Straw quality?

Username John

rangler1 wrote: »

Over 600 eating straw here including 50 weaned 12week old lambs

What's your feeding regime again Rangler? How much ration do you give to singles / doubles each day?

I know you posted it before, but I cant find the post

I dunno if I have enough hay, so might up the ration as they have access to straw.

Connemara Farmer

Green farmer wrote: »

I got a load from my local contractor/ tillage farmer. They have several balers going at the same time. I'd say the load was baled by 3 different balers because all had different netting. Some bales were easily near 50% heavier then others depending on netting colour. Don't know if it was the guys working balers had different settings or if some balers just squeeze more in the others. Same crowd make thousands of bales for regular customers each year so I don't think they'd deliberately be mean with the straw, nor are they ever over priced with the different jobs they do for me.

Can't speak for individuals, I too have dealt with honest sellers that bring great bales, but I can tell you for absolute certain there are people out there who intentionally "bale to sell". That is they make piss poor packed bales and sell them at the same price another seller will sell a properly packed bale. Lads also buy rounds of hay or straw and rebale them into small squares, which is fine if the bales are good.

They bad types of small squares are where you have the strings coming away up off the bale when you pick it up, break up rather easily when handled, and are generally light in weight.

Maam Cross is an awful spot for that craic with small bales. Never bought round bales before this year so can't say on that score.

Green farmer

Connemara Farmer wrote: »

, but I can tell you for absolute certain there are people out there who intentionally "bale to sell". That is they make piss poor packed bales and sell them at the same price.

They bad types of small squares are where you have the strings coming away up off the bale when you pick it up, break up rather easily when handled, and are generally light





I was just saying some baling machines might squeeze more in then others, but I wouldn't disagree with you in the slightest. I've come across a few of those fellows myself. Being pure mean with the hay only ensures people won't darken your door again.

rangler1

Username John wrote: »

What's your feeding regime again Rangler? How much ration do you give to singles / doubles each day?

I know you posted it before, but I cant find the post

I dunno if I have enough hay, so might up the ration as they have access to straw.

When you change to straw only, you give a pound/day extra to compensate, also you're not supposed to give more than one pound in a single feed so you're into three times a day feeding, which mightn't suit you working, you could give them a late night feed I suppose. Also increase the rates gradually, any way these are my rates.
6 - 4 weeks before lambing ....twins/triplets get one and a half rising to two pounds, singles get one and a half pounds/day. 4 - 2 weeks before lambing.....twins/triplets get two to two and a half pounds, singles get two pounds/day. 2 weeks to lambing....twins and triplets get two and a half to three pounds, single get two pounds/day.
Best of luck

Sheep breeder

the density of bale depends on several factors, the type of baler, the straw, the combine, field conditions,
the baler has a huge bearing on the size of a bale, we buy from four different guys, one guy the six bales sit on the floor with ease and another guys you have to bull in the sixth bale between the other five and could do with another foot and half on the floor,
the straw has a bearing if it is fit or not, if it is baled behind the combine they let back the baler and how clean the stubble is comined and a good flow to the baler,
we like to get burnt off straw for the ewes as they go mad for the dry grass in it, we use chopped bales in the big shed when the ewes have lambec great for lambs to move in.

orm0nd

Sheep breeder wrote: »

the density of bale depends on several factors, the type of baler, the straw, the combine, field conditions,
the baler has a huge bearing on the size of a bale, we buy from four different guys, one guy the six bales sit on the floor with ease and another guys you have to bull in the sixth bale between the other five and could do with another foot and half on the floor,
the straw has a bearing if it is fit or not, if it is baled behind the combine they let back the baler and how clean the stubble is comined and a good flow to the baler,
we like to get burnt off straw for the ewes as they go mad for the dry grass in it, we use chopped bales in the big shed when the ewes have lambec great for lambs to move in.

chopped bales are a mighty job for bedding , especially for lambing pens,

need to open the bale close to where you want it though

AntrimGlens

Sheep breeder wrote: »

we like to get burnt off straw for the ewes as they go mad for the dry grass in it, we use chopped bales in the big shed when the ewes have lambec great for lambs to move in.

Do you find that straw that has been burnt off would have less ability to soak up than straw that hadn't been burnt off? I remember getting a load of straw a good few years back and the barley had been sprayed off before combining and the straw had a glaze on it and it never seemed to soak as well and seem harder than unsprayed stuff.

Green farmer

Lads the sheep are driving me mad. I Top up the barley straw bedding twice a day. Problem is they love it and are eating it as quick as I'm putting it out. They have sweet ab lib decent silage, meal, They even have mineral lick buckets as well. They are very picky with the silage and eat a lot of it but also leave a good bit behind. The only thing I can think of is the straw is a novelty to their diet or they can smell the barley from it.