Uniblock Lifeline and Crystalyx Extra High Energy Mineral Blocks?

Arrow in the Knee

Why do ewes go through these types of buckets so fast compared to other 'standard' mineral blocks?

Is it that they contain more molasses than the other standard blocks?

Interested in anybody thoughts or experiences?

Username John

Arrow in the Knee wrote: »

Why do ewes go through these types of buckets so fast compared to other 'standard' mineral blocks?

Is it that they contain more molasses than the other standard blocks?

Interested in anybody thoughts or experiences?

I had the crystalyx feed buckets and I though they lasted fairly well. Longer than other mineral buckets...

brownswiss

Arrow in the Knee wrote: »

Why do ewes go through these types of buckets so fast compared to other 'standard' mineral blocks?

Is it that they contain more molasses than the other standard blocks?

Interested in anybody thoughts or experiences?

... They seem to be so soft the ewes can get their teeth into them rather than having to lick them. The
crystalyx are hard ( not sure if too hard ). I have fed some of the feed buckets this year trying to delay feeding but I know it is madness as reasonably good coarse ration is being sold in Connacht for about €235 ( not for ewes close to lambing )

Connemara Farmer

They're all sweeties I reckon. €900 a ton was assigned to them at the hill farming conference in Westport, nuts in a €300 or there abouts, it's the shepherd needs weaning from buckets etc, not the sheep.

brownswiss

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

They're all sweeties I reckon. €900 a ton was assigned to them at the hill farming conference in Westport, nuts in a €300 or there abouts, it's the shepherd needs weaning from buckets etc, not the sheep.

... Nice to see a per Tonne price put on the sweeties.

Connemara Farmer

brownswiss wrote: »

... Nice to see a per Tonne price put on the sweeties.

I'm actually going to email Frank Hynes about it, as I just looked in the book and it gave a different figure. I'm pretty sure €900 a ton was the figure on screen on the night.

brownswiss

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

I'm actually going to email Frank Hynes about it, as I just looked in the book and it gave a different figure. I'm pretty sure €900 a ton was the figure on screen on the night.

..

I knew when I was buying the feed buckets that it was insanity and I bet the €900 figure is correct. Many years ago a guy came around here selling Agri- Lloyd supplements. He spent hours in the milking parlour that night trying to convince me to part with a crazy amount of money for a tiny container. He eventually gave it to me for free. He came back a couple of weeks later and managed to coerce me into buying a larger container.

It is very easy to part with our tiny profit margin for something that we do not need.

Connemara Farmer

brownswiss wrote: »

..

I knew when I was buying the feed buckets that it was insanity and I bet the €900 figure is correct.

You win a cookie.

I got a reply this morning confirming the €900 a ton pricing. In reality it's €1000 a ton but often there are free buckets supposed to be thrown in which reduces the actual cost to €900. Price based on a 35kg Uniblock bucket (€35).

Username John

No doubt they are expensive, but I think they have their place too at times...

Does anyone have any details re how they stack up against ration nutrition wise?
I dunno how you would / could do a true comparison, but be interesting to see if someone had.

Connemara Farmer

Teagasc may have.

Either way it's ridiculous money. I've certainly bought my last bucket. The Crystalyx one I got they ate it like sweets.

Worked out the ould fella is paying €805 a ton, let him know and all I could hear was great exhaling of breath.

AntrimGlens

I swore by crystalyx buckets up until 2013 when i sat down and did my figures at the end of the year. Never used them last year at all and only have one with the triplets before they got meal this year. A complete marketing mans dream, saw no increase in twin lamb disease or ewes lacking milk or energy requirements from before using them, when using them and after using them. I think i used them to disguise my otherwise poor management of feeding, grass management and condition scoring.

Username John

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

Teagasc may have.

Either way it's ridiculous money. I've certainly bought my last bucket. The Crystalyx one I got they ate it like sweets.

Worked out the ould fella is paying €805 a ton, let him know and all I could hear was great exhaling of breath.

I kinda agree with you - but without knowing how they stack up against ration / energy-wise, its hard to say...

To me, its like saying "soya is ridiculous money, barley is way cheaper" - but they are two different products...

The Crystalyx ones I got I thought lasted long enough, but maybe I got 'bad' ones
I think I worked it out at the time that it would cost the same to feed 0.15kg/head/day ration.

I agree that the 0.15kg ration might be better, but it suited me to better to spend 5 mins putting in a bucket one day, and not having to feed em every day.

cuff92

We're feeding crystal buckets the last two years. we find that feeding nuts and leaving out the 40kg bucket with the sheep a month Before lambin that only the sheep that are needing that extra top up do Go to it. Feeding a bucket a week to 160 sheep. We have no more tetany lambs are lively and plenty a milk. Take up the buckets about 3 weeks after they lamb. They are dear but we find less problems at lambing.

brownswiss

cuff92 wrote: »

We're feeding crystal buckets the last two years. we find that feeding nuts and leaving out the 40kg bucket with the sheep a month Before lambin that only the sheep that are needing that extra top up do Go to it. Feeding a bucket a week to 160 sheep. We have no more tetany lambs are lively and plenty a milk. Take up the buckets about 3 weeks after they lamb. They are dear but we find less problems at lambing.

'''

I think that works out at about 0.0356875 Kg per ewe per day.

From one year to the next I find it very difficult to say what has caused a change in the flock. Weather and the amount of Soya bean meal in the ration play a major role. Magnesium licks might help prevent tetany if you are lucky enough that the ewes lick them

cuff92

We have played around with the meal companies. We always used to deal with connaught gold but last year we used Erin farm feeds Which was cheaper and the ewes done just as good. Think this year we will use Stewart's Kiernans nuts. Look like a good nut. buckets work for us any ways so there waiting :-)

brownswiss

cuff92 wrote: »

We have played around with the meal companies. We always used to deal with connaught gold but last year we used Erin farm feeds Which was cheaper and the ewes done just as good. Think this year we will use Stewart's Kiernans nuts. Look like a good nut. buckets work for us any ways so there waiting :-)

''

Stewart's Kiernans nuts are what my friend has got. Great value. Do you know how much connaught gold are charging this year ?

cuff92

I can't just remember I know a neighbour priced around this year and surprise surprise connaught gold were dearer but I'd be telling a lie if I put a price on them.

brownswiss

I could pm you about some of their "sweet deals" on offer but could not put up for public viewing