Feeding with last year’s wheat. Is it ok?

[Gamekeeper82]

We’ve always bought the wheat for our pheasants from the farmer who we lease the shoot from. He hasn’t grown any this year but does still have wheat from last year, it’s stored in silos. I’m wondering if it’s ok to feed last year’s wheat or does it deteriorate it any way? And should the price be different to current wheat prices?
Thanks.

 

[Bo Diddley]

If it's stored correctly it will be fine, and the price is what it is, he's selling and you're buying, if you think it's high try and get it elsewhere.

 

[Gamekeeper82]

If it's stored correctly it will be fine, and the price is what it is, he's selling and you're buying, if you think it's high try and get it elsewhere.

Thanks, it’s been stored well so good to know that won’t be an issue.

 

[Bo Diddley]

Thanks, it’s been stored well so good to know that won’t be an issue.

We used 10 tonnes of wheat seed last year that the farm had graded the previous year, it was fine, and we only stored it in one-tonne bags in our barn, it was great because there was no rubbish in it to block the spiral springs.

 

[Tim.243]

We’ve always bought the wheat for our pheasants from the farmer who we lease the shoot from. He hasn’t grown any this year but does still have wheat from last year, it’s stored in silos. I’m wondering if it’s ok to feed last year’s wheat or does it deteriorate it any way? And should the price be different to current wheat prices?
Thanks.

You chuck it on the ground when hand feeding!
One thing I found was adding fines out the dryer in the feeders early with the wheat...

 

[Goingback]

If they eat it, will be good as fresh cut.........

 

[CookM]

We bought 6t of wheat/cut maize from the big shoot by us for a bargain price last year ex silo as they were moving base.
It was fine.
Hard bit was bagging and tying it all but it saved £100/T

 

[Pedro]

Last years wheat is generally fine. Quite often, you'll find that you are wanting to put your birds onto wheat before this year's has been harvested (at least in the north) so there's little alternative. Obviously this years is preferable. But in any case, wheat for bird food is often wheat that isn't quite good enough for bread anyway.

The thing is, hopefully it's just seed rather than whatever else might be caught up in it because clogging up the feeders is a hell of a job.

 

[old 30-06]

Gamekeeper82......Yes, the wheat will be fine. On a shoot I was associated with in the past we fed last years crushed maize and tailings (cleanings) to a very large number of both pheasant and partridge. It came by the 10 ton trailer load, and the only problem with it was bagging it up. Birds fed on it happily.

 

[CookM]

Gamekeeper82......Yes, the wheat will be fine. On a shoot I was associated with in the past we fed last years crushed maize and tailings (cleanings) to a very large number of both pheasant and partridge. It came by the 10 ton trailer load, and the only problem with it was bagging it up. Birds fed on it happily.

I feel your pain,out of a collective of around 25 guns ,l moved all ours in last summers hot days with the help of a 72 Yr old Greek Cypriot guy bagging off the spout while l put the 30 kg+ plus sacks tied into dumpy bags for moving with a tractor and trailer later.
The old bugger never let up the pace,he's only little.
Listened to tales of shooting sparrows with his catapult for food,breeding rabbits and duck shooting in Kent when he got out post division on Cyprus.
Shame more didn't come but if he shot a few more birds for payment,well,OK by me.

 

[CookM]

If you have the feeders with the hole punched cans,rather than springs the maize/wheat comes through fine.
Worth changing from spring types,if maize feed comes available.
Our birds were fat as,and flew strongly.

 

[Gamekeeper82]

Thanks for the replies, good to know it won’t be an issue.