Need a little protein education

NEKS · Oct 13, 2013

Have a IH 1050 grinder-mixer. I have put 1000 lbs. creaked corn in it and grind brome hay till half full. Am scared to go fuller because of stripping a auger. The cows love it. I wanted to add more hay so could feed it in a creep feeder to some weaned calves. I hear they won't gain because they won't be getting enough protein.
What rate of protein does a feed calf need when just weaned. Thanks

notjustair · Oct 13, 2013

It's not scientific, but I've always fed cows, calves, and fat steers the grain the I grind for the hogs. With 2000 pounds of grain I throw in a square brome bale and about 7 bags of Purina concentrate 40. Sometimes it is straight corn, sometimes wheat in there, sometimes milo, or a few oats for roughage. That's why I say about with the concentrate - it varies depending on what I put in.

Growing up we always did it that way. I'm sure it was because grandpa was stingy, but he had a very specific mixture that he had honed. I have always done it. The cattle really like it. The mamas get just enough to keep them tame and coming up, and the steers get a good but more. In fact, there's also a feeder full of it in every chicken house along with the crumbles. The chickens lay better on it.

The bale really fluffs it up. A bale usually doubles the level of ground grain in the mixer. Oats do the same thing but aren't quite as hard to grind. What auger are you afraid of killing? I use a JD 400 and haven't even thought about it.

Nate V. IA · Oct 13, 2013

Depends on 100 different variables, but 500lb calf gaining 1.5 lbs per day needs 12% crude protein. So if his intake is 12.6 lbs per day with a TDN of 63%, then he needs about 1.41 lbs of protein per day.

I would need to know what you are feeding and how much and what the nutrient content is of each of the feedstuffs is to determine the ration.

Your best bet is contacting your extension agent.

Nate, Ex ADM feed formulator. (Moormans)

Too Far Gone · Oct 13, 2013

You'll be fine.Go to town,get 200 lbs of soybean meal and 100 lbs of dried molasses.You'll have a good pallatable mix their sure to lick out of the bunk

Pair-a-dice farm · Oct 14, 2013

Nate pretty well said it. I'm don't know what the protein of your hay is because there are several variables there too. Corn has a protein of between 8-9%. If you want to get precise you need to get the hay checked but if it was me I would do like one said and add 200# of cottonseed meal or soybean meal with a little molasses and call it good.

Need a little protein education

NEKS

Well-known Member

notjustair

Well-known Member

Nate V. IA

Member

Too Far Gone

Member

Pair-a-dice farm

Well-known Member

Similar threads