[Anke]

Just been speaking to the feed merchant and (at the moment anyway) whole barley is cheaper by 2 pounds/25kg bag than rolled oats. Considering changing over to barley anyway - anyone else feeding it?
 
Also where do you buy brewer's grains, and what size bags does it come in? Just not seen it in the emrchants at all...

[tizaala]

Yes we feed a little rolled barley ,not too much ,don't replace all the oats with it , about a third. What you will find though is the crafty sods manage to eat their way round it taking all the best pickings , and leave a handful of dust in the bottom of the bucket, this is handed on to the chicks because it works out cheaper than chick crumbs, then as soon as the goats see it on the floor for the chickens they want it , but not in the bucket, contrary animals.
Brewers grains are harder to come by , even little micro breweries usualy get it taken away local farmers with big tractors by prior arrangement, If you have a neighbour that brews his own you might get lucky. 

[sokel]

We do give crushed barley from time to time but only in very small amounts
We are lucky with the brewers grains as we have a smallish local brewery just down the road from us and we can collect it fresh as we need it.our goats love it fresh while its still hot but won't touch it once its more than 3 days old
The pigs then get it and we collect fresh for the goats

[clydesdaleclopper]

Yes we feed a little rolled barley ,not too much ,don't replace all the oats with it , about a third.

Just curious - why ?

[Anke]

Yes we feed a little rolled barley ,not too much ,don't replace all the oats with it , about a third.

Just curious - why ?

Yes same here, I was just wondering as the "Natural goat care book" seems to advocate a diet MAINLY consisting of sokaed barley.... and from looking at MacKenzie's data it seems that oats and barley are very similar in many ways, except in crude fibre and Mg content...

[ballingall]

We feed flaked barley rather than oats. Even mix it though soaked beet pulp sometimes.  Barley puts weight on better than oats do- couldn't tell you why though.


Beth

[robert waddell]

Galloway a McLeod  at stonehouse collect the brewers grains from the distillery at dumbarton    most of the bigger feed merchants will supply dried brewers grains
small brewers have to pay to dispose of there mash   but as has been pointed out already it does go of even after a day      harry on the pigs freezes it but then that costs money for a relatively cheap feed 

[tizaala]

The main reason we don't give the goats too much barley is the fact that they are not too keen on it, they will pick round it and eat everything else first, I think whole soaked  barley would be more popular with them , except they are not too keen on wet food. and if horses have a lot in their diet it makes their legs swell, Pigs do well fattened on barley .

[chickenfeed]

[quote author=tizaala link=topic=25837.msg252483#msg252483 date=1342674819 Pigs do well fattened on barley .

 
barley will lay fat on pigs so feed with caution
goats will eat rolled barley if soaked in molasses but will eat around it if fed as dry matter.

[sokel]

[quote author=tizaala link=topic=25837.msg252483#msg252483 date=1342674819 Pigs do well fattened on barley .

 
barley will lay fat on pigs so feed with caution
goats will eat rolled barley if soaked in molasses but will eat around it if fed as dry matter.

this is the 3rd lot of weaners that have had brewers grain in the diet and so far we have had no problems with excess fat
our goats love rolled barley and we never add molasses into it.

[Penninehillbilly]

I feed mixed flake (includes rolled barley), and have a sprayer to just dampen the dry mix, also helps mineral additive to stick to the feed instead powder of being left in the bottom of the bucket.
but thinking of rolled barley for billy boy

[ScotsGirl]

I was interested to hear the mash goes off. We have a small local brewery who are happy to have it collected but our weaners turned their snouts up at it.  Smells very vinergary and I wondered if that was a sign of it turning.
 
Glad to hear goats can eat it though although Boer goats seem to be as rare as hen's teeth! Females that is.  They seem to command a high price (£400 approx) and have huge waiting lists.  Unless anyone knows of some around Wiltshire?

[sokel]

yes the vinigary smell is when it starts to turn.
I would just keep an eye for the days they are brewing and collect it fresh that day, it will be steaming hot and everything loves it when its like that.
there was an article in one of the free horsey Mags about it recently and its also great for weight gain in poor doer horses especialy in winter

[tizaala]

Grain prices were up again by 60p per bag this week .