Two of the major problems associated with wet harvests – the high cost of grain drying and the risk of mycotoxins – can both be addressed by Mega Grain Liquid, a new product now being offered in the UK by Dorset-based B&W Feeds.
Suitable for treating both whole and rolled grain that’s destined for stock feed, it can be used to control mould and yeast growths in crops at moisture levels up 22% for up to 12 months.
B&W Feeds discovered the product while in Germany for training on the Buschhoff range of mobile mills, for which the company is sole UK distributor. “We were intrigued to see that even apparently dry grain was regularly treated with a preservative,” B&W director Maxine Thrasher told Pig World. “This was a puzzle as here in the UK we regard this as a last-resort treatment to deal with wet grain!
“We had assumed this to be German thoroughness, but it turned out that even at 11% moisture moulds continue to develop within the grain, unseen by the naked eye. To stop mould development by reducing the moisture content to less than 11% would be costly in fuel and wasteful in weight losses, so many livestock farmers use a preservative instead.”
B&W Feed has formed a partnership with the manufacturer of Mega Grain Liquid, German company Rottmann, and will be exclusively selling the product in the UK from this summer.
Main Advantages of Mega Grain Liquid:
- Eliminates drying costs and storage issues and worries.
- Improves grain quality.
- Improves feed quality.
- Improves feed intakes.
- Improves herd health and performance.
- Safe to use and handle (no ADR required).
- Safe to apply and store – non-corrosive even to steel silos.
The company can supply farmers with: accurate digital dosing pumps for their own treatment installations; mobile dosing and cleaning auger systems (ideal for filling floor stores); and the opportunity to hire a mobile dosing and cleaning system with an experienced operator (southern England only at the moment).
“Mega Grain is being used successfully by all types of farms, and is proving particularly popular on pig units in Germany, given the sensitivity of the species,” Maxine said. “For less cost than drying the grain, the customer gets a better feed product and improved animal performance, and we firmly believe it has to be an option worth considering. It also means there’s no need to use a mycotoxin binder, although it’s worth remembering that by the time you have mycotoxins in your grain, the feed quality has already been compromised.”
Many pig farmers in the UK have already made the move to producing their own feeds on-farm feeds, although grain drying and safe storage have remained an issue.
“We believe Mega Grain Liquid offers a real opportunity to enhance the benefits already achieved from on-farm mixing and maximising the use of home-grown cereals,” Maxine added. “A key feature of the product is that application is easy and safe; the dosing unit can easily be fitted into existing grain intakes as it’s non-corrosive and doesn’t damage equipment.”
For more information call 01258 830100