Feed help

[Cross-7]

Help figure roughly what I need feed
Thin cows of different weights, age and etc
Let's say 1200# cows average
If I want a them to gain 2.5#'s a day
I need roughly 5 Mcal per day
Grass/hay at .52 nem and .29 neg
Cottonseed at 1.07 nem and .75 neg

So based on those numbers
They need about 30#'s of grass or hay
The max recommended cottonseed is 7#'s

I'm afraid the grass/hay may not meet those standards but I'm at the max I can safely feed cottonseed so feel I need another ingredient
I don't have access to corn by products
Would whole corn be an option ?
If so how would I adjust the cottonseed and corn for 2.5#'s of gain a day ?

 

[TexasBred]

Forget the technicalities of using net energy especially for hay as it is just too variable and you really have no idea of how much energy the cow will use in a day. Feed the hay, the WCS and give them another 4-5 lbs. of corn per day, preferably chopped. No guarantee whatsoever that they will gain the 2.5 lbs. per day but they should begin to at least put on some weight assuming they are no lactating.

 

[Cross-7]

Forget the technicalities of using net energy especially for hay as it is just too variable and you really have no idea of how much energy the cow will use in a day. Feed the hay, the WCS and give them another 4-5 lbs. of corn per day, preferably chopped. No guarantee whatsoever that they will gain the 2.5 lbs. per day but they should begin to at least put on some weight assuming they are no lactating.

Yeah that is true but I hate to just wing it. I always have to make a plan although it never goes as planned.
Should be some ryegrass grazing and then green grass this spring

As you said there are way too many variables

 

[Kingfisher]

Why are you trying to get #1200 cows to gain like that? Trying to finish them?

 

[Cross-7]

Putting weight on thin open sale barn culls cows

 

[Bigfoot]

Putting weight on thin open sale barn culls cows

Some of the easiest money I ever made in the cattle business was that exact same way. I just let mine get grass fat. Several ended up getting bred, before fall. They slicked off enough to sell as short bred. Mind you, this was back when the price of a pound cow was a little less fluctuating.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Bob

Think I would feed like TB suggested or possibly slightly less. For me, I want the cows to be gaining some all the time but wouldn't push them too hard before the ryegrass comes on. If pushed too hard too early, could possibly backup when go to straight ryegrass unless you plan to feed all the way through. Have a few of the old culls now and am mostly just storing them on hay, limited silage and cottonseed until ryegrass comes on then will let compensatory gain from ryegrass kick in. Old gals should be fattened up by the time ryegrass plays out in May.

 

[Cross-7]

I may be getting in too big of a hurry