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Meal price check

  • 27-07-2012 1:50pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭


    So what are people paying at the moment for ration or meal?

    Can you give the brand name and price per bag or ton.

    I have a few calves just starting out on creep and they started on Connacht Gold Calf Crunch. Its €8.75 per 25kg bag.

    Feeding the rest on Pattons Beef Ration @ €300 per ton inc. discount


«1345678

Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,735 ✭✭✭lakill Farm


    I think its patton weanling mix crunch €265 a ton bulk ( i get a jfc 600kg tub filled) It was €245 in May (€265 / 40 bags = €6.625 per 25kg bag)


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 805 ✭✭✭BeeDI


    Just starting to feed crunch, and got a few bags last week along with a other stuff so didn't take too much notice of the price.
    Checked it now after seeing this thread. Grennans Weanling Crunch €7.80 per bag. No discount in that at all. = to €312 per ton.

    Now the only thing is, and maybe I'm imagining this, but the Grennans mix coming in the bag this year just seems so much more dusty than in the past.
    I don't get a sense of the same quality:confused:
    Anyone else use Grennans?


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭restive


    I bought 590kg of Connaught Gold's Super Beef Gold for €174.05 last Saturday.

    That equals €295 a Ton.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 521 ✭✭✭Atilathehun


    Apart from price of the meal, how much (kgs) per head are ye feeding per head.

    This time of year after a few weeks lead in, I average 0.5 kgs per head to mix of heifers and bulls.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,428 ✭✭✭epfff


    BeeDI wrote: »
    Just starting to feed crunch, and got a few bags last week along with a other stuff so didn't take too much notice of the price.
    Checked it now after seeing this thread. Grennans Weanling Crunch €7.80 per bag. No discount in that at all. = to €312 per ton.

    Now the only thing is, and maybe I'm imagining this, but the Grennans mix coming in the bag this year just seems so much more dusty than in the past.
    I don't get a sense of the same quality:confused:
    Anyone else use Grennans?
    just started using grennans bull beef(lots of barley)happy with it at min but only feeding 3weeks yet 275 a ton bulk
    was dealing with p+v but they priced themselves out of market


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  • Closed Accounts Posts: 10,271 ✭✭✭✭johngalway


    reilig wrote: »
    So what are people paying at the moment for ration or meal?

    Can you give the brand name and price per bag or ton.

    I have a few calves just starting out on creep and they started on Connacht Gold Calf Crunch. Its €8.75 per 25kg bag.

    Feeding the rest on Pattons Beef Ration @ €300 per ton inc. discount

    Bob is giving the stuff away, not sure of the brand but he'd be worth a PM :D


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 402 ✭✭J DEERE


    14% beef ration delivered at 282ton. 12/ton delivery fee included in that


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,506 ✭✭✭MfMan


    restive wrote: »
    I bought 590kg of Connaught Gold's Super Beef Gold for €174.05 last Saturday.

    That equals €295 a Ton.

    Restive, is that Connacht Gold's premium finishing ration? (or nut?) If so, how do you find it?

    Stewarts bringing in a price increase €10 - €15 / ton on August 1, so I'd imagine a lot of the other mills will follow suit.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 245 ✭✭dasheriff


    weanling nuts from john o connel mills €7.50 a bag,hihg maize finishing nut €285 a tonne roughly..
    A good calf nut from john o connell €7.60 dairygold are €8.35..


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭restive


    MfMan wrote: »
    Restive, is that Connacht Gold's premium finishing ration? (or nut?) If so, how do you find it?

    Yes it is Connaught Gold's premium finishing nut. I find they do very well on it.


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭restive


    restive wrote: »
    MfMan wrote: »
    Restive, is that Connacht Gold's premium finishing ration? (or nut?) If so, how do you find it?

    Yes it is Connaught Gold's premium finishing nut. I find they do very well on it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 138 ✭✭Hay_man


    Beef ration from Lakeland diaries 16% protein €7.50 for a 25 kg bag


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 521 ✭✭✭Atilathehun


    Anybody for straight whole oats for calves?
    http://farmingforum.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=45951


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,084 ✭✭✭kevthegaff


    14% dairy nut 255 per ton blown and delivered,
    15% beef ration 7 euros per 25kg bag for the weanlings


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 177 ✭✭Finno59


    connacht gold 18% dairy nut 320 per tonne


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    I see alot of people quoting the priceof ration/nuts/meal and the protein level, however nobody lists the contents in decending order and if fillers are in the ration. Fillers such as cotton seed, wheat/barly extract (bran) sunflower meal to provide protein as opposed to soya.

    Crude protein persentage is exactly that CRUDE. No miller tell you the soulable protein persentage of the crude protein. Also another thing to look at is the ash content and the moisture content of the ration.

    In others words look at the label because with the price of barley/wheat rations will not be cheap and some millers will bag to price and to do that they will pun in alot of fillers.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭restive


    Where exactly would i get a list of the ingredients for meal content? I usually buy from connaught gold.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 528 ✭✭✭Richk2012


    Lakeland Dairies 16% Beef Nuts 280/ton .
    Was told it was going up in price next week


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,506 ✭✭✭MfMan


    restive wrote: »
    Where exactly would i get a list of the ingredients for meal content? I usually buy from connaught gold.

    Do you buy by the bag or in bulk? I get stuff blown into a meal bin from Stewarts and a breakdown of the content is usually shown on the delivery docket.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    restive wrote: »
    Where exactly would i get a list of the ingredients for meal content? I usually buy from connaught gold.

    If you buy by the bag there is a label on it that shows the ingrediants, If you buy in bulk it should be on the delivery docket if not you can request it from them, but by right it should be on the docket as they may change the nature of a mix due to lack of ingrediants or more likly using cheaper alternatives (not usually to the farmers advantage)


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  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,066 ✭✭✭restive


    I usually buy 700 kgs a time, but i recycle my own large white bag and draw the meal myself. I will have to ask for a docket next time.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 138 ✭✭Hay_man


    I see alot of people quoting the priceof ration/nuts/meal and the protein level, however nobody lists the contents in decending order and if fillers are in the ration. Fillers such as cotton seed, wheat/barly extract (bran) sunflower meal to provide protein as opposed to soya.

    Crude protein persentage is exactly that CRUDE. No miller tell you the soulable protein persentage of the crude protein. Also another thing to look at is the ash content and the moisture content of the ration.

    In others words look at the label because with the price of barley/wheat rations will not be cheap and some millers will bag to price and to do that they will pun in alot of fillers.

    Hi Pudsey

    Here's a label from a bag of meal I'm feeding, I'll be honest I know very little about meal/rations

    I'm feeding this to weanlings at grass still on the cows,

    Is it any good ? I'm paying 7.50 a bag for this :(

    80e60b7d.jpg?t=1343826697


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    Hay_man wrote: »
    Hi Pudsey

    Here's a label from a bag of meal I'm feeding, I'll be honest I know very little about meal/rations

    I'm feeding this to weanlings at grass still on the cows,

    Is it any good ? I'm paying 7.50 a bag for this :(

    80e60b7d.jpg?t=1343826697

    It is a fairly typical label first Barley (Good good source of energy) next Soyahulls (I consider it is the best source of soulable Fibre and good sorce of energy) wheat feed (Bran Fibre I think) Palm Kernal extract ( one of my favourites Rubbish filler), Sunflower extract ( very poor protein source filler) Maize gluten feed ( fairly good source of protein but bulky 18%P ) citrus pulp (fibre) Molasses ( in all rations to make them palatable and to bind nuts) calcium carbonate (limestone flour) sodium cloride ( an alkaline to prevent digestive upse previous ingredient will do it anyway) Veg oil energy source again to bind nut

    There are a lot of fibre sources in it which will lower the energy content sinflower is the main protein source and maize gluten is below it.

    Will have to com back to finish later FP


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 11,786 ✭✭✭✭whelan1


    ok the label says in order but doesnt say the percentage of each ingredient- wheat feed and palm kernal and sunflower extract are crappy enough


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭49801


    Trying to decide between Rolled Barley or Compound for 18mth heifers and cull cows.

    Rolled Barley in bags 8.47e/bag or 339e/ton
    Beeflav 15%CP 7.85e/bag or 315e/ton

    Attached is a pic of the label but pic is a bit blurry:o
    Barley, Citrus Pulp, Rapseed Extract, Distillers, Kernel.... feeling drunk reading it:eek::D

    Cheers
    49801


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,844 ✭✭✭49801


    49801 wrote: »
    Trying to decide between Rolled Barley or Compound for 18mth heifers and cull cows.

    Rolled Barley in bags 8.47e/bag or 339e/ton
    Beeflav 15%CP 7.85e/bag or 315e/ton

    Attached is a pic of the label but pic is a bit blurry:o
    Barley, Citrus Pulp, Rapseed Extract, Distillers, Kernel.... feeling drunk reading it:eek::D

    Cheers
    49801

    Just had a quick chat with our BTAP organiser about it and he said he still thinks the barley is better buy while they are on grass. If they were on silage he would pick the compound.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,428 ✭✭✭epfff


    49801 wrote: »
    49801 wrote: »
    Trying to decide between Rolled Barley or Compound for 18mth heifers and cull cows.

    Rolled Barley in bags 8.47e/bag or 339e/ton
    Beeflav 15%CP 7.85e/bag or 315e/ton

    Attached is a pic of the label but pic is a bit blurry:o
    Barley, Citrus Pulp, Rapseed Extract, Distillers, Kernel.... feeling drunk reading it:eek::D

    Cheers
    49801

    Just had a quick chat with our BTAP organiser about it and he said he still thinks the barley is better buy while they are on grass. If they were on silage he would pick the compound.
    +1


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,343 ✭✭✭bob charles


    49801 wrote: »
    Just had a quick chat with our BTAP organiser about it and he said he still thinks the barley is better buy while they are on grass. If they were on silage he would pick the compound.

    may depend on the spec of the barley then, just to confuse issues. barley with a low bushel is a mile away from a decent bushel grain. Will be some "good" stuff around this year, Also allot of or cereal imports would be of poorer quality than our native grain.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    the rest add to
    whelan1 wrote: »
    ok the label says in order but doesnt say the percentage of each ingredient- wheat feed and palm kernal and sunflower extract are crappy enough

    Yes but as they are in decending order we can get a good idea of the ration quality by looking at the protein % of the ingredients. Taking Hayman's label
    the approxamite protein %

    Barley= 11%
    Soya Hulls =11%
    Wheat feed =9%
    Palm kernal= 16%
    sunflowe Ext = (26% 34 or41% depending on type we will us 41% as from the protein % it is most likly.)
    Maize Gluten=18%
    Citrus Pulp ( not sure bu I imagine 6-10%)
    Molasses is a sugar so no protein

    If we give the molasses minerals oil and calcium is about 8% of ration quanity the maize Gluten is the same as the nut 18% so it is neutral in the calculation and I assume that there is very little citrus as it is botton of the list then
    then the top five ingrediants 11+11+9+16+41=88/5 = 17.6

    so all five are more or less in equal quanties. si not a lot of barley it is amazing what a nut can hide


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup



    If we give the molasses minerals oil and calcium is about 8% of ration quanity the maize Gluten is the same as the nut 18% so it is neutral in the calculation and I assume that there is very little citrus as it is botton of the list then
    then the top five ingrediants 11+11+9+16+41=88/5 = 17.6

    so all five are more or less in equal quanties. si not a lot of barley it is amazing what a nut can hide

    Which is why it's nuts to buy nuts. The less ingredients the better the compound in general. Cereal min. 40%, good protein sources like rapeseed and maize distillers, a small amount of pulp citrus or beet if you can afford it. Soya would be grand in an ideal world but crazy prices at the moment. In my area most millers will make a reasonable sized batch to your own specifications for blowing or tipping 6 tonne + is usually no problem. They have a margin on the ingredients and generally charge around €15/tonne for blending and delivery.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 633 ✭✭✭PMU


    restive wrote: »
    I usually buy 700 kgs a time, but i recycle my own large white bag and draw the meal myself. I will have to ask for a docket next time.
    i think they are required to give you a list of ingredients.you may be asked for it at an inspection.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 961 ✭✭✭gingernut79


    Hay_man wrote: »
    Hi Pudsey

    Here's a label from a bag of meal I'm feeding, I'll be honest I know very little about meal/rations

    I'm feeding this to weanlings at grass still on the cows,

    Is it any good ? I'm paying 7.50 a bag for this :(

    80e60b7d.jpg?t=1343826697

    its not too hetic a lot of fillers a rep told me to watch the fiber value the lower the better im feeding stewarts pedigree 3 calf to bull to my calves and weanlings it 18% protein and 5% fiber flaked maize, barley soya been meal
    rapeseed extracted citrus pulp molasses wheat feed minerals is the list oh its €8.50 a bag but was told its going up


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 383 ✭✭jerdee


    All well to break down but ingredient s are hard to get at the moment .most of the stores are low and running out of stock . Hence the different % in make up .harvest in us is back and grain merchants finding it hard to get products.At work the blowers lorries are still flat out and some millers working 24 /7
    My 2 pence


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,401 ✭✭✭reilig


    Spoke to a rep at a show over the weekend who recons that we will see mid range bull meal hit a peak of at least 400 euro a ton at peak this winter. Imagine how much a 25kg bag will cost.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    jerdee wrote: »
    All well to break down but ingredient s are hard to get at the moment .most of the stores are low and running out of stock . Hence the different % in make up .harvest in us is back and grain merchants finding it hard to get products.At work the blowers lorries are still flat out and some millers working 24 /7
    My 2 pence

    I agree with all that you say however the point I am making is for farmers to look at bag and find out about ingredients. All you have to do is google the different ingredients and see what they are as well as see how good/bad they are. Teagasc give handouts at discussion group meetings and the Farmers journal often has a piece on feed values.

    Alot of farmers would be better off getting a few bulk ton bags of feed from millers of a straight such as barley, soyahulls, beetpulp or maize and feeding a couple of kgs rather than feeding some of the exotic mixtures that the millers produce.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup


    reilig wrote: »
    Spoke to a rep at a show over the weekend who recons that we will see mid range bull meal hit a peak of at least 400 euro a ton at peak this winter. Imagine how much a 25kg bag will cost.

    An uncle of mine bought a couple of tonne of crimped barley from another neighbour over the weekend for €204/tonne. Crimp is usually fairly wet by comparison with dried grain but as a rule of thumb crimped grain usually cost around the same per tonne as grain directly off the combine at 20%. The difference in moisture content is made up by transport, handling, treatment and preservative. Your rep needs to do a bit of explaining about how to get from €204 to €400. You should contact someone you know from Ag college in a grain growing area and price getting a 30 tonne load of crimp delivered. All you need is a clean concrete apron, pressure washed clean, a good double cover of plastic and your sorted. Mix with a small amount of protein balancer with molasses and off you go.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,343 ✭✭✭bob charles


    An uncle of mine bought a couple of tonne of crimped barley from another neighbour over the weekend for €204/tonne. Crimp is usually fairly wet by comparison with dried grain but as a rule of thumb crimped grain usually cost around the same per tonne as grain directly off the combine at 20%. The difference in moisture content is made up by transport, handling, treatment and preservative. Your rep needs to do a bit of explaining about how to get from €204 to €400. You should contact someone you know from Ag college in a grain growing area and price getting a 30 tonne load of crimp delivered. All you need is a clean concrete apron, pressure washed clean, a good double cover of plastic and your sorted. Mix with a small amount of protein balancer with molasses and off you go.

    Crimping isn't as cheap as you make out. Take your figure of €204 a ton at say 65% (bet its no drier than this) moisture add on for the ball ache of plastic/pitting/losses and interest say €20 a ton. I don't know if your figure included rolling and additive but if it didn't thats another €25 a ton so now your crimp is costing €250 a ton @ 65% moisture, on a DM basis thats €384 DM or €346 if it was rolled and treated before purchase, I can buy barley this AM at €270 del and rolled (which I can guarantee you I won't be buying) and that costs €318 a ton DM

    So just be careful doing the figures, We used to crimp allot of barley going back between 5 and 10 yrs ago when we had it in the pit costing €100 - €120 and it was different ball game then. I would be of the opinion that if your pit was smaller that 50t you were wasting your time. great feed though if done right


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    I agree with bob on crimp. At best it will be 65% DM. Paying 200 euro's/ton is the equivlent to 270/ton for rolled barley@ 14@ moisture. If you are doing 25 ton plastic will work out at about 4 euro's/ ton . Now most farmers doing crimp will have the powder on it if not it will cost extra. You will need a 4WD tractor or quad to roll it and it takes up a lot of space on the slab unless you have some sort of walls. When you cover you have to cover all the pit with tyres and the edges with sand or gravel, the plastic will be no use next year. You will need to protect from rats and crows which means net and piosion.

    Then when you open you have to feed at least 3-4'' of the face every day. If you have only 20-30 ton the only realistic protein is soya as rapeseed is not very palatable. You will need about 1kg soya to every 15 kgs approx. So it will cost 320/ton before pit losses. If you are very careful you will have none but if you fail to keep the rats and crows at bay it will be up on 400/ton very fast.

    You also have the fact that you will have to shave down the pit every day you will have to trust the farmer delivering it unless you can weight it near you of course another farmer would not do you.And what happens if you have not got enough to finish your cattle.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,343 ✭✭✭bob charles


    I agree with bob on crimp. At best it will be 65% DM. Paying 200 euro's/ton is the equivlent to 270/ton for rolled barley@ 14@ moisture. If you are doing 25 ton plastic will work out at about 4 euro's/ ton . Now most farmers doing crimp will have the powder on it if not it will cost extra. You will need a 4WD tractor or quad to roll it and it takes up a lot of space on the slab unless you have some sort of walls. When you cover you have to cover all the pit with tyres and the edges with sand or gravel, the plastic will be no use next year. You will need to protect from rats and crows which means net and piosion.

    Then when you open you have to feed at least 3-4'' of the face every day. If you have only 20-30 ton the only realistic protein is soya as rapeseed is not very palatable. You will need about 1kg soya to every 15 kgs approx. So it will cost 320/ton before pit losses. If you are very careful you will have none but if you fail to keep the rats and crows at bay it will be up on 400/ton very fast.

    You also have the fact that you will have to shave down the pit every day you will have to trust the farmer delivering it unless you can weight it near you of course another farmer would not do you.And what happens if you have not got enough to finish your cattle.

    the important issues that keep us awake at this hour of the night:D:D, powerful feed though but it can be expensive


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,920 ✭✭✭freedominacup


    Crimping isn't as cheap as you make out. Take your figure of €204 a ton at say 65% (bet its no drier than this) moisture add on for the ball ache of plastic/pitting/losses and interest say €20 a ton. I don't know if your figure included rolling and additive but if it didn't thats another €25 a ton so now your crimp is costing €250 a ton @ 65% moisture, on a DM basis thats €384 DM or €346 if it was rolled and treated before purchase, I can buy barley this AM at €270 del and rolled (which I can guarantee you I won't be buying) and that costs €318 a ton DM

    So just be careful doing the figures, We used to crimp allot of barley going back between 5 and 10 yrs ago when we had it in the pit costing €100 - €120 and it was different ball game then. I would be of the opinion that if your pit was smaller that 50t you were wasting your time. great feed though if done right

    We would normally take it that a tonne of crimped grain @ 30-35% moisture would be costing the same per (fresh)tonne as green grain off the combine @ 20% moisture. We generally don't use an additive other than a few bags of salt. The ball ache you describe pales into comparison with buying green grain getting dried to 14% haulage to and from drier, drier losses aeration costs (never mind the cost of building and maintaining an aerated store) the dust and general unpleasentness of rolling grain with most on farm set-ups not to mention the time consumption. Crimp is straight forward. Grain needs to be carefully handled regardless of the system but the storage requirements for crimp are a lot less costly than for dried grain. Surely the cost of crimping is now a much smaller element of the overall cost with green grain trading @ €200/tonne. With your crimping costs of €45/tonne where were you buying/growing grain for €60 tonne 5-10 years ago? My best year grain cost me €110/tonne to grow. Your €270/tonne is today what is the likely price per tonne delivered on the 10th of Feb next year?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,343 ✭✭✭bob charles


    We would normally take it that a tonne of crimped grain @ 30-35% moisture would be costing the same per (fresh)tonne as green grain off the combine @ 20% moisture. We generally don't use an additive other than a few bags of salt. The ball ache you describe pales into comparison with buying green grain getting dried to 14% haulage to and from drier, drier losses aeration costs (never mind the cost of building and maintaining an aerated store) the dust and general unpleasentness of rolling grain with most on farm set-ups not to mention the time consumption. Crimp is straight forward. Grain needs to be carefully handled regardless of the system but the storage requirements for crimp are a lot less costly than for dried grain. Surely the cost of crimping is now a much smaller element of the overall cost with green grain trading @ €200/tonne. With your crimping costs of €45/tonne where were you buying/growing grain for €60 tonne 5-10 years ago? My best year grain cost me €110/tonne to grow. Your €270/tonne is today what is the likely price per tonne delivered on the 10th of Feb next year?

    I was pricing it against buying of a miller when you need it. €270 a ton rolled barley delivered for next Monday morning. yes drying and rolling your own grain is a complete no no unless your doing hundreds of tons.

    I was buying crimped barley for €120 a ton in 04 and 05 I think, nearly certain, first crimped about 50t around 01 when it was just taking off and increased tonnage each year from there on. Im not doubting its an excellent product but just be aware of the costs. we used always use additive until one day I came out after lunch, put the roller going and forgot to switch on the powder applicator switch. About 40t later I coped it, never saw a difference in the feeding out of it. In most of the analysis I have it usually is % the same for DM as for starch. I just found you could have 50k tied up in grain (farm to farm trade) that will be used over the next 6 months than say paying a miller 60 days post delivery. horses for courses, I put all or arable for whole crop nowadays as its just faster and less pricking around.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 103 ✭✭Corkfarmer


    Priced 17% weanling nuts at €320 in half ton bag. Can get rolled barley for €280 or a 14% weanling ration for around the same. Not sure what to do as I'm sick of buying lucky bags as ye call the from the co op. Would 14% be enough protein for weanlings? Could I add soya to the rolled barley to bring up the protein?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    Corkfarmer wrote: »
    Priced 17% weanling nuts at €320 in half ton bag. Can get rolled barley for €280 or a 14% weanling ration for around the same. Not sure what to do as I'm sick of buying lucky bags as ye call the from the co op. Would 14% be enough protein for weanlings? Could I add soya to the rolled barley to bring up the protein?

    Hard to compare when we do not know what is in the rations. 14% should be plenty this time of year if they are on good quality grass as the protein will be high in the grass. Yes you can use soya to balance barley is about 11%, soya about 46% so to get it to 14% you would need about 1kg of soya to 15 kg's barley. Soya is over 500 euro's/ ton so 25kg bags will cost in the region of 12 euro's.

    So about 35 kg's per half ton less than 150 euro's for 21 and a half bags of ration or around 7 euro's/bag for a top class feed. If you can accept the hassle I go with the soya and barley


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 7,410 ✭✭✭bbam


    Hard to compare when we do not know what is in the rations. 14% should be plenty this time of year if they are on good quality grass as the protein will be high in the grass. Yes you can use soya to balance barley is about 11%, soya about 46% so to get it to 14% you would need about 1kg of soya to 15 kg's barley. Soya is over 500 euro's/ ton so 25kg bags will cost in the region of 12 euro's.

    So about 35 kg's per half ton less than 150 euro's for 21 and a half bags of ration or around 7 euro's/bag for a top class feed. If you can accept the hassle I go with the soya and barley

    Guys, I've been watching this thread with great interest as ration versus nut has been ongoin here for a while. We've tried a few of the premixed rations over the years with very mixed results and found it at best average. We found beef nut better but that was compared to a poor ration.
    Mixing barley and soya is something we have considered. The mix above, how
    Much would you feed weanlings on average grass?
    Again would you mix it to a higher protein level for winter feed along with silage?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,326 ✭✭✭Farmer Pudsey


    bbam wrote: »
    Guys, I've been watching this thread with great interest as ration versus nut has been ongoin here for a while. We've tried a few of the premixed rations over the years with very mixed results and found it at best average. We found beef nut better but that was compared to a poor ration.
    Mixing barley and soya is something we have considered. The mix above, how
    Much would you feed weanlings on average grass?
    Again would you mix it to a higher protein level for winter feed along with silage?

    It would depend on how long you intend to keep them I always find that light cattle make better use of average grass. One thing I forgot to mention was minerals and calcium above. Ideally you should be feeding abouy 20grams/100kg liveweight of minerals, I sometimes feed the same level of calcium (limestone flour it is often sold as cubicle lime make sure not to get builders burnt lime).

    I buy general purpose minerals @ about12 euro's/bag and 4 euro's for lime. Mix it up and throw it accross the top of the ration in the trough. Unless the grass is very bad 1-2kg's is enough the more you feed the less grass thet eat. If you go beyond that you may need to add a fibre idealt soya hulls but it is starting to get messy. Minerals are more important than ration to young cattle a bit of bluestone can be added if in an area that you need copper in but be careful as if you add too much they may find the ration unpalatable. One heaped teaspoon/6-8 weanlings once/week to 10 days.

    For the winter again minerals first the same as above if you have poor silage I might increase the soya a bit however every 10kg'/half ton will increase the protein by about 1%, I would not worry too much the quality of the ration will be top class. Also remember that soya is a top class protein it is totally soulable in the animals digestive system copmpare to poor quality proteins like sunflower meal, A 14% ration of barley/soya would have the same level of protein available to the animal as a 15-16% mix in which sunflower meal was used as protein source and the energy level would be higher as well as you have a higher % of barley


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 263 ✭✭Charlie Charolais


    DOC U-grade @ €277/ton, 5 ton blown into a bin


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭vanderbadger


    DOC U-grade @ €277/ton, 5 ton blown into a bin

    when did you get that charolais? you are getting a better deal on it than i did


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 263 ✭✭Charlie Charolais


    when did you get that charolais? you are getting a better deal on it than i did

    yesterday,
    we buy through a local merchant which is cheaper than buying direct


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 3,087 ✭✭✭vanderbadger


    yesterday,
    we buy through a local merchant which is cheaper than buying direct
    good price anyway i reckon, do you find their meal good?


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 263 ✭✭Charlie Charolais


    good price anyway i reckon, do you find their meal good?

    ya, we find it real good; we really see a difference after a few weeks of it


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