FEED MIX FOR RAISING BREEDING STOCK

[dawnrogerl]

Hi, I have started a new Reg. Angus herd and have also obtained a hammer mill. I want to grind my own feed. The gentleman that I purchased the hammer mill from gave me the mix for what he has been feeding his Reg. Angus herd. I want to check this out with others. I am feeding nursing cows, bred cows, bred heifers, heifer & Bull calves and a 3 year old bull. This is the mix that he recommended. I have these ingredients readily available. 2500 lbs. corn + 500 lbs cotton seed + 50 lbs. minerals. He said that it makes about a 18% protein mix. They also get free choice minerals and not to good pasture/hay in winter. Your advise will be appreciated. Thank you much!!!!!

 

[Engler]

Not sure about the cotton seed with the bulls. I want to say that I heard from and old boy once that CS can really screw with semen quality on a bull, you guys from the south want to get in on this one?

Additionally how much are you having to suplement the cows with grain? I'm not a pasture/grass only die hard, but unless your really short of grass that usually don't pay.

 

[1982vett]

Cure it is not 500# cottonseed meal. Big difference between cottonseed and cottonseed meal. Personally, I think you should concentrate on forages over the feedbag. Feeding cows from a bucket.....not what beef cows ere designed for.

 

[irked]

2500 lbs. corn + 500 lbs cotton seed + 50 lbs. minerals. He said that it makes about a 18% protein mix.

unless you left something out, he misled you about the protein content. it would probably be closer to 11.

although you didn't ask, i think you would be wise to insist that your breeding stock be adapted to your forages, in lieu of being addicted to your hammer mill.

 

[mnmtranching]

This is a expensive way to feed cattle. You won't save much by grinding it yourself. No need to feed 18% feed. I agree that this ration does not add up to 18%.
How much of this feed are you planning on feeding? What other feeds do you have?
Maybe a taste to help in the handling but your breeding stock don't need the grain.

 

[TexasBred]

First of all...it's not an 18% feed. (that's good). Secondly IF you meant cottonseed meal it will run about 13% protein...if whole cottonseed it will be around 10% protein...but...all three mixes will be very high in energy and digestibility. More than what the bred need and not so bad for the calves and nursing cattle. It's hard to feed one ration to calves, bulls, nursing cattle, bred cattle and calves as well. Depending on how much you're feeding you could be headed for a real train wreck as the different groups need different feeds and different amounts of feed. Some will need little or no supplementation.

 

[novatech]

I'm with the others on this. The money you save on feed should be spent on pasture improvement. Stock the pasture according to the forage available with limited supplement.

 

[msscamp]

2500 lbs. corn + 500 lbs cotton seed + 50 lbs. minerals. He said that it makes about a 18% protein mix.

unless you left something out, he misled you about the protein content. it would probably be closer to 11.

although you didn't ask, i think you would be wise to insist that your breeding stock be adapted to your forages, in lieu of being addicted to your hammer mill.

I doubt it would even be 11%. Corn carries a protein content of roughly 8%, the cotton seed carries a protein content of 20 - 21%, and the ration is predominately corn.

I agree with your statement of having cows that are able to maintain their BC on the forage, rather than a grain ration.

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

Dont know

Here is the ration analysis I feed mine.

71% Corn Gluten
15% Cracked Corn
12% Ground Corn
2% Cane Molasses

The feed mill claims it makes about 14% protein and about 5% fat.

 

[1982vett]

Mix of grass and hay, mostly grass. Maybe a couple lbs. of 20% range cubes a day for a several weeks after weaning to addict them to the sound of a feed bag.

 

[edrsimms]

Hi, I have started a new Reg. Angus herd and have also obtained a hammer mill. I want to grind my own feed. The gentleman that I purchased the hammer mill from gave me the mix for what he has been feeding his Reg. Angus herd. I want to check this out with others. I am feeding nursing cows, bred cows, bred heifers, heifer & Bull calves and a 3 year old bull. This is the mix that he recommended. I have these ingredients readily available. 2500 lbs. corn + 500 lbs cotton seed + 50 lbs. minerals. He said that it makes about a 18% protein mix. They also get free choice minerals and not to good pasture/hay in winter. Your advise will be appreciated. Thank you much!!!!!

Forget the feed and the hammermill --- these are rumminant animals they prefer Forage -- ya got any Grass?

 

[edrsimms]

Hi, I have started a new Reg. Angus herd and have also obtained a hammer mill. I want to grind my own feed. The gentleman that I purchased the hammer mill from gave me the mix for what he has been feeding his Reg. Angus herd. I want to check this out with others. I am feeding nursing cows, bred cows, bred heifers, heifer & Bull calves and a 3 year old bull. This is the mix that he recommended. I have these ingredients readily available. 2500 lbs. corn + 500 lbs cotton seed + 50 lbs. minerals. He said that it makes about a 18% protein mix. They also get free choice minerals and not to good pasture/hay in winter. Your advise will be appreciated. Thank you much!!!!!

Mature cows with calves--- Mature cows highest nutritional requirement all YEAR is during peak milk 1300 lb cows (2.97 TP) (2-3 mo. post calving) Other times is is lower
Bred cows-- depending on their stage of pregnancy: they need no more than 2.0 TP up to calving
Bred Heifers -- DO NOT feed them like a show steer unless you want to be out in the pasture at midnight during calving with a pen light taped to your shoulder,calf chains in your hands not to mention some afterbirth in your mouth and in the mud somewhere.
Heifer calves--- I assume they are weaned, so DO NOT feed them like a show steer because excessive feeding practices lead to fatty deposits in the udder which destroy their maternal abilities for milk production later in life. ( ya ever seen a flat chested fat woman?)
Bull calves---- depending on their age -- they need a varied feed schedule , which depends on how you want to raise your bulls.

Very basic feeds and feeding is: cattle will consume about 2.8% of their body weight per day
An Example:
600 lb heifers post weaned to gain 1.5 lbs max per day.................. (we want our heifers to be 65% of mature weight at 15 mo (breeding)
1300 lb cows x 65% = 850 lbs so I need to put 245 lbs on them in 7 months or 35 lbs/mo
600 lb heifers will consume 18 lbs of something per day but if you fed them a 18% CP ration you will kill them.
These heifers need 1.3 lbs of TP per day and feeding them a full ration of 18% feed you would be delivering them 2.92 lbs of TP, which is WAY TOO MUCH

I think a crash course in feeds and feeding would be VERY beneficial here

Ed

 

[jerry27150]

actually it makes a 14% feed. cottonseed meal is 41%

 

[jerry27150]

whole cottonseed is only 21% would make around 11%