Grainbeet switch has big effect on cattle margins
Grainbeet switch has big effect on cattle margins
BEEF cattle are finished on rations costing as little as 50p/kg liveweight gain for one Yorkshire farmer who switched from home-milled rations to a 5:1 mix of brewers grains and sugar beet pulp, commonly known as grainbeet.
Although initially sceptical about grainbeet, pedigree Limousin breeder Richard Bradley convinced himself of its value after visiting a big beef unit where several hundred cattle were being fed the mix. "The management looked so easy."
At West Moor Farm, Bedale, Mr Bradley had been feeding beef cattle 3kg a head a day home-milled barley mix at £110/t and ad lib silage. "It cost 75-80p/kg liveweight gain including silage costs on the old system. It now costs 50p/kg to finish bulls at a liveweight gain of 1.8kg a day from 370kg to 600-650kg and we are feeding no silage, just 30kg of grainbeet daily."
Not feeding silage or home-mix has improved margins further, says Mr Bradley. "There are no maintenance costs for the old mixing unit. And if I was solely finishing bulls, I could also let out the grass keep at £100/acre."
Grainbeet is mixed on a concrete pad, using the farms loader bucket, before ensiling in low-walled clamps. It costs an average £26/t, with prices depending on the cost of barley and sugar beet pulp, he says.
The 18% crude protein feed is introduced to young bulls as an ad lib creep feed before weaning at eight months. After weaning they are fed 20kg grainbeet and 10kg silage daily. On this ration daily gains average 1.42kg a head a day at a feed cost of about 56p/kg.
At 10 months old 370kg bulls move on to a sole diet of grainbeet at 30kg a head a day (10kg DM) and straw. "Initially I thought bloat would be a problem, but feeding the fermented form of grainbeet, we have had none."
The grainbeet requires feeding with a 16% calcium-rich mineral, as it has a high oil content (6%).
Heifer replacements are fed a restricted diet of 15kg of grainbeet and 15kg silage a head a day to avoid them becoming over fat. Liveweight gains are 1.2kg a day, at 62.5p/kg. *
Cattle at West Moor Farm are gaining 1.8kg a day at a cost of just 50p/kg gain, says Richard Bradley.
DLWG costs (p/kg)
Young bulls 56
Heifers 62.5
Bulls (370kg plus) 50
Young bulls 56
Heifers 62.5
Bulls (370kg plus) 50