Lick Wheel Liquid Feed

Help Support CattleToday:

xbredcattle

Active member
Joined
Aug 10, 2015
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Does anyone utilize liquid feed through the winter as a substitute for rye grass?
If so, what luck have you had with it - advantage/disadvantages

Thanks

Located South Louisiana
 
I use it through the winter as a supplement to poor quality hay. Been doing it for years, and I'm not aware of any disadvantages (other than the cost).
 
Yes, we will occasionally use a liquid feed in the winter... We quit using the "Lick Wheel" style feeder around 5 years ago and here is why:
Lick Wheel tubs only allow for a few head to utilize at one time... when the dominant cows are finished and move on, most of the time all cows will follow. Not saying this will happen everywhere because it will depend on how many head you are trying to feed and how big of operation you have. The bottom line is that not all cows will utilize it.
We use the open tub style feeders (150 gallon) that will allow multiple cows to use at one time. I actually have a picture of 11 cows consuming at one time. This ensures that all cattle are using and allows you to better calculate pounds per head per day. The product that we use has a limiter in it so we can control consumption a little better and make sure that all cattle are using it (easy to figure if you know your max consumption rate per head per day and how many gallons you are using daily.
The disadvantages of liquid feed is that it can get messy. We purchase our liquid via truck load and store it in our own tanks... this means that we have to pump it into our mobile tanks and then pump it again into the feeders. This can be time consuming as well as messy at times (but it is a lot more economical than having someone come out and fill the tanks every couple of weeks or so). Bottom line, you have to put pen to paper and determine what makes since to your situation.
 
I'm using QLF lick tanks since 2010 along with ryegrass and good hay. My animals always maintain good condition thru winter even having a calf on them.
 
slick4591":3n37a2k7 said:
I'm using QLF lick tanks since 2010 along with ryegrass and good hay. My animals always maintain good condition thru winter even having a calf on them.

Thanks - I'm unable to plant ryegrass on this new lease property

All my cows calve in November. I'll have plenty of quality hay but want additional protein source - think I'll go with the liquid feed !!!
 
xbredcattle":2gtyjgog said:
slick4591":2gtyjgog said:
I'm using QLF lick tanks since 2010 along with ryegrass and good hay. My animals always maintain good condition thru winter even having a calf on them.

Thanks - I'm unable to plant ryegrass on this new lease property

All my cows calve in November. I'll have plenty of quality hay but want additional protein source - think I'll go with the liquid feed !!!
I'm assuming you'll have plenty of hay instead of the good nutritious rye grass. If so it should work fine for you. Put out one lick tank for every 25 cows and they should be fine. Most around here use the larger tanks (250 gallons I think) and each has 4 lick wheels. Move them everytime they get empty or you'll end up with the ground wallowed out around them and holding water and muck.
 
TexasBred":hfkwds18 said:
xbredcattle":hfkwds18 said:
slick4591":hfkwds18 said:
I'm using QLF lick tanks since 2010 along with ryegrass and good hay. My animals always maintain good condition thru winter even having a calf on them.

Thanks - I'm unable to plant ryegrass on this new lease property

All my cows calve in November. I'll have plenty of quality hay but want additional protein source - think I'll go with the liquid feed !!!
I'm assuming you'll have plenty of hay instead of the good nutritious rye grass. If so it should work fine for you. Put out one lick tank for every 25 cows and they should be fine. Most around here use the larger tanks (250 gallons I think) and each has 4 lick wheels. Move them everytime they get empty or you'll end up with the ground wallowed out around them and holding water and muck.

Exactly... However, I have been thinking of installing concrete feeding pads in a feeding area so that way I wont have to keep fixing pastures year after year you just have to make it big enough for them to stand completely on.
 
When I get a big divot around one of mine I move it, and then feed a round bale or two on the spot. That generally fixes it.
 
skyhightree1":rvhrx27f said:
Exactly... However, I have been thinking of installing concrete feeding pads in a feeding area so that way I wont have to keep fixing pastures year after year you just have to make it big enough for them to stand completely on.
You will still end up with holes around the edges of the feed pads
 
dun":iu2x2nl3 said:
skyhightree1":iu2x2nl3 said:
Exactly... However, I have been thinking of installing concrete feeding pads in a feeding area so that way I wont have to keep fixing pastures year after year you just have to make it big enough for them to stand completely on.
You will still end up with holes around the edges of the feed pads

Why is that? I had the problem with the waterers until poured pads and no issues with those.
 
neighbor had those going feeding distillers syrup. they just stood by them all day and night licking.. my tongue got sore looking at them.
 
skyhightree1":y5rg6955 said:
dun":y5rg6955 said:
skyhightree1":y5rg6955 said:
Exactly... However, I have been thinking of installing concrete feeding pads in a feeding area so that way I wont have to keep fixing pastures year after year you just have to make it big enough for them to stand completely on.
You will still end up with holes around the edges of the feed pads

Why is that? I had the problem with the waterers until poured pads and no issues with those.

Whenever it's muddy some of the mud will stick to the cow's feet every time they leave the tank. You'll end up with a groove around the tank.
 
skyhightree1":2yb3vo6d said:
Exactly... However, I have been thinking of installing concrete feeding pads in a feeding area so that way I wont have to keep fixing pastures year after year you just have to make it big enough for them to stand completely on.
Sky its sort of strange but you can pour 5 acres of concrete and at the edge the constant coming and going will wear the ground out and you'll have a big drop off.
 
TexasBred":3uw5zq6z said:
skyhightree1":3uw5zq6z said:
Exactly... However, I have been thinking of installing concrete feeding pads in a feeding area so that way I wont have to keep fixing pastures year after year you just have to make it big enough for them to stand completely on.
Sky its sort of strange but you can pour 5 acres of concrete and at the edge the constant coming and going will wear the ground out and you'll have a big drop off.

That's strange maybe cause my place is sandy it doesn't do that been there some pads 10 years with anywhere from 30-70 cattle usually. I will take pics and hope it posts.
 
slick4591":35hf7rph said:
skyhightree1":35hf7rph said:
dun":35hf7rph said:
You will still end up with holes around the edges of the feed pads

Why is that? I had the problem with the waterers until poured pads and no issues with those.

Whenever it's muddy some of the mud will stick to the cow's feet every time they leave the tank. You'll end up with a groove around the tank.

Hasn't happened yet
 
Used to have a trail cam pic of a bunch of hogs circling one of those wheel feeders. A couple on each wheel. And the rest crawling all over the thing.

The product is usually good quality. But I still prefer a good hard cooked tub.
Pvm is the best IMO.
 
callmefence":tfgc7ucs said:
Used to have a trail cam pic of a bunch of hogs circling one of those wheel feeders. A couple on each wheel. And the rest crawling all over the thing.

The product is usually good quality. But I still prefer a good hard cooked tub.
Pvm is the best IMO.

That's interesting. My complaint against the liquid feed has always been the limiter sucks. They eat way more than the seller says. They always say you need to feed a couple to get them use to it then they will slow down. That doesn't help me any because I will be broke by then.

I'll feed cooked tubs or ground feed before liquid feed.
 
Brute 23":1faas3x4 said:
callmefence":1faas3x4 said:
Used to have a trail cam pic of a bunch of hogs circling one of those wheel feeders. A couple on each wheel. And the rest crawling all over the thing.

The product is usually good quality. But I still prefer a good hard cooked tub.
Pvm is the best IMO.

That's interesting. My complaint against the liquid feed has always been the limiter sucks. They eat way more than the seller says. They always say you need to feed a couple to get them use to it then they will slow down. That doesn't help me any because I will be broke by then.

I'll feed cooked tubs or ground feed before liquid feed.
Most don't really have a limiter as such. They'll manipulate the Ph as well as the sweet/sour part of the mix a little bit on some of them but primarily it's intended to more or less "balance" the other part of the ration. Low quality hay/grazing will always mean higher consumption of hte liquid feed. Higher quality hay/grazing or some other form of supplementation and they sometimes will hardly touch the liquid.
 
TexasBred":2g5dbjyr said:
Brute 23":2g5dbjyr said:
callmefence":2g5dbjyr said:
Used to have a trail cam pic of a bunch of hogs circling one of those wheel feeders. A couple on each wheel. And the rest crawling all over the thing.

The product is usually good quality. But I still prefer a good hard cooked tub.
Pvm is the best IMO.

That's interesting. My complaint against the liquid feed has always been the limiter sucks. They eat way more than the seller says. They always say you need to feed a couple to get them use to it then they will slow down. That doesn't help me any because I will be broke by then.

I'll feed cooked tubs or ground feed before liquid feed.
Most don't really have a limiter as such. They'll manipulate the Ph as well as the sweet/sour part of the mix a little bit on some of them but primarily it's intended to more or less "balance" the other part of the ration. Low quality hay/grazing will always mean higher consumption of hte liquid feed. Higher quality hay/grazing or some other form of supplementation and they sometimes will hardly touch the liquid.

That stuff is like 20%+ protein isn't it? Hard to find stuff growing in the pasture that's better than that. If that was the case you wouldn't need it. :)
 
Consumption is based on an annual cycle. Leave it out free choice 12mths a year and bet the rate is pretty close to dead on same as minerals. Sometimes they eat a like crazy sometimes they walk right by but you have to stick with it to see those results. They have been missing out on it so when you first start it they do hit it hard. After they balance themselves it slows way down. I have had a tank last two weeks and had a tank last over 2 months, same group of cows same feed.
 

Latest posts

Top