Feeding Ration

[Bfields30]

Anybody fed a mix like this before It's 14.5 protein and 4.5 fat. Pros and cons

 

[greggy]

No, but I would give it a go if it is over 11mj enegy too, and look into any deficiencies....and amount per head.

 

[Bfields30]

No, but I would give it a go if it is over 11mj enegy too, and look into any deficiencies....and amount per head.

240 per ton i think I might give it a go

 

[TexasBred]

Do they supply you with any real guaranteed analysis on it?

 

[Bfields30]

Do they supply you with any real guaranteed analysis on it?

Wasn't much analysis besides feeding to his own cows.

 

[greggy]

Check the dry matter %, or moisture content so your not buying water.

Your ton is different to our tonne, things are expensive here due to dollar and long running drought, but if your gonna spend that much and it has moisture, maybe a really good 95% + DM 18% protein or so plus 12meg energy pellet with a full balance of minerals and buffers etc may be just as appealing ?

With all this stuff, price, location and composition comes into play, and what else is on hand or local.

 

[greggy]

Do they supply you with any real guaranteed analysis on it?

Wasn't much analysis besides feeding to his own cows.

You could always be agreeable, and ask for a feed analysis, or offer to get one, you really do need to know what your buying if at a commercial rate.

Down here, someone like that would have to supply, or, at least, guarantee it meets strict feed requirements if selling commercially, for instance, what if there was some mince meat in that mix as a trace ?

Not trying to turn you off, but you need to know certain things, if it is free, then they can say I dunno, but even then, you need to have a pretty good idea.

 

[TexasBred]

Check the dry matter %, or moisture content so your not buying water.

Your ton is different to our tonne, things are expensive here due to dollar and long running drought, but if your gonna spend that much and it has moisture, maybe a really good 95% + DM 18% protein or so plus 12meg energy pellet with a full balance of minerals and buffers etc may be just as appealing ?

With all this stuff, price, location and composition comes into play, and what else is on hand or local.

Greggy you'll be hard pressed to find anything that dry. Shelled corn is usually at least 12% moisture and all other feed ingredients a bit more. Most commercial feeds will run at least 15% moisture which is pretty darn dry.

 

[greggy]

Part of the reason for pellets, is dry like hay IRC....about 90% or approaching...not 95 was thinking of some hay data prob.

That shelled corn is pretty dry then...do they dry it...or naturally dries like that ?


My fruit is about 20% dry matter, so they have to eat buckets of it.....they do not drink so much then though

I guess my aim was, that buying a 20% at 240 or an 80 or 90 at 240 is like chalk and cheese.

For op, or others, if not familiar....

My quality hay is getting up to 400 a ton nearly.

Lets say you spent 50 bucks a ton on non dried friut.....seems a bargain.

The good quality hay is actually not much dearer or same because of the amount of water in the fruit. Will be better protein wise too if good hay. So you have to weigh up everything and know feed details.

PS when I say ton, I mean metric tonne.

 

[Redgully]

Part of the reason for pellets, is dry like hay IRC....about 90% or approaching...not 95 was thinking of some hay data prob.

That shelled corn is pretty dry then...do they dry it...or naturally dries like that ?


My fruit is about 20% dry matter, so they have to eat buckets of it.....they do not drink so much then though

I guess my aim was, that buying a 20% at 240 or an 80 or 90 at 240 is like chalk and cheese.

For op, or others, if not familiar....

My quality hay is getting up to 400 a ton nearly.

Lets say you spent 50 bucks a ton on non dried friut.....seems a bargain.

The good quality hay is actually not much dearer or same because of the amount of water in the fruit. Will be better protein wise too if good hay. So you have to weigh up everything and know feed details.

PS when I say ton, I mean metric tonne.

Also got to be careful, too much fruit can cause liver abscess.

 

[greggy]

How much per head per day do you say is the safe zone

How much max per head per day.

A lot feed it ad lib to non hungry stock....I have done so a few times cause I get sick of shovelling and shifting tons of feed manually
....

I try and have an even supply....I do not like breaks.

Of mixed general fruit and veg they are lucky if they get a quarter wheelbarrow each...and that will also have things like lettuce and cabbage...but I feed some fruits in fairly set amounts..

I have read a lot, but is good to know others opinionnif they have done same.

I think I know what your doing....

PS with stonefruit mine spit seeds out as they go..very comical....but I prefer to give that too sheep.

 

[greggy]

PS PS have you known of any to have such complications....or die from intake that has been introduced first ?

 

[Redgully]

PS PS have you known of any to have such complications....or die from intake that has been introduced first ?

Yes as fruit growers we fed a vast amount of fruit to our cattle. Apples, pears and stonefruit. We never lost any. Pears you have to be really careful with. We would introduce it slowly over a couple of weeks and then dump truck loads in there. It was an all you can eat buffet! The vet once mentioned too much fruit can risk liver abscesses. I never noticed any problems but every now and then one would be 'off' for a week or two but bounce back. Always wondered. But one time we were slaughtering a heifer and she had an abcess on her liver. She didn't show any outward signs though.

If there isn't much stonefruit they will spit the pips there and then. But in the amounts we fed they would fill up and then sit and chew cud and spat them out leave piles of stones. It was always interesting to watch. And don't let anyone tell you cows are dumb, we would tip a mix of varieties of apples and they would pick out all the sweet ones first before moving onto the tart varieties. Always enjoyed watching them eat their fruit.

 

[greggy]

I think they eat more when you restrict and feed out rations.

I sometimes get pears, I mix with apple and dice it, i am not keen on pears, I know it can cause bad gastro.....whole pears I give too sheep with other fruits and veg.

If any gorge, they will be off...

How did you prevent spoilage....or did they knock it all off in a matter of a few days....or did the pile prevent spoilage....

Should start a new thread...and no way are they stupid

 

[Redgully]

We have large coolrooms so all the fruit was kept at 1c and fed out as they ate it. One year we got smashed by hail and dumped 160 bins of fruit out, most of that went rotten and stunk! Then the grass wouldn't grow for a year or two!!

 

[TexasBred]

Part of the reason for pellets, is dry like hay IRC....about 90% or approaching...not 95 was thinking of some hay data prob.

That shelled corn is pretty dry then...do they dry it...or naturally dries like that ?


My fruit is about 20% dry matter, so they have to eat buckets of it.....they do not drink so much then though

I guess my aim was, that buying a 20% at 240 or an 80 or 90 at 240 is like chalk and cheese.

For op, or others, if not familiar....

My quality hay is getting up to 400 a ton nearly.

Lets say you spent 50 bucks a ton on non dried friut.....seems a bargain.

The good quality hay is actually not much dearer or same because of the amount of water in the fruit. Will be better protein wise too if good hay. So you have to weigh up everything and know feed details.

PS when I say ton, I mean metric tonne.

Pelleted feed will be 15-18% moisture as well. After all the mash is conditioned with hot steam before it goes through the pellet mill. The dry matter numbers you're quoting can seldom be obtained in feed and feed ingredients.

 

[greggy]

That makes sense.

I have no way of checking it really, the flyer said 12% moisture on what I have now, and to be honest, I can tell it has moisture, my prior brand must have been dried, it was very dry pellet in my OP, there is no data on moisture content on packaging.

You (meaning anyone not so aware of what were discussing), do not want to be buying water though, or, rather, paying too much for it. There are plenty of examples of where one feed or hay type may seem a good buy, but when you drill down to the contents or comparing feed tests, the one that seems more expensive can often be more economical.

I saw brewers grain in that mix, that had me thinking moisture content straight away. And cost.

 

[TexasBred]

That makes sense.

I have no way of checking it really, the flyer said 12% moisture on what I have now, and to be honest, I can tell it has moisture, my prior brand must have been dried, it was very dry pellet in my OP, there is no data on moisture content on packaging.

You (meaning anyone not so aware of what were discussing), do not want to be buying water though, or, rather, paying too much for it. There are plenty of examples of where one feed or hay type may seem a good buy, but when you drill down to the contents or comparing feed tests, the one that seems more expensive can often be more economical.

I saw brewers grain in that mix, that had me thinking moisture content straight away. And cost.

Greggy, very true moisture should be considered but it should always be understood that you'll never buy anything totally free of moisture...... just avoid excessive moisture. Most understand that when "wet" is included in the name of the product it will be "wet" and take that into consideration and it is priced accordingly. Brewers grain may be 65% water and cost $50 a ton.... dry it out and it will be 12% moisture and $250 a ton but there will only be 700 lbs remaining once the moisture is removed.

 

[greggy]

TBH....brewers is free waste here if you get in line. I am supposed to get some at some point. Would feed it wet, were in drought still