Mill-&-mix costs a cereals off-putter
Mill-&-mix costs a cereals off-putter
CHEAP cereals can look tempting for low-cost autumn rations, but mill-and-mix costs often make them more costly than distillers and maltsters by-products.
So says Suffolk-based Signet beef specialist Geoff Fish, suggesting that commercial mill-and-mix charges of about £17/t can take the edge off using cheap cereals. "Barley looks cheap enough at £60/t, but unless producers have the equipment to mill on-farm its not necessarily a low-cost option."
For example, malt nuts at £55/t are roughly equivalent to barleys feed value, although with slightly less energy, they dont need milling, and are much cheaper.
"However, by-products are usually only sold in bulk loads and this will tie up cash," warns Mr Fish.
That means, maltster and distillers by-products, offering good sources of energy and protein, should be considered for autumn rations, says Mr Fish.