Ear corn ration
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Till-Hill
Well-known member
I wouldn't feed ear corn to them. We use whole shelled corn at 82.5% ration and 17.5% accuration grower/finisher pellet. Holsteins will get to big if they get to much fiber. They need lots of energy!
Just because cheap where I'm at and readily available, I believe I'd use ddg. Many years ago (as a child), we ground a lot of eared corn. We put a little soybean meal in it. Things seemed to grow good on it.
TexasBred
Well-known member
:shock: :shock: :shock: Guess we better stay away from grass and hay then.Till-Hill":3mcydtor said:
pricefarm
Well-known member
Till-Hill":1vbghj4g said:
What do u mean get to big?? Isn't that the point ????
I feed ear corn I would mix DDGS with it. 2/3 corn 1/3 DDGS.
Till-Hill
Well-known member
They will take too long to get finished. 1400# Holsteins that are fat are really nice fats. 1700#+ ones really are a waste of feed.
TexasBred
Well-known member
They weigh 600 lbs. Hardly time for a finishing ration. They need some roughage to maintain rumen function. I would at least chop the corn rather than feeding it whole. You'll get a minimum of 12% pass through feeding whole corn. Savings that should more than make up for cost of chopping or grinding.Till-Hill":1m6t9is3 said:
TexasBred":zdm77y6s said:
Glad you posted that. I have been feeding some whole corn, mixed with DDG. I had wondered if it would pay to have it cracked. Currently, the convenience of feeding it whole is what I am going for, so I cant switch, but the question had been eating at me. calves are growing good on it, and I am mixing it at home.
Till-Hill
Well-known member
TB our nutritionist likes whole corn from weaning till 800#. Corn and Accuration pellet is all they will ever eat. Only forage they get is their bedding. At 800# we try to get the corn cracked but we don't own a feed mill and just mix the corn and pellet in TMR and auger it in self feeder.
It's cheap and easy. I wasn't sold on the idea before but after years of never getting our holsteins fat enough to sell good we tried it and I'll never go back. Our guy that buys most of our bull calves they run about 4,000 head a year and that's how they do it too.
It's cheap and easy. I wasn't sold on the idea before but after years of never getting our holsteins fat enough to sell good we tried it and I'll never go back. Our guy that buys most of our bull calves they run about 4,000 head a year and that's how they do it too.
TexasBred
Well-known member
That's fine and yes smaller calves will eat the corn more thoroughly. Whatever grabs you but if you feed out a lot of cattle you waste a lot of corn. I've seen lot of whole corn sprout and come up in manure. But it's your money. Don't change a thing.Till-Hill":25m5icas said:
TexasBred":1wwoq5cx said:
The big stein growers in this area have them on full corn from weaning, along with a protein supplement. Roughage is limited to bedding or between 1-2 pounds per day. Too much hay you will have too big of frame on them if finished out, you will get docked pretty heavily as they will sell as 'silage fed'. Things may be different in other parts of country though.
TexasBred
Well-known member
Old timers always said you could run a hog behind every cow too. :lol: :lol:ram":1o8apogn said:
TexasBred
Well-known member
I'm surprised those cattle can even walk because of laminitis caused by acidosis. Most probably also add Rumensin which serves somewhat as a buffer to maintain rumen ph.ChrisB":28cpuf8a said:
TexasBred
Well-known member
With such an imbalance between grain and forage I'd think 90% of the would have feet problems, digestive problems and loss of gain. Need about 25 lbs. to the ton of sodium bicarb in a mix like that and still may not maintain proper rumen ph.ChrisB":3clbch1q said:
We feed a little bit of hay in the ration while young but mainly made up of gluten and corn. Dont really see many more foot problems than you do if you let them get to big. Neighbor let some get to big and put in confinement barn he ended up buying extra freezers to put all the downers in.
TexasBred
Well-known member
A ration with 80% corn or more is going to cause problems. You may not notice it but when they all have the same problem (internal) they all look alike. :nod: When laying down 80% or more of your cattle should be ruminating. That's a good indication of a healthy rumen and the excess saliva serves as a buffer as well. Hopefully yours are. :nod:bmoore87":312k5dph said:
