cattle feeding question

[plbcattle]

Sorry to post this on this board, but it seems to get more play than the other boards. I have a feed question. I read about all different kinds of feed and have tried them all. What is the best for keeping cattle in good BCS while also putting a little on them. I believe that a cow in BCS 6-7 will raise a better calve and breed back easier. I have seen some feed corn gluton, rice hulls, cotton seed, range pellets, 3n1 meal, soy hull pellets. Is any one of these feeds better for lb. of what goes toward a cow. soem want a feed that is as cheap for Lb as they can get. I want the most effective feed for feeding cattle.
I have found alfalfa to keep my cattle in great BCS. It is a little hard to find in arkansas. any suggestions or tips are always welcome.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

plb

The following link give the nutritional analysis of many feed ingredients. Use this as a reference to compare the protein & energy of different ingredients. Total digestible nutrients is the indicator of energy.

http://www.ingredients101.com/specification.htm

This link is info on many byproduct feeds. Lots of good info including current prices & suppliers.

http://agebb.missouri.edu/dairy/byprod/index.htm

For more protein & energy, products like dried distillers grain, corn gluten, rice bran, & whole cottonseed.

For just energy, soy hulls or corn.

My favorites are whole cottonseed or a 50/50 blend of corn gluten & soy hulls.

I buy old, broken mouth cows & winter them on dry grass and 5 lb/day of whole cottonseed. Cows gain well on this. By spring they look like new gals. I call it Extreme Makeover-Bovine Addition.

For stockers, I use the cg/sh blend for winter feed (with dry grass) & in the summer to supplement bermudagrass.

For us the whole cottonseed is probably the best buy, however it has to be purchased during the cotton harvest & stored by us until we feed it. The corn gluten/soy hulls are bought on an as needed basis.

IMO-byproduct feeds are usually the most cost effective as it takes a lot of markup to run a feedmill. Depending on what is available in your area will usually determine what is the most cost effective. Would recommend a few phone calls & a little home work to find the best deal.

Hope you find this info useful. Just my 2 cents worth.

Good luck & happy trails

Brock