My corn averaged 210bu/AC last year. That’s 11,760lbs of shell corn per acre. I shoot for 25tons of silage per acre. 11,760/50,000= 0.2352 I feed 25 lbs of silage/hd/day . 0.2352*25 = 5.88 lbs of shell corn/ day for normal winter weather.
Except for 1 or 2 boss cows that are over fat. I d say my herd is a solid 6-6.5 bcs. They are definitely not to fat.
Yup. I understand. Like I said, it's all a matter of perspective. My whole point was, I DO wish that my herd too was made up more of the best looking 20% of them that are out there. Older cows, that consistently maintain pretty good body condition and breed back every year, on time, on an only grass/hay diet... including mostly on winter stockpile through the winter months... in Minnesota.
That's a pretty high ask, in most guys book. And my herd
is NOT there.. only that top 20% are "there". The next 50% "could be doing better", but they're acceptable. You have to realize that I only started this herd from scratch in 2018, with some of my base genetics being dairy-cross cows (I started my own herd out by being paid for custom grazing... in dairy crossbred black-hided heifer calves)... and they are VERY obvious and easy to pick out, even to any untrained eye, IMO. I'm critical of my critters looks, intentionally. I don't wean my calves... the cows do that, at will. So they're milking through the winter, on grass only, while carrying a new calf, as well. With no grain. And with no barn, or feedlot windbreak... they just can get in the wake of some trees on the worst days as necessary. In Minnesota.
Could they look better if I fed them grain? You bet, no question, and I'm tempted to at times... but I'm raising "100% grass-fed beef". And if I fed them
enough grain, most of them (more likely all of them) could/would be carrying a much stronger BCS... if I put them on a "high grain fattner/finishing" diet, I'm sure I could make them all "fat" even, eventually. But I don't. I make sure they have all the grass hay they'll reasonably consume (I WANT some hay "waste" to be left on the field), fed mostly daily so it's always fresh.
My intention is not to imply that your system is "poor" or "wrong" or "bad", NOT AT ALL. Your animals I'm sure are in fine shape, and you're a great manager.
My whole point then though is, if the critters in one herd (i.e.: yours) are getting corn silage with about 5.5#/day of corn grain in it as their main ration daily, plus hay as desired, plus additional grain anytime it's going to get down into single digits, in Illinois... and my critters are on the regimen that they're on........
in which herd would we be more likely to find out which animals in the herd can maintain reasonable condition, maintain fertility and breed back on time, grow a calf and deliver it without trouble, and raise it on grass pasture only through the summer, and do it all over again next year, ON MINIMAL INPUTS? If we don't "test", we'll never find out which ones can and which ones can't do it.
A few of my cows are at 10+ calves (I did buy a few older cows when I started too), the majority of the "cows" (not heifers coming in each year) are right now at 3-5 calves. And they're still staying "on time". Calving window this year is from April 5 (less than 10% in April) - June 20. My "ideal target" is May 1 - June 20. I seldom assist or watch them calve... they do it on pasture, mostly on their own. Could I have better genetics? You bet! That's what I'm working toward... as are most cattlemen. I'm doing it from within, for the most part, because I don't know anybody else that I could get genetics from that is "testing/proving" their animals in the same way. Would I generally recommend or sell some of my current genetics to someone else? Nope. For the most part, they're not great-looking animals... but they do raise some pretty nice calves that I deliver to the butcher shop. I WISH that I hadn't started out with those dairy cross critters... because those that are pure beef genetics are much better looking animals. The weird thing is, just because they LOOK better, doesn't always mean that they "get the job done" better. Those diary-crossed cows somehow seem to breed back and hang in there, in spite of having a low BCS. I moved out a number of them at last preg check that didn't breed back or that were "late calvers", and I was looking forward to moving them on down the road.
My whole point is, if we want to have animals that can do it on their own, without grain............... we have to put them in that management format... and then watch which ones can still "make it" and which ones can't. Some will be keepers. Most won't. Particularly in today's beef genetics that have been bred to perform in a feedlot.
