Ear corn or commodity mix

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Hardin Farms

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A friend of mine is selling ear corn at $7/bushel this year. I've been buying a commodity mix consisting of peanut, cracked corn, ddg, cottonseed mill and gluten. Supposed to be around 14% protein and 3.5% fat. They also mix in a mineral pack for me. It is running around $252 a ton delivered to my property at a 3 ton minimum.

Would I save any money going with the corn or have any better feed? The way I figured it, its gonna be around $200/ton for the ear corn.
 
Sorry, left that info out.

Cow/calf operation. Supplementing marginal hay through dec. and January, then turn over on rye grass in February.

Will also use to wean and develop a few heifers along.

Im in north ms, so winters aren't terrible and I have a fair stand of fescue.
 
Wrong question. I think you want the low cost ration for the condition your cows are in. This means you need a forage feed test to enter into a ration calculator.

$7/bu corn is crazy high. Board is mid $5s.

Are you comparing per ton prices for unground ears and a complete ration ?
 
Last edited:
1400# ground ear corn
565# 32%* protein supplement
35# mineral*
13.98% protein

20 bu ear corn x $7= $140
$.20/lbs. supplement x 565#= $113
$.54/# mineral x 35#= $18.9

$271.9/ton


Your prices may vary, see store for details. Offer not valid in Cuba, or Rhode Island. Must be 18 years old or old to apply.
 
A bu of ear corn weighs 68.4lbs. So $204.67/ ton. If you have a way to grind it and add some protein there is nothing better. If you are feeding whole ears then it's not nearly as good.
A local man finishes his steers on ground ear corn, no supplement. He said he's tried putting the recommended amount of soybean meal in with it in the past, said he couldn't tell an appreciable difference with or without.

Ground ear corn is nearly the perfect feed for cattle, it's true.
 
A local man finishes his steers on ground ear corn, no supplement. He said he's tried putting the recommended amount of soybean meal in with it in the past, said he couldn't tell an appreciable difference with or without.

Ground ear corn is nearly the perfect feed for cattle, it's true.
I'll add, he fattens his own steers, so the genetics are apples to apples.
 
I'll add, he fattens his own steers, so the genetics are apples to apples.
The old timers all liked starting calves on ground ear corn. They said calves that had never seen a feed bunk or corn would go up and grab a corn husk and get a little corn on their nose. Start licking and in a day or so they had their heads buried in the bunk.
 
The old timers all liked starting calves on ground ear corn. They said calves that had never seen a feed bunk or corn would go up and grab a corn husk and get a little corn on their nose. Start licking and in a day or so they had their heads buried in the bunk.
My dad and grandpa used to haul a truckload of bagged Purina Precon to a local man each fall to wean his calves on. I was always told, at least back in them days, Precon was basically ground ear corn with some add ons.

I've also heard that Purina stole the Precon mix from Vic Frohning at the Mt. Erie feed mill, which is where I buy some feed. True or not, I don't know, but that's the story.
 
Thanks for all of the replies guys. I think its more than I want to mess with this year. My cows wintered pretty well last year with the 14% feed and marginal hay, but there a good bit of grass left in parts of my pasture that's clear cut timber property. But I sounds like the corn may not be a bad option if I can get the price down there right.

I may look into it next year if I have a little better storage situation. Right now id be storing it in covered truck bed trailers outside. I can store the 14% in a gravity flow grain buggy.
 

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