Ewe & lamb rations/nuts

Conmaicne Mara

Just ordered some ration today, sort of a spur of the moment decision. Took a couple of bags home in the back of the car and the rest is to be delivered during the week. I was less than impressed at what I saw when I opened the bag.

Got three label photos here and was wondering which one ye think would be best for ewes lambing on March 20.

Cran

Conmaicne Mara wrote: »

Just ordered some ration today, sort of a spur of the moment decision. Took a couple of bags home in the back of the car and the rest is to be delivered during the week. I was less than impressed at what I saw when I opened the bag.

Got three label photos here and was wondering which one ye think would be best for ewes lambing on March 20.

From my little knowledge 2nd one got rapeseed and soya hulls, neither of the other two have both. None soya meal interesting must recheck the ewe nuts I m feeding

DMAXMAN

for me the best ration is the greenvale one. it at least has all good quality ingredients.as cran says though I would be a little worried about none containing soya as main protein source. I hate seeing fillers such as wheat feed or oat feed

grassroot1

Poor protein sources in all (don't know where the protein comes from in the last one the soya hulls maybe) sunflower in the first two iirc it a poor product in a ration, if it was me neither of the above price?

eire23

Good thread!
I would have thought the third one would be the best as it has maize and barley as the first two listed ingredients and these would be good protein sources.
Soya hulls would be for fibre i think? I do know that mollasses cannot be more than about 7% of a ration as it gets to sloppy after that so if theres anything decent after that in the list its not worth talking about. Nuts here come from connacht gold, must check the next docket that comes.

Conmaicne Mara

They're what's available from the two local merchants, I've only a small order in seeing as it's a small flock so limited to those three. It's the greenvale one I got! But my understanding on "reading" ingredients is very much lacking

20 bags of Greenvale was €170. Don't know what € the other two are. Not so hung up on price as I would be quality of the ingredients

Farrell

Give Lakeland Dairies Ewe & Lamb Nut with Rolled Oats here.
The Best Sheep Nut I've seen is Pattons, better response to Stewarts/Kiernans, Lakeland & Connaught gold. But hard got unless getting bulk or pallet's worth

grassroot1

I am using quinns 20% ration in bulk bags at 320 a tonne soya is the main protein source. I am very happy with ewes are milking well in the monsoon and colostrum was plentiful I will try and find the list of constituents and post them.

eire23

grassroot1 wrote: »

I am using quinns 20% ration in bulk bags at 320 a tonne soya is the main protein source. I am very happy with ewes are milking well in the monsoon and colostrum was plentiful I will try and find the list of constituents and post them.

That sounds like great feed grassroot. What part of the country are you in?

Anyone on here using smyths?

grassroot1

eire23 wrote: »

That sounds like great feed grassroot. What part of the country are you in?

Anyone on here using smyths?

Wexford and quinns are based in Baltinglass Wicklow

jt65

what's on the label isn't always what's in the bag ,(especially with 1 firm) learned that a long time


also do not be getting too hung up about "good protein source" ... without a good balance of fibre and energy it will be lost

I'm using 18% ewe and lamb ration from liffey mills, and happy with it

I did try a high maize nut from another company but TBH didn't think it was cost effective

at the end of the day it's your profit that matters

dave747

Used the grennvale 1 here on the early ewes and found it good, started feeding it now to later ewes aswell . Ewes had plenty of good colostrum and stayed milking well even with the bad weather and longer housing this year

Conmaicne Mara

I've used the Greenvale before as well, Liffey mills and Stewarts too. When I opened the bag the stuff looked almost like dirt TBH.

Wonder should I get some soya bean meal to throw into it, €25 for a 40kg bag.

jt65

greenvale was a premium brand,

they were taken over by arrabawn sometime ago, I won't comment any further