help. Feed mix advice for oats.

Dave from MN · Oct 22, 2010

I have about 300 bushels of oats. I normally feed only corn and pellets to my 8-10 feeder (400-600#), but these oats are weathered and I am having a ard time to sell them as every one wants "golden oats" for the horse people. So, I may as well use ot to feed the steers, as that is all I can sell if for is feet quality oats, and if all it is worth is $1.75 bushel, then I will just feed it my self. My question is, what should I rations should I mix it with so my feeders will have good gain, and the marbling, tenderness, and taste that my customers are used to getting with my corn feed steers. Most people want them 1000-1150# and no older than 13 months. I have heard about using Dried distillers grain, but some say it gives the beef a different taste. Any suggestions?

Michael Soldan · Oct 22, 2010

I used to buy feed at the local mill and I always ordered a ton of oats, a ton of corn cracked with a sweetener added. The cows got a light ration of it, the calves(up to 500lb) got a heavier ration of it. If I kept calves beyond that weight I increased the daily ration. I would mix those oats with cracked corn and not think twice about feeding it heavy, theres lots of time to switch over to pure corn to finish them. My friend operate a finish feed lot, their feed is pure corn with a hay petllet mixed in..some of their cattle weigh out at 1600 to 1650..just as fat as you could imagine..theri cattle often top the market here. I used to finish at around 1400 and some guys would buy mine for short keeps and try to put another 150 on them and make their margin in the gain...I learned that the cattle market is a craps shoot.

randallk · Oct 22, 2010

I always fed what I had. You can easily use 50% oats in the ration. If you have to buy corn, I'd use 75% oats. Oats will typically run 12% protein, so you may be able to cut back some on the protein supplement. They will have a higher fiber content, so you should see a reduction in the amount of hay (or whatever forage soruce you have) they eat. Like I said, if I had the oats and had to buy corn.........they would learn to like oats real fast. The higher fiber content works to keep the rumen functioning good as well. Feed the oats, they are good feed.

bc · Oct 22, 2010

I keep looking for a cheaper way to feed my mustangs and burros who eat about anything.

Right now I buy half whole or steamed crimped oats and half sweet feed. Stack both sacks on a barrel and let them pour into another barrel equally and stir a little with a stick. We don't feed them every day buy most days. They then free feed on a protein tub and pasture/brome. I just took them off pasture last night and let them free feed on round brome bales.

Sure wish I had something cheaper than oats for a roughage. Cracked corn is cheaper but not sure the price difference between it and sweet is worth it and I don't think it has much value for roughage/fiber.

We are getting ready to cut the milo. Anyone feed milo to horses? Maybe as a mix with something? Plenty of people cut and bale milo stalks for cattle. Just wondering how horses would eat milo stalks? Anyone know?

DoubleR · Oct 22, 2010

I would feed about 2-3 hundred lbs of oats per 1000#of shelled corn and gradualy cut back a little on the oats as they get a little bigger. Just my opinion and not saying its right. If you were feeding ground ear corn like I do I would not feed as much oats as with shelled corn.

Ken 46 · Oct 22, 2010

Might google the Pierson Square- and look up info about amount of protein in the various grains and feedstuffs.
Then you can calculate how to mix to get the proper amount of protein for your animals.
Once you start using the Pierson square - it becomes simple to calculate..

Ken 46

help. Feed mix advice for oats.

Dave from MN

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Michael Soldan

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randallk

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bc

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DoubleR

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Ken 46

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