Anyone mix their own commodities?

[tncattle]

We're trying to figure out if it's worth it to mix our own commodities and feed calves this way. How much of a discount can you really get on commodities buying them this way and mixing yourself?

 

[TexasBred]

We're trying to figure out if it's worth it to mix our own commodities and feed calves this way. How much of a discount can you really get on commodities buying them this way and mixing yourself?

How many calves at a time will you be feeding? To get the best buy you'll need to buy full truck loads of each commodity. Most folks build a commodity barn with 3-4-5 bays in it for the various products. You'll need to get someone to formulate a ration utilyzing the commodities as well as a mixing mineral. If you're feeding several hundred and buying truckload lots a mixer wagon would certainly be a plus as well as several hundred feet of feedbunks.

Takes a pretty good size cash outlay to get started and you keep a lot of money tied up in inventory as well as equipment but you can make a much better feed than you can buy in a bag and should be able to make the mix considerably cheaper... a good estimate would be $150 a ton savings in ingredient cost alone not allowing for shrinkage.

 

[blacksnake]

Here is a link to commodity prices around the midwest. It is updated weekly by Univ of Mo.
http://agebb.missouri.edu/dairy/byprod/bplist.asp

 

[tom4018]

We're trying to figure out if it's worth it to mix our own commodities and feed calves this way. How much of a discount can you really get on commodities buying them this way and mixing yourself?

How many calves at a time will you be feeding? To get the best buy you'll need to buy full truck loads of each commodity. Most folks build a commodity barn with 3-4-5 bays in it for the various products. You'll need to get someone to formulate a ration utilyzing the commodities as well as a mixing mineral. If you're feeding several hundred and buying truckload lots a mixer wagon would certainly be a plus as well as several hundred feet of feedbunks.

Takes a pretty good size cash outlay to get started and you keep a lot of money tied up in inventory as well as equipment but you can make a much better feed than you can buy in a bag and should be able to make the mix considerably cheaper... a good estimate would be $150 a ton savings in ingredient cost alone not allowing for shrinkage.

What Texas Bred said is about nuts and bolts of it. You need to be feeding several head to make it justifiable in my opinion.

 

[tncattle]

at first we would be feeding around 100 head.

 

[tncattle]

We're trying to figure out if it's worth it to mix our own commodities and feed calves this way. How much of a discount can you really get on commodities buying them this way and mixing yourself?

How many calves at a time will you be feeding? To get the best buy you'll need to buy full truck loads of each commodity. Most folks build a commodity barn with 3-4-5 bays in it for the various products. You'll need to get someone to formulate a ration utilyzing the commodities as well as a mixing mineral. If you're feeding several hundred and buying truckload lots a mixer wagon would certainly be a plus as well as several hundred feet of feedbunks.

Takes a pretty good size cash outlay to get started and you keep a lot of money tied up in inventory as well as equipment but you can make a much better feed than you can buy in a bag and should be able to make the mix considerably cheaper... a good estimate would be $150 a ton savings in ingredient cost alone not allowing for shrinkage.

Another thing I don't know is where to buy these commodities from in southern middle Tn.?

 

[jedstivers]

Start with the link black snake put up. Then find someone feeding calves and get the # to whoever supplies them.

 

[tom4018]

at first we would be feeding around 100 head.

Got a neighbor who feeds 70-100 most of the time. He buys the same place I do, Red Boiling Springs. CPC commodites will sell you truck loads of whaterever you want.

 

[tncattle]

at first we would be feeding around 100 head.

Got a neighbor who feeds 70-100 most of the time. He buys the same place I do, Red Boiling Springs. CPC commodites will sell you truck loads of whaterever you want.

How many tons are in a truckload? If you have a front end loader and a mixer to run on a PTO then are you set to mix? We would be feeding in what used to be a dairy loafing farm that has a feed trough running down the middle of it. It's probably around 250-300 ft. long.

 

[jedstivers]

at first we would be feeding around 100 head.

Got a neighbor who feeds 70-100 most of the time. He buys the same place I do, Red Boiling Springs. CPC commodites will sell you truck loads of whaterever you want.

How many tons are in a truckload? If you have a front end loader and a mixer to run on a PTO then are you set to mix? We would be feeding in what used to be a dairy loafing farm that has a feed trough running down the middle of it. It's probably around 250-300 ft. long.

23-25 tons. Yes you need a FEL and a tractor to run the mixer.

 

[bigbull338]

but now you could go whole hog an get a truck mounted mixer with scales on it.an a payloader to load the mixer truck.but doing that youd spend a chunk of cash that would make your eyes popout.

 

[TexasBred]

but now you could go whole hog an get a truck mounted mixer with scales on it.an a payloader to load the mixer truck.but doing that youd spend a chunk of cash that would make your eyes popout.

Those things are for feedlots and BIG dairies. A well maintained used horizontal mixer wagon should work well for it. Should be able to get one fairly cheap.

 

[Lawson Farms]

Does anyone know of a commodities list similar to the missouri site above but for other parts of the country? I'd love to find a list for the southeast. I know we can get hominy out of Tennessee, Hulls out of georgia. But a list like the one above would be great.

Tncattle, does the dairy your feeding in have a place to store the 25 tons of each material?

 

[jedstivers]

http://msucares.com/livestock/beef/feedsources.html

 

[1wlimo]

The saving that you can make are offset by the time to mix your mix, mill grain etc, and the storage that is required.

 

[GMN]

we have known a few people who have done this, but sold to the public-takes alot of connections and know how-and expense--you may be better off to just get a mix made up for you, get a grain bin with a auger and feed that way, or get it delivered in bulk

 

[Stocker Steve]

we have known a few people who have done this, but sold to the public-takes alot of connections and know how-and expense--you may be better off to just get a mix made up for you, get a grain bin with a auger and feed that way, or get it delivered in bulk

I have not invested in a bin bottom with auger so I feed a mix out of a tarp covered gravity box. A bit dusty and labor intensive, but I am only doing seasonal supplementation of forage.

Rule of thumb here is you need 200 DAIRY cows to consider doing your own in a vertical mixer.

 

[fatcattle]

mixing is time consuming and as much art as science. Hire a good nutritionist and analyse everything. You don't know what to feed if you don't know what's in it. If you have the facilities, e.g., bunks, storage, and equipment, loaders, mixers, and the time to run them and also the ability to repair them it can be a profitable venture. It generally takes a good sized herd to justify the labor and expense. 500 or more stockers at a time has been my experience.