Milne Feeds’ Moora depot manager, Rhys Fleay, has been operating the depot for just over 12 months after taking the reins from Craig and Donna Tierney last January. Rhys consulted with Craig about taking over the depot and concluded that it was a great opportunity to run alongside his full-time job as a stock agent for Elders. The Moora depot relocated to Rhys’ property just two kilometres west of Moora, on the Dandaragan road.
Rhys was born and raised in Kojonup and learnt some of the finer points of farming at the WA College of Agriculture - Denmark for two years. He moved to Moora in 2009 with Primaries, where he worked for some eight years before making the change in 2017 to Elders, where he is today. He has a passion for the sheep industry in WA and is keen to assist growers with feeding requirements via the suite of Milne Feeds products available.
The first six months of running the depot was slow going, as it was the back end of a good harvest season, grain prices weren’t too high and there was plenty of feed in the paddock. In the past six months, business has ramped up exponentially due to the tight feed season, price of grain and the excellent cost-conversion of feeding EasyOne®. The Milne Feeds’ Moora depot stocks both EasyOne® and LambGro® pellets on site, with the provision to arrange bulk loads to be sent direct to farms.
EasyOne® is a 9mm premium quality, nutritionally balanced feed, designed to meet protein, energy and mineral requirements for optimal feed conversion and growth in sheep.
LambGro® is a 4mm nutritionally balanced pellet, containing the necessary energy, protein, calcium and phosphorus to maximise lamb growth, increase survival rates and improve feedlot performance.
The LambGro® pellet is a high protein, high energy feed, produced for use in lick feeders or self-feeders both in a paddock or feedlot situation.
The benefits of using EasyOne® include:
· Immediate usability: you can start using EasyOne® from day one, allowing sheep to transition directly to pellets without the need for hay introduction or gradual adjustment.
· Cost-effectiveness: EasyOne® offers significant cost savings by streamlining processes such as breaking down costs, taking sheep off paddocks earlier, and reducing the time and labour spent on tasks like mixing grain.
· Convenience and reliability: you can trust in Milne Feeds' commitment to continuous improvement, ensuring EasyOne® remains a high-quality product. You can feed with confidence, knowing that the pellet will consistently deliver the desired results.
· Forward planning: with EasyOne®, you can confidently book ahead in abattoirs and markets, knowing the expected gains.
· Minimal shy feeders: the highly palatable pellet ensures that there are very few shy feeders on EasyOne®, with only approximately one in 200 sheep exhibiting this behaviour.
Rhys Fleay’s tips:
· Pre-drench sheep before introducing them to the feedlot.
· Ensure access to clean water and regularly clean troughs to maintain optimal hydration.
· Optimal feeder ratio: aim for 100-120 sheep per feeder for efficient feeding.
· Continuous topping: regularly remove the top (lambs) from the feedlot to allow the next rung below sufficient time to grow without being bullied out of feed.
Rhys has received a great deal of positive feedback on EasyOne®, with customers finding it produces better liveweight gain and is more time-efficient compared to mixing their own grain.
If you are in Moora and surrounds, Rhys is happy to chat about your feeding requirements, or to discuss your Milne Feeds easy feeding solution. He can be contacted on 08 9351 0741.
