Fodder beet vs rolled oats

White Clover · 22-11-2020 12:15PM

I think oats feed better to sheep than they actually test.
Wrangler, or anyone with a lick feeder, does the feeder work OK with oats?

wrangler · 22-11-2020 12:54PM

White Clover wrote: »

I think oats feed better to sheep than they actually test.
Wrangler, or anyone with a lick feeder, does the feeder work OK with oats?

I never used it for grain, but it's actually what it's originally designed for

There's a discussion forum about the lick feeders.
https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/3-in-1-feeders.161260/

There's a poster called ''dealer'' gives out a lot of information about them, I think he/she's selling them

Cattlepen · 22-11-2020 02:49PM

Whole oats is the job alright and a fair saving in money terms. Whole barley worked well for me to with no acidosis as it digests slowly because of the husk. If nature designed sheep to be able to break it down while I don’t know why anyone would feed them rolled grain.
Another thing, a lot of these bagged rations are bagged up dust treated with a bit of molasses to make it palatable. No need for 5 or 6 different ingredients

Castlekeeper · 22-11-2020 03:02PM

Oats are higher than fibre and and lower in starch than barley or wheat, so easier on the stomach.
Cattle get 90% benefit from whole barley vs rolled, which again is quicker broken down and harder on digestion, I don't knuw about sheep.
Rolled grains won't last as long as unrolled unless well treated.
As already said, adjust for DM, and there's work in beet without good gear.

wrangler · 22-11-2020 03:25PM

Cattlepen wrote: »

Whole oats is the job alright and a fair saving in money terms. Whole barley worked well for me to with no acidosis as it digests slowly because of the husk. If nature designed sheep to be able to break it down while I don’t know why anyone would feed them rolled grain.
Another thing, a lot of these bagged rations are bagged up dust treated with a bit of molasses to make it palatable. No need for 5 or 6 different ingredients

they all can be tested, be foolish for them to risk not supplying what it says on the bag.

Green farmer · 23-11-2020 01:28PM

Rang this morning pricing bagged ewe rations in various mills around me. Nothing available for less then €300 a tonne, so will stick with the oats instead.

joe35 · 23-11-2020 01:51PM

Think I remember a leaving cert student who posted on Boards. They were doing an Ag science experiment on feeding barley only to pregnant ewes.

It's a couple of years ago. I wonder if they went ahead with it and what results came from it. They didn't post much about it, and don't think they put up a conclusion

wrangler · 23-11-2020 02:42PM

Green farmer wrote: »

Rang this morning pricing bagged ewe rations in various mills around me. Nothing available for less then €300 a tonne, so will stick with the oats instead.

An intensive lamb or lamb finisher would be good enough until 6 weeks before lambing, on saying that it wouldn't be much cheaper.
The energy value of oats would be as good as the ration so is good enough mid pregnancy, you'll need to be adding soya and minerals nearer lambing

charolais0153 · 23-11-2020 02:47PM

Green farmer wrote: »

Rang this morning pricing bagged ewe rations in various mills around me. Nothing available for less then €300 a tonne, so will stick with the oats instead.

Oats is perfect until 6-4 weeks before lambing, it's when you have to start mixing soya and minerals etc, that it becomes hard work for little value

Green farmer · 23-11-2020 03:08PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

Oats is perfect until 6-4 weeks before lambing, it's when you have to start mixing soya and minerals etc, that it becomes hard work for little value

Ya, that's what the plan is , from now up until 4-6 weeks pre lambing, when will swap over to the specialised rations. Priced up the lamb finishers as well. The ewe rations and finishers are all €300 plus.

Siamsa Sessions · 23-11-2020 03:26PM

The man I get barley from mixes up his own straights for ewes pre-lambing. I think he said the mix was 50% barley, 30% oats, and 20% soya. He's a tillage farmer and has a good yard and proper mixing equipment.

I'd be tempted as it'd work out at less than €250/ton but I'm not really set up to mix it all in the yard at home.

charolais0153 · 23-11-2020 03:29PM

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

The man I get barley from mixes up his own straights for ewes pre-lambing. I think he said the mix was 50% barley, 30% oats, and 20% soya. He's a tillage farmer and has a good yard and proper mixing equipment.

I'd be tempted as it'd work out at less than €250/ton but I'm not really set up to mix it all in the yard at home.

Would he not mix it for you

wrangler · 23-11-2020 04:38PM

Siamsa Sessions wrote: »

The man I get barley from mixes up his own straights for ewes pre-lambing. I think he said the mix was 50% barley, 30% oats, and 20% soya. He's a tillage farmer and has a good yard and proper mixing equipment.

I'd be tempted as it'd work out at less than €250/ton but I'm not really set up to mix it all in the yard at home.

I used to use 80% barley, half whole barley and half rolled barley and 20% soya and then 25% soya nearer lambing, I was using pit silage then so didn't need as much meal, Barley wasn't dried, it was 20% moisture so wasn't as sickening, grew it and stored it myself

Siamsa Sessions · 23-11-2020 04:48PM

charolais0153 wrote: »

Would he not mix it for you

I asked and he said no. I might ask him if he'd mix the barley and oats thou. I could throw in the soya at home then.

Fodder beet vs rolled oats

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