Post by daisymilker on Feb 11, 2024 10:02:22 GMT -5
The non GMO feed you are doing that uses wheat that isn't packing as much punch, what are you finding it isn't doing as well as the corn and soy?
Where I'm from, corn and soy aren't fed in ration even in dairies because we don't grow those crops. So wheat, barley, oats, peas, flax etc are extremely common dairy rations and the cattle are excellent producers and in great health. So I've never found them to not pack a punch.
Depending on what you feed for forage, you have no need of higher than 12%. I feed free choice alfalfa and grass hay in separate feeders and then just do barley - I'm not a huge fan of oats. Higher fiber and higher price - they have 90% the feed value of barley and while id feed them if I needed to, it's easier for me to just do barley.
The wheat based ration is probably far cheaper to wheat per bushel weighs almost double that oats do. We are so sensitive to wheat here that I don't feed it to the animals as we grind and feed the stuff ourselves and we get horribly allergic. It's just a personal thing for me.
If you have very sensitive animals who are prone to health issues, you may need to be more careful with rations. My girls seem to do well on 3-9 lbs cracked barley to produce milk. I'm sure a variety of grains would be a good option ( me not being a monoculture fan 😜) but oats aren't a high value feed for chickens and pigs so I don't want totes of it as feed vs barley.
How would I "crack" the barley? I have a grain mill I could run it through. I've been able to locate an alfalfa grower near me but he's sold out until Spring. I will have to get an order in early. Today I'm going to pick up some chaffhaye, but it's too expensive to feed regularly (I think). I want to try it out.