Feed grinder

[dun]

You know my opinons of being PC and it's attendent terminalogy!

dun

 

[HandB]

I agree w/ the cracked/rolled/flaked vs. whole issue. Numerous studies have proved it. You have to enable the rumen microbial numbers to enter the "meat" by breaking the undigestable shell. However, he did say he was only feeding 4 animals and got the feed at a good price, so I see no need to worry about it. If he got the feed at market value or even higher, then yes I would look into cracking or rolling. Something to increase the digestability and still get your moneys worth.

 

[Medic24]

Ok, I am still confused a bit, as for the whole corn I see in the manure, has any energy been taken from the kernel and given the cow any benefit?

 

[CKC1586]

It is my understanding that the nutrition is "taken out" of those whole kernels you see in the pies, that is why it won't sprout corn.

 

[jt]

It is my understanding that the nutrition is "taken out" of those whole kernels you see in the pies, that is why it won't sprout corn.

corn will sprout... but the way i look at it... so will every other seed a cow eats...

jt

 

[dun]

What sprouts is the germ, not the nourishment around it. But 7% or less of a lose isn't much, besides it gives them something else to munch on during the summer.

dun

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

The whole kernal that is in the manure pile has 92% of its nutrient value taken OUT. It still has about 8% left. If you sifted thru a pile of manure from a cow that was fed cracked corn, you would find that also, it just doesn't show up as well.

 

[bwranch]

Now this next question is just hypathetical, ;-) but if a man had access to to some corn that had been fermented and made into mash............wonder if it too could be fed out on a small scale? I have heard ;-) that there may some around here in thse mountains on occassion?

Medic, I don't know how well it would work but it sounds like a plan. After all, they can't get a body for making cow feed, can they? BTW, let me know if you hear of anybody that needs some help disposing of any of that hypothetical mash by-product! ;-)

 

[jt]

The whole kernal that is in the manure pile has 92% of its nutrient value taken OUT. It still has about 8% left. If you sifted thru a pile of manure from a cow that was fed cracked corn, you would find that also, it just doesn't show up as well.

jeanne,

i am curious, how sure are you of the 8% loss? i have heard anywhere from practically no loss up to 30% loss..

thanks

jt

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

There are no guarantees. I'm sure it varies, but my husband used to sell feed & balance rations for a living (still works for a company that sells feed, but he manages the fertilizer & chemical plant) anyway, I've heard the "speel" many times from him talking the the 4-H'ers that we have advised thru the years. And I have read many different articles on it. Always refers to an 8% difference.

 

[jt]

There are no guarantees. I'm sure it varies, but my husband used to sell feed & balance rations for a living (still works for a company that sells feed, but he manages the fertilizer & chemical plant) anyway, I've heard the "speel" many times from him talking the the 4-H'ers that we have advised thru the years. And I have read many different articles on it. Always refers to an 8% difference.

i suspect you are very close to right... i have a small hammermill and it takes me an hour or better i guess to grind a ton.. that is not worth it to me, and i am fixing to feed more whole corn. by the time i figure my time, equipment etc, i figure i am not better off.

jmo

jt

 

[Medic24]

Hey BW, yup, it still is made right here in the Smokies. Home made is a bit more expensive then just going out and buying a pint, or a quart, but it still is satisfying to drink some of your own handiwork, or so I have been told. For all the revenuers and regulators out there, NO i have nevermade it myself ;-) , but I have seen it done before, I just can't remember when or where ;-) The Sheriff of our county actually offered me a sip of the very best peach I have ever tasted of, a few years ago, and I know of several that have been trying to replicate it ever since.

CMT did a program on our area not long ago. was kind of comical in so many ways. The narrator asked the local Sheriff if there were any stills located in the area, and he swore that none existed, then they went to several local "gatherings" and found all you wanted to find.lol

Yup, just kinda thought it was a waste to see the mash get dumped off to the side of some mountain road. Although a little bit in sweet cornbread does add a bit of flavor.

 

[bwranch]

Medic,

I never thought about puttin it in cornbread but maybe that explains why my Grandma used to eat cornbread and milk for supper! I actually was born and raised about 50 miles southwest of you as the crow flies. I'll be gettin real envious in a couple of months when the dogwoods start blooming. By the way, do you raise those cows with legs shorter on one side than the other?

Lee

 

[bwranch]

Correction.... I meant SouthEAST of you (Catawba County). Guess I'm directionally challenged this morning.

 

[dcara]

There is a paper out of OSU publised in 1980 and is titled "Corn Processing Method and Phase Feeding of Steers". Its hard copy only though and you would have to get the OSU staff to mail it to you as I did.

In short, the study data indicated that whole shelled corn produced better daily gains, and has higher F/G efficency than high moisture or steam flaked rations. The reason is that the digestive site is shifted to intestinal (i.e.post ruminal) yielding a reduction in the loss of heat and methane from fermentation in the rumen and an increase in ration energy transfer of up to 30%. One downside is the reduction of energy for microbial growth in the rumen and lower microbial protien supply to the intestine. There is also an increase in fecal energy loss which is easily observed.
Thats the jest of it anyway.

Also, below is a link to a Steer Feeding presentation out of UW. The upshot of this presentation is that the ideal amount of roughage intake is a function of the animal weight. The lighter/younger the calf the higher the percentage of DMI roughage should be and for animals over 800 lbs there should be little to no roughage. The other interesting thing was that this study reported an ADG of 2.7 for cracked corn and 2.8 for whole corn.

Here's the UW presentation link
http://www.uwex.edu/ces/animalscience/b ... cs2002.ppt

 

[Medic24]

Well, BW, you being a native from here and all, you do know about the appalachian breeds of cattle, some are born with shorter front legs, others born with either the right or left legs shorter. Just another of Darwin's ideas that took time to come to fruition. The only problem is ya cant sell them to flat landers, they won't do well there. Hard to seel a cow that walks with a lean on flat land. lol :lol:

I have to admit, I can learn somthing new everyday on these boards....the corn feed issue being one of them. ;-)