Rolling oats?

[cowman2010]

Is it a waste of time to roll oats for feed or am I better
off feeding them straight.

[15444]

I supplemented my backgrounders with about 4 ton of whole oats last year (trying something different and cutting the feed costs).

Some seem to say that it makes no difference on the younger stock, but I think it would. I just saw too many whole oat kernels in the manure patties through the winter, for my liking.

This year I am throwing all the oats (with a little whole corn) through the hammer mill. Hoping it adds up to a little better gains.

Also, not all the calves take to whole oats. About 95% will eat them, but 5% don't care either way.

[burnt]

I have fed whole oats to the calves in a creep feeder for a few years now. They eat them just fine and while there are a few go through whole, I don't think it would pay me to process them judging by what shows in their manure.

That is strictly based on the price of the oats since I get them from a seed cleaning plant at a very reasonable price.

What I don't know is how rolling would affect the ADG. There are a lot of things a chap could learn about stuff like that if one were set up to run a proper trial.

[cowman2010]

I might try it and see how it works on half the calves.
Thanks for the info.

[JohnGalt]

It can always be worse. Just remember that with the BPC you are at the mercy of the CWB's marketing department. If they make too many low sales, they seem to hammer the basis.

They will do there best to not let you beat the pool. Can't let an average farmer make them look bad.

[smcgrath76]

Just saw a presentation at our ABP meeting
where Barry Yaremcio talked about this.
He said either don't waste the money, or
to just give them a very light roll, as in
the hull should just be cracked. If the
grain breaks into the grind is too fine.

[kato]

I agree that you don't need to grind them too fine. The coarser the better. We used to use a mixmill, and Hubby used the biggest screen. A roller would be even better.

[tipsy]

JG, "can't let an average farmer make em look bad". That is a great one liner. You don't mind if I use it and pass it on, do you?

[burnt]

The oats I have are fairly heavy as they are the smaller seed and the really big seed that don't make the grade for seeding.

My thinking is that if they are whole and thus quite coarse, the bulkiness should keep the calves from overfeeding on them, since they are on free choice. Too fine and you might get into overload.

[grassfarmer]

Apparently whole grains passing through them doesn't indicate the energy from these grains hasn't been utilised. That's what they used to teach anyway - if you don't see whole grains coming through them the grind has been too fine and that will cost you as well - on cattle performance milling cost. If you can get light grains cheap enough I certainly wouldn't mill or roll them.

[ALLFARMER]

We are feeding them whole to the calves in a creep feeder as well. Watch for bloat the first couple of days...I did lose one this winter. We plan to bunk feed rolled barley and Peas once it gets closer to spring. Peas can really put the weight on.

[btjadenlepp]

I don't think that's correct JohnGalt. If
you take a BPC, you're thereafter at the
mercy of the futures/CD$ price. The CWB
marketing department has already taken
their pound of flesh at that point. If
they took too much and then padded the
pools with it later, you could end up
looking bad, but that's another whole
debate.

[food4u]

When we still had cattle we always rolled the oats.Used to wet the oats if they were too dry, soaking it the night before really worked good for us. Used to roll them just hard enough to crack the hull, that way not too many fines. This is what causes bloat in freshly weaned calves.

[ajl]

Do not take a futures without a basis first because then the CWB has got you. Been there done that.

[Ruken]

From my experience, younger calves will not process the large volumes of feed through the stomachs as do cows. As a result, calves will digest more of the whole oats. Suggestions figure about 85% is digested with about 15% passing through. So it boils down to economics. 15% of a bushel passing through vs the cost of processing...hmm.