Replacing GM soya
Replacing GM soya
PRODUCERS concerned about feeding GM soya could substitute it with maize distillers grains or barley distillers grains and sugar beet without adversely affecting ewe and lamb performance.
In research carried out at ADAS Rosemaund, ewes with twin lambs were supplemented with an 80:20 rolled barley/soya diet, 50:50 maize distillers/sugar beet mix or a 50:50 barley distillers/sugar beet mix.
Feed supplementation continued for six weeks after turnout starting at 0.75kg/day and reducing to 0.25kg a day, according to ADAS researcher Stephen Webster.
"Performance of lambs was similar throughout the trial with growth rates averaging 257g/day from birth to 10 weeks old." All ewes ended the trials at similar weights, although ewes fed maize distillers/sugar beet had a slightly lower condition score than on the other diets. *