turnips be enough.and lastly how long will I take them 2 weeks before lambing ok . Thank you

I’ve wintered in-lamb ewes on turnips for about 30 years, and without any concentrates these days. I never put any bales out as they just give somewhere to congregate and get clarty, whilst diluting the feed value of the turnips.

If they are coming into a shed for lambing, it would be sensible to transition them onto that feed (bales & concentrates?) a few weeks prior, but fresh, grazed turnips are a better feed than anything in a bag or a bale.

 

[cubby]

Thanks for all your reply’s see if I am brave enough to try turnips only they have a nice green leaf still was going to hand pick a few when they are still on grass to get them straight onto them . Spread a bale looks the job but as a new entrant my tools extend to a pen knife an electric fence lol

 

[SteveHudd]

Got store lambs on neeps , just spread them
Over the fence with the spread a bale .

Are they washed?

 

[Hilly]

Are they washed?

Yes .

 

[neilo]

Thanks for all your reply’s see if I am brave enough to try turnips only they have a nice green leaf still was going to hand pick a few when they are still on grass to get them straight onto them . Spread a bale looks the job but as a new entrant my tools extend to a pen knife an electric fence lol

An electric fence is a much better option tbh. The tops are as valuable as the roots and you need both to be a complete ration. Roots on their own are just a high energy supplement, the same as concentrates or licks (but cheaper).

Let the sheep do the harvesting if at all possible.

 

[Swaley]

We feed stubble turnips for main flock of ewes, they have just gone on this week they only get haylegde on we do offer feed blocks but that's just for abit of backup feed so there not always on just turnips and hayledge, they always get a grass run off. They will run on turnips until there finnished about the 1st of March then get cobs for 3 weeks prior to lambing then they come off the cobs when they come in sheds for lambing, the ewes have plenty of milk and are fit, seems to work a trick for us.

 

[Collie dog Sid]

I'm looking after 3 big mobs of ewes this winter and they will be on turnips right up until lambing in April

 

[adda]

We run twin ewes on swedes after scanning but we make sure we bolus them they need iodine on root crops

 

[Devil's advocate]

Got store lambs on neeps , just spread them
Over the fence with the spread a bale .

They look too good to feed to stock, where did they come from?

 

[serf]

Got store lambs on neeps , just spread them
Over the fence with the spread a bale .

That double hitch point on spreader is a good idea

 

[Hilly]

They look too good to feed to stock, where did they come from?

Perth . Shop rejects