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Feeding chopped fodder beet

  • 21-11-2016 09:45PM
    #1
    Jimbo789
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 286 ✭✭


    Is there any sheep snacker that would be suitable for feeding chopped fodder beet or is it likely to get stuck in the opening?


Comments

  • #2
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Jimbo789 wrote: »
    Is there any sheep snacker that would be suitable for feeding chopped fodder beet or is it likely to get stuck in the opening?

    Why chop it?

    Fed it whole here a few years and once they get used to it, they'll eat every bit of it...


  • #3
    Jimbo789
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 286 ✭✭Jimbo789


    I haven't fed Beet before but just thought it would be handier if could be dropped automatically rather than having to throw it out and easier for the sheep too.


  • #4
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Jimbo789 wrote: »
    I haven't fed Beet before but just thought it would be handier if could be dropped automatically rather than having to throw it out and easier for the sheep too.

    Seen a lad years ago throw it out with a dung spreader - one of the trailer ones with the chain floor... was a handy enough way to manage it... need dry ground to be travelling with one of those in December though...

    Throwing it out is awkward all right, I only had small numbers so twasnt too bad...

    But they ate it whole fine...


  • #5
    Jimbo789
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 286 ✭✭Jimbo789


    Yeah something that you could use with a quad this time of year would be handy if anything like that exists.


  • #6
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    How many sheep / how much beet would you plan on throwing out every day?

    I only threw it out by hand, but like I say - small numbers...


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  • #7
    Siamsa Sessions
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators, Paid Member Posts: 4,680 Mod ✭✭✭✭Siamsa Sessions


    Small numbers with us too so we can manage it manually.

    But I can agree with the posters above re them eating it whole. I chopped it with a shovel the first few days to expose the flesh and they slowly nibbled that. Last few days though, there's nothing left apart from a few bits of outside skin here and there.

    By the way, has anyone mixed chopped beet in with hay? A neighbour has a chopper for the back of the tractor so I was thinking of getting a loan of it.

    I'm guessing this would be better than throwing the beet whole into the hay!


  • #8
    kk.man
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 4,456 ✭✭✭kk.man


    Does beet attract rodens?


  • #9
    Jimbo789
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 286 ✭✭Jimbo789


    Username John wrote: »
    How many sheep / how much beet would you plan on throwing out every day?

    I only threw it out by hand, but like I say - small numbers...


    If there was an easy method of doing so I could feed about 200 ewes with it.


  • #10
    Green farmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    How does it compare price wise to silage or hay ? Could be a little tight on fodder this winter and will need to buy something . Does throwing it about in field and sheep engesting the odd bit of earth pose any issues to them ?


  • #11
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Jimbo789 wrote: »
    If there was an easy method of doing so I could feed about 200 ewes with it.

    Not sure how you'd easily go about feeding 200 ewes with a quad to be honest...

    Dependent on what machinery you have too I guess, and time...

    If you have a trailer, how would you load the beet in?
    Then - how would you empty the trailer?

    Do you have a tractor & loader, and could you feed them with this? (I assume you'd be feeding em outside?)

    I used to just use the transport box, back into the heap of beet and then half tip out / half throw out the beet... but I wasn't feeding 200...


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  • #12
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Green farmer wrote: »
    How does it compare price wise to silage or hay ? Could be a little tight on fodder this winter and will need to buy something . Does throwing it about in field and sheep engesting the odd bit of earth pose any issues to them ?

    I used to get fodder beet, unwashed. Trow it out to the ewes in the field, never had any issues with earth.

    I used to feed it outside, to compliment / stretch the bot of grass they had. Not sure how t'would stake up against hay or silage, as I never did the comparison.

    I should add, I didn't feed it in the shed, as I found it awkward (they'd have the straw half rooted asunder getting to the beet) and I think it also made them a little loose, which I didnt like...

    But feeding outside, with a bit of grass, I was a huge fan. And for me, it was easy to just throw it over the fence to the ewes - but again, easy to say that with small numbers...


  • #13
    Green farmer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,004 ✭✭✭Green farmer


    I'd be interested in finding out how far it would take 200 sheep also ? I see a lot of the loads are 30 tonne ? How long would this last ?


  • #14
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Green farmer wrote: »
    I'd be interested in finding out how far it would take 200 sheep also ? I see a lot of the loads are 30 tonne ? How long would this last ?

    I got 6ton last year around 1st Dec
    It fed 30 sheep outside with a pick of grass til they came in on 1st March

    Now - they got ration as well from around start Feb, as they were in lamb.

    So 6ton / 90 days / 30 ewes = 2kg a day...

    I think some lads say you could go to 6kg, but I felt that kept me ticking over grand with the bit of grass...


  • #15
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,743 ✭✭✭ganmo


    Have a snacker here but never fed beet.

    I reckon it would need to be chopped


  • #16
    Jimbo789
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 286 ✭✭Jimbo789


    ganmo wrote: »
    Have a snacker here but never fed beet.

    I reckon it would need to be chopped


    Would the snacker work for feeding chopped beet or is it just going to get stuck in the opening?


  • #17
    ganmo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,743 ✭✭✭ganmo


    I've never handled beet but I reckon once it's chopped it should work


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