Does feeding protein tubs pay for themself

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plbcattle

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I have been feeding a 24% protein tub from purina. I know they give nursing cattle more energy,help the cattles digestive system, and help with body heat retention in cold weather. My cows are eating about 6 200lb tubs a week. they look the best they have ever looked but at $36.00 each ($216) per week does feeding this pay for itself. I haven't ever feed protein for an extended period of time. my cattle always breed back on time,hold BCS and are rarely sick. I just wonder if I am gettting my almost $1000 per month back.
 
tubs get to be a real pain after a while, if you have access and a way to store by products such as Dried Distillers Grain (DDG) they work great, make the cows extremely easy to handle, and help to add milking performance, and flesh to your animals.
 
It;s probably the most expensive method of supplementing that there is. Hand feeding grain supplements is less conveninet but is also less expensive. High quality hay and forage is still the cheapest methid.

dun
 
I have asked the same question, and do not have an answer. We use Feed in the Drum because it is a much harder product and can only be licked and doesn't disappear as fast as the more grain fortified Purina product that we used several years ago. But, feed in the Drum is $82 per 250 lb tub. I still use it, and agree with Dun good forage and hay is cheapest. We test all of our hay so I know which has the highest digest. and protein and dole it out according to need, BUT I still add the lolly pop tubs for good measure. You figure.
 
Whole cotton seed $90 a ton. Have to shovel it when feeding but 20% protein and slightly better energy than corn. We are using a lick tub ($200 a ton) for the leases that are a good distance away.
 
I started feeding peanut cake for the first time. I get it from a mill right next to a peanut shelling plant so some may not have access. It has 36% protein and 3-4 % fat. HAve been feeding it to heifers and a bull(previous post) and they are doing great. The way I figure the value is on a cost per unit of protien. Like 36% at 250 a ton is like $6.94 per unit. This has worked for me. Not real easy but works. I found this to be cheaper than tubs and cheaper in the long run thatn liquid feed. By the way anyone want to buy a liquid feed feeder.


Scotty
 
Scotty":1apv6gg0 said:
I started feeding peanut cake for the first time. I get it from a mill right next to a peanut shelling plant so some may not have access. It has 36% protein and 3-4 % fat. HAve been feeding it to heifers and a bull(previous post) and they are doing great. The way I figure the value is on a cost per unit of protien. Like 36% at 250 a ton is like $6.94 per unit. This has worked for me. Not real easy but works. I found this to be cheaper than tubs and cheaper in the long run thatn liquid feed. By the way anyone want to buy a liquid feed feeder.


Scotty

We're feeding peanut cake this year, first time also. It's cheaper than cottonseed cake. I'm like you, the cost per pound of protein is what counts. Another thing I like is that you can get the peanut cake in 1" which seems to result in less waste because it's easier for them to pick up.

Craig-TX
 
IMHO - nope.

Good hay, some grain, loose mineral - water for the youngsters and snow for the old girls.

My girls are outside year round.

It is minus 15 C today and the wind is howling, snow is deep.

Cows are fat and sassy. When milking in the summer, they get no grain - just good pasture and loose mineral - they stay fat and sassy.

Sometimes I think we (the royal "We") give the cows more than they need - if only because we think the cows need it.

We never buy additional feed for our animals - that is until we test the quality of the feed they are getting. Test your feed and test your grain. If it is good, there is no need for additives. Cost for testing is minimal - or can be free if you buy the required minerals from the place that does your testing.

It is now - more than ever - important for us to be low cost producers - if the cows need this to get by - we say to them - good-bye.

Genetics - NOT - extras will make this place survive.

Just MHO

Regards,

Bez
 
Don't let your dogs eat it. It gave my Fox terrier and coon hound the worst gas. But it is a great product. Anyone that reads this if you can get it it is worth it. The cattle love it. I have in the past had cattle leave some cake on the ground for different reasons. Not this stuff. I don't know of but one producer in my area. Not advertising the company but the product so maybe it will work. It is Red Chain feeds from Gorman milling in duh Gorman TX.


Scotty
 
Bez":rysal8ow said:
IMHO - nope.

Good hay, some grain, loose mineral - water

Genetics - NOT - extras will make this place survive.

Bez

Isn't that what this business is supposed to be about? I'ld add good pasture, and very little grain, but that's about it.

dun
 
Isn't that what this business is supposed to be about? I'ld add good pasture, and very little grain, but that's about it.

dun

Actually, you are correct - but as it is really, really winter here now - just about froze myself checking cattle on the sled today - thank heavens for hand and thumb warmers on the handle bars - I tend to forget about summertime pastures - just a wishful thought in the back of my mind at present!

Regards

Bez
 
Bez":lvkiqpgy said:
Isn't that what this business is supposed to be about? I'ld add good pasture, and very little grain, but that's about it.

dun

Actually, you are correct - but as it is really, really winter here now - just about froze myself checking cattle on the sled today - thank heavens for hand and thumb warmers on the handle bars - I tend to forget about summertime pastures - just a wishful thought in the back of my mind at present!

Regards

Bez

One of the goods and bads of this forum is there are so many diverse environments. We're still on winter pasture. I lose sight of folks not having the luxury of not having to feed hay.

dun
 
Keep in mind also that not all tubs are alike. We little farmers here get very few choices in the protein additives such as tubs, but when I read the ingrediant label that it included chicken feathers, and other animal fats and proteins....it was over......no more tubs for us. I don't feed chickens to my cattle and vise versa. Thats how we get ourselves into trouble such as BSE!
 
Bez said:
IMHO - nope.

Good hay, some grain, loose mineral - water for the youngsters and snow for the old girls.

My girls are outside year round.

It is minus 15 C today and the wind is howling, snow is deep.

Cows are fat and sassy. When milking in the summer, they get no grain - just good pasture and loose mineral - they stay fat and sassy.

Sometimes I think we (the royal "We") give the cows more than they need - if only because we think the cows need it.

We never buy additional feed for our animals - that is until we test the quality of the feed they are getting. Test your feed and test your grain. If it is good, there is no need for additives. Cost for testing is minimal - or can be free if you buy the required minerals from the place that does your testing.

It is now - more than ever - important for us to be low cost producers - if the cows need this to get by - we say to them - good-bye.

Genetics - NOT - extras will make this place survive.

Just MHO

Regards,

Bez
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~grain is an extra ! grain cost money too.your using grain for your supplement.so whats the diffrence?~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tc
 
grain is an extra ! grain cost money too.your using grain for your supplement.so whats the diffrence?~~~~~~~~~~~~~Tc

Can't speak for you in your area - but have you considered the cost of a tub compared to the cost of a ton of oats/barley or whatever?

Here, there is a huge difference.

Be that as it may, all feed comes from our resources - all feed comes from the ground, and never from a feed mill.

50 pound bags of mineral cost approximately 18 bucks Canadian - subtract 20% to compare your dollar to mine. We do purchase that and salt blocks - but we keep it to an absoulte minimum. So far that is now the only off farm purchase we make any more - other than vaccinations.

Our goal is to put calves on the ground for the cheapest cost. Then sell them after putting the absolute minimum into them. If I put nothing into them then so much the better. If that means they might go to market a few pounds lighter than they used to - well I have still kept my expenses down.

When we pencilled it out this last year, we were ahead by almost 19% if memory serves. So it paid out after all.

If a vet has to make a call for an animal - not always, but usually, that animal will make the final trip. Cull, cull, cull. We are becoming ruthless in that department.

If a person runs a few head - then go ahead and run a tub or two - but for those who attempt to make a living off of this then costs must be kept down - and genetics must be injected into the herd to advance the calf growth capability.

Another example - we have continually culled and worked at increasing the capability for our animals to calve out easily and at the same time have larger calves.

I know this goes against the traditional train of thought - and we were initially concerned about this as well. We have managed to get our animals quite capable of producing larger calves - giving them a bit of a head start on growing. This has meant keeping our heifers and cows separate, and breading them to different styles of animals.

Heifers get a light birth weight bull for their FIRST TWO CALVES. Cows go with something that can produce a 100 pound calf. Last year we managed an average calf weight of 101 pounds for the entire cow herd and 80 pounds for the heifer herd.

Have we had a couple of wrecks along the way - yes. But we are working to reduce the risk and I would have to say we are well on our way. The last two years have provided us with a complete "unassisted calving period for the cows" - despite our best efforts to use light weight birthing bulls we had three pulls in the heife arena - they are all gone from this place - other than number two daughters heifer - she persuaded us to give it another chance as this one was a reverse presentation.

By careful management we have been able to reduce our outside costs by over 50%. That is a substantial savings. I am looking to reduce it another 50%. By bartering work and graze, we have been able to procure any additional feed grains straight from the various farmers in our local area - that to me means people within 50 miles of our gate.

So, I have to say tubs are not cost efficient - for us - and for many others. During pasture weather, I believe cows should have grass and mineral / salt - NOTHING more. If they do not make it they are gone. During the winter they get hay, mineral / salt and some grain - ususally corn. If they do not make it - then they are gone. Period. Genetics - not additives will make the money.

I do not have all the answers - and I am quite willing to say we have made many, many mistakes. Some of the things we do are not considered "standard" and yes we are taking some risks. But if we do not, then we will definitely be putting the for sale sign up at the front gate.

Low cost - low cost - low cost. That is how to make money in the cattle business. In fact as a commercial cow calf operation - that is THE ONLY way to make money in this business.

I have probably missed something - but you get my drift. No tubs for this guy!

Have a good one. :D

Bez
 
i didnt mean to sound like a smartass.i respect any man that makes a living off cattle. i just woundering where yall get your grain from? do you harvest it yourself ?~~~~~~~~~Tc
 
Tc wrote:

i didnt mean to sound like a smartass.

I did not think you were. I am just naturally long winded.

Our grain comes from my neighbour. I help him in the spring with planting when I can and drive his combine in the fall when I can - and take pay in corn. Works for both of us.

No money changes hands.

Cheers

Bez
 

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