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Dave from MN
Well-known Member
I am looking forward to this thread. I just revised my ration for feeders yesterday. 480#er's-700#er's in the pen. WSince I have "weathered" oats that no one will give me more than $1.75 for, i went with 20% ground oats,80% rolled(coarse/cracked) corn, and add 6% of that total weight of "steak maker" pellets. They last few years I just did a ratio of 100# pellets to 1000# whole corn. but they recommend no more than 6% of the ration be the pellets. They gained like mad on the way I used to mix it, but with corn at $6, having oats on hand, and the price of the pellets, I am gonna try this mix. Just debating if I want to continue with the rolling of the corn, or use whole shelled corn.
What's in those pellets Dave? I just go with the 20% oats and 80% corn,then mix it with corn silage.
The reason I ask about the pellets,back when I was milking cows,the Kent feed dealer left some literature with me. I was using Kent concentrate at the time. Acording to the literature,ground corn was the best source of feed for dairy cattle,followed by soybean meal,etcetra,on down the line. I got to scratching my head over that. I had the corn,so if that was the best source of protein for them,why was I spending money to buy soy to replace it with something that wasn't as good a source?
When I quit buying concentrate and the Kent rep stopped to see why,I asked him about it. Told him I didn't think I'd lost any production. He told me,well,I could mix a ration that would make you more milk,but it wouldn't be profitable to feed.
Never bought feed of any kind after that except for salt and mineral. Is it paying off for you,or did a slick salesman just convince you that you needed it?
The reason I ask about the pellets,back when I was milking cows,the Kent feed dealer left some literature with me. I was using Kent concentrate at the time. Acording to the literature,ground corn was the best source of feed for dairy cattle,followed by soybean meal,etcetra,on down the line. I got to scratching my head over that. I had the corn,so if that was the best source of protein for them,why was I spending money to buy soy to replace it with something that wasn't as good a source?
When I quit buying concentrate and the Kent rep stopped to see why,I asked him about it. Told him I didn't think I'd lost any production. He told me,well,I could mix a ration that would make you more milk,but it wouldn't be profitable to feed.
Never bought feed of any kind after that except for salt and mineral. Is it paying off for you,or did a slick salesman just convince you that you needed it?
Depends on what you have on hand, in the midwest and other areas where alfalfa is relatively cheap or at least economical 50/50 alfalfa ground corn is hard to beat, 60% corn 40% alfalfa if you want them fatter. We grow calves to 850 lbs. on pasture, grass hay, cottonseed hulls with either corn, grain screening pellets, ground oats or rice bran, whichever combination is cheaper. Only fatten a few freezer beeves but use corn, soybean meal or cottonseed meal and grass hay.
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
We are feeding a product from Purina, called Accu-ration. We mix 80% corn and 20% Accu-ration in the grinder/mixer, fill the creep feeder and they will self-regulate themselves. They won't eat too much. Put some poor quality hay in the bale feeders for filler. Amazing product. We started feeding our calves milo/accuration when we weaned them in October. Ran out of milo, switched to barley until it ran out then over to corn.
Fed/backgrounded calves for a lot of years; our ration was ground (shelled) corn and whole cottonseed. Sometimes the ration changed from year to year, depending on various scenarios. I'd suggest talking to your local extension agent or .......if they have a livestock specialist........your local CO-OP. You can certainly keep 'em alive based on information gained on the net, but you probably need information based on local conditions/feed available, etc.
Ground ear corn mixed with with about 500# of shelled Corn per 2 ton batch mixed with Purina 42 supplement. I figure the supplement so they average about 1 lb per day per steer. So the amount of supplement will depend on how much feed they are eating at the time. They have a self feeder so they eat when they want. Also hay setting in front of them when they want it. I feed holstein steers that way from the time they are weaned when I get them. They go to market at about 15 mo. old and average 1450#. If I'm out of ear corn I feed them shelled corn run through my grinder with the screen removed,alot comes out whole kernel and some gets gound. My friend feeds whole shelled corn mixed with the same pellets I use and his steers do real well that way. I have to pick my corn so thats what I have to feed. I buy my shelled corn.
There's an ethanol plant,but most of the DDG from there is spoken for.
Soy is a good protein for putting on weight,but because it is so easily digested,it doesn't make it to the fourth stomach to make milk. That,according to University of Kentucky research anyway.
A feed salesman stopped a year and a half ago wanting to sell feed to me for my beef cattle that I finish. Even he admitted that the most profitable way to feed cattle was homegrown feed.
Now if you don't HAVE enough home grown and have to buy it,then we can talk about the most efficient and profitable feed that you can BUY.
Soy is a good protein for putting on weight,but because it is so easily digested,it doesn't make it to the fourth stomach to make milk. That,according to University of Kentucky research anyway.
A feed salesman stopped a year and a half ago wanting to sell feed to me for my beef cattle that I finish. Even he admitted that the most profitable way to feed cattle was homegrown feed.
Now if you don't HAVE enough home grown and have to buy it,then we can talk about the most efficient and profitable feed that you can BUY.
yep, i figured you would get some wildly varying answers on that question. Seems alot of what you mix into your feed depends on what is available in your area. I live in KY near the bourbon distillers so we mix dryed distillery grains in with corn. I grind shelled corn because I have an old picker/sheller other
people grind the whole cob. Either are good but if you grind the whole cob you have to produce more actual feed to get the same amount of protein into the animal.
I am certainly not an expert but here is the recipe I use that fills my feed bin.
300 lbs of soybean meal
300 lbs of dryed distillery grains
200 lbs of mineral (recipe adjusted to local needs by Univ. of KY)
3500 lbs (approx.) of shelled corn
that gets ground up and mixed together
good luck
people grind the whole cob. Either are good but if you grind the whole cob you have to produce more actual feed to get the same amount of protein into the animal.
I am certainly not an expert but here is the recipe I use that fills my feed bin.
300 lbs of soybean meal
300 lbs of dryed distillery grains
200 lbs of mineral (recipe adjusted to local needs by Univ. of KY)
3500 lbs (approx.) of shelled corn
that gets ground up and mixed together
good luck
Dave from MN
Well-known Member
I dont have the tag with me right now, but it is a efficeincy pellet, I believe 38% protien, is supposed to have the ionophore's(SP?), all the vits and mins, they need, Bovatec(SP?), I cant remember if it is a land o lakes or hubbard product. The product is a "Steakmaker" but I know they have different variations of it, there is another similar one that is for dairy steers, that I used when I had a bunch of them here a few years back and I could get them to about 1000# in 11 months. May try some again if the prices of them keep dropping, kinda hard to pass up week old calves at $25. If I can find the tag I will put what is has or try and find the link tp the label.
Dave from MN
Well-known Member
What is the pricing on that Purina product?
Dave from MN
Well-known Member
O, as far as the peelet and how I started using it, I talked to an independant feed specialist, told him what I had to start with, what I wanted to finish with, and by when. He has no affiliation with any company or coop, and he said the use of ionophers, (again/sp?) is pretty important. He also said I would be able to get the same gains with less corn, a bit more oats, and also my alfalfa I have on hand, but still should use a effeciency product of some sort.
Sounds like what my vet said about implants. Said it was like going out on the expressway and being able to drive five miles an hour faster and get an extra 3 miles to the gallon at the same time.
Don't know about that either. We've had years when we bought a roll of 20 implants,kept track of the ones implanted vs non implanted. Other years where we haven't implanted at all. Hard to see any difference. But,whatever works for you,keep it up.
Don't know about that either. We've had years when we bought a roll of 20 implants,kept track of the ones implanted vs non implanted. Other years where we haven't implanted at all. Hard to see any difference. But,whatever works for you,keep it up.
gene bender
Well-known Member
Just cant beat ground ear corn with a little protein and good hay.
Doug in Illinois
Member
That looks like a good enough mix. I worked in a grain elevator / feed mill several years.
If the dried distiller grain not available, oats are a good substitute if you can find them.
Grind a little alfalfa in, meaning about 250 or 300 lbs and you have some real good feed. If you have picky eaters a little molasses keeps them from wasting the feed. DOUG
If the dried distiller grain not available, oats are a good substitute if you can find them.
Grind a little alfalfa in, meaning about 250 or 300 lbs and you have some real good feed. If you have picky eaters a little molasses keeps them from wasting the feed. DOUG
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
$460/ton It has all the mineral and salt they need, so you don't have to have that free choice either. It is sure a labor saver as you don't have to feed every day.
I think it depends on what you have available to you, and how much you want to spend. My neighbor raises hogs and mostly feeds them ground barley, since he can get it at a good price from a farmer he knows. We used to supplement our purchased feed with oats from our farm.
Where do you live? There is quite a bit of corn grown in the Columbia Basin. I don't know about how available it is, but that is supposed to be real good to add to noncommercial feed. There should be wheat or other grains around that doesn't quite make top quality that should be fairly cheap.
My guess is that the "best recipe" for feed would be expensive. "Pretty good" might be lots cheaper and allow your cattle to do just fine.
Good looking machine! Good luck with it.
Where do you live? There is quite a bit of corn grown in the Columbia Basin. I don't know about how available it is, but that is supposed to be real good to add to noncommercial feed. There should be wheat or other grains around that doesn't quite make top quality that should be fairly cheap.
My guess is that the "best recipe" for feed would be expensive. "Pretty good" might be lots cheaper and allow your cattle to do just fine.
Good looking machine! Good luck with it.
buickanddeere
Well-known Member
Different feed flavors the meat. Our beef and pork
is fattened on barley and oats instead of corn.
Corn is too "strong". The dung pile doesn't stink
as bad either without corn.
is fattened on barley and oats instead of corn.
Corn is too "strong". The dung pile doesn't stink
as bad either without corn.
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