Experimenting here with a handful.
5kg rolled barley per day and ad-lib silage.
Seem to be moving along OK so far.
No balancers used, a handful of powdered minerals when I think of it.
How important is minerals in a finishing diet?
[MENTION=1411]nashmach[/MENTION] how do you mix the barley and balancer to get a consistent blend?I'm always reminded of the KISS principle for feeding cattle.
On the above I don't see minerals in either of your diets, you may want to check that but I suspect FP's ration already includes that.
Here we are on ad lib silage and straw and depending on the group 6 to 8kgs of meal. This is about 70% homegrown rolled barley and the remaining 30% is a 20% barley balancer which includes minerals. We don't have a fancy diet feeder so can't give weights if silage etc.
We have had good results from this over the past few years even last year with poorer silage and grain.
[MENTION=1411]nashmach[/MENTION] how do you mix the barley and balancer to get a consistent blend?
Don't feed a huge amount of ration here, about 2kg/head/day but looking at other options in terms of content/price.
What's in the balancer and how much is it costing if you don't mind me asking?
Walk along the barriers with a bucket of rolled barley x2 and then follow up with one of balancer. Balancer bucket not filled to ensure weight is in the right mix.
It is 20% protein, would have to look up contents but pretty sure similar is on the Gain website to give you an idea.
Around 285/t last time I bought any amount of it collected in bulk.
I know it depends on what's in it, but on the face of it that seems expensive, esp. collected.
I will say it has been a while since I bought some. I don't think mixes like that have dropped hugely in price yet anyway. Plus we are not feeding many cattle here so when you are only drawing a few big bulk bags of it every few weeks that makes a difference. That is only the price of the balancer itself not the end product.I know it depends on what's in it, but on the face of it that seems expensive, esp. collected.
I know that but in general most millers will have a broadly similar product and I was giving that as an example.That paticular company are miles out on prices as a rule.
There will be lots of sunflower and only a token amout of soya if any in it unless theyve change alot. Straight distillers and a shake of minerals would be better value imo.
I know jf850 did something like that last winter.
Will do and if I don't come back to me.[emoji106]Distillers are very high energy. Would be higher energy than the gain balancer and around 30 % protien
If you get a chance will you get the ingredients and the current price it would be interesting to compare.
Surely barley is a very cheap feed.
Some w barley is 13% protien. if you felt the protein was a bit low just give them another kg. Rolled barley probally 170 euro.
;)
Does that include haylage as well?
Not at €140 green it won't, probably closer to €190
I priced ration today , high maize bull beef finisher , bulk @ €235, not bad value
12% protein [mention=5009]meath[/mention] ?