Feeder experiment

[canadianfarmboy]

Ive decicded to try something a bit different with my fall calves and kept instead of selling them . I would estimate them at 650 - 700 lbs average on a feed ration of 3 lbs cracked corn , 3 lbs rolled barely and 1 lbs soybean meal a day per animal . Hay is being feed free choice out in pasture to keep clean up to a minimun come spring . Cattle seem to be doing good on this feed . Any suggestions to feeding more or less of one of these feeds . Adv vs disadvantage would be great as well . Thanks

 

[plumber_greg]

Biggest question is what are you gonna' do with them later. gs

 

[jbar]

What is cost of gain per day?
That tells you where your at and what to do next.
First and formost is to make a profit.

 

[Aaron]

What is cost of gain per day?
That tells you where your at and what to do next.
First and formost is to make a profit.

That is a good question. Although there are advantages and cost-savings in fall calving, you need a sharp pencil during the winter feeding to keep them competitive with spring-born calves.

What are you aiming to do with these calves? Steers? Heifers? Are you planning to fatten out and market direct to the consumer? :cowboy:

 

[Stocker Steve]

Biggest question is what are you gonna' do with them later. gs

I still have fall calves on the cow. They are 400 to 500 lbs and going to grass. I think that is the only way to make light fall calves work. The 7 wts. need to go to a feedlot.

 

[canadianfarmboy]

THese cattle are a mixture of steers and heifers . I have a buyer from quebec that buys all of my cattle . He has no problem with buying the calves in fall , or esle bigger cattle come spring . Just wondering what everyone thought of the feed for that weight of a calve that will give me a reasonable gain . Looking for 2 - 3 lbs per day , working muscle growth and size , without excessive fat . Thanks for the repies everyone

 

[Aaron]

Cracked corn and rolled barley are going to put on weight, not matter what. But it's easy to put on fat when your feeding hot feeds like that. As long as your buyer is happy with your calves and pays you a price you are satisfied with, no one can really tell you what to change. :cowboy:

 

[canadianfarmboy]

Thanks for the reply aaron . Thats what im looking for . Do u think this feed is to heavy of a feed to raise calves without putting on to much fat? Do i need this much soybean meal ? And does 50/50 on barley to corn make a difference compared to one or the other ? THanks

 

[Aaron]

I would cut out the most expensive of the two, corn or barley (assuming it's barley in your area), and replaced with whole oats. If this is done, you can eliminate the soybean meal as well.

You still haven't said what your marketing these calves as? Grassers, stockers, fats? Each one needs different feed considerations. :cowboy:

 

[novaman]

I would cut out the most expensive of the two, corn or barley (assuming it's barley in your area), and replaced with whole oats. If this is done, you can eliminate the soybean meal as well.

You still haven't said what your marketing these calves as? Grassers, stockers, fats? Each one needs different feed considerations. :cowboy:

I am curious why you recommend oats. Oats has lots of fiber and less energy than either barley or corn. Further you aren't replacing the protein from the SBM by adding the oats. Could you explain the reasoning for removing the SBM if oats is added? Personally I like a 50/50 of barley/corn and the pound of SBM should give you the amount of protein you need. I wouldn't be scared of it.

 

[Aaron]

I would cut out the most expensive of the two, corn or barley (assuming it's barley in your area), and replaced with whole oats. If this is done, you can eliminate the soybean meal as well.

You still haven't said what your marketing these calves as? Grassers, stockers, fats? Each one needs different feed considerations. :cowboy:

I am curious why you recommend oats. Oats has lots of fiber and less energy than either barley or corn. Further you aren't replacing the protein from the SBM by adding the oats. Could you explain the reasoning for removing the SBM if oats is added? Personally I like a 50/50 of barley/corn and the pound of SBM should give you the amount of protein you need. I wouldn't be scared of it.

Replacement based on a need for a protein source. Yes, it won't be nearly as high protein as soybean meal. A few months ago, I would be, like you, recommending SBM. However, I read an article in some farm magazine/paper that SBM protein is not utilized efficiently by the rumen and that good quality oats, or a protein block, was a better source of protein. Cattle don't need continual 48% protein anyways. Last time I priced SBM locally was $0.31/lb, while good whole feed oats were $0.10. :cowboy:

 

[novaman]

I would cut out the most expensive of the two, corn or barley (assuming it's barley in your area), and replaced with whole oats. If this is done, you can eliminate the soybean meal as well.

You still haven't said what your marketing these calves as? Grassers, stockers, fats? Each one needs different feed considerations. :cowboy:

I am curious why you recommend oats. Oats has lots of fiber and less energy than either barley or corn. Further you aren't replacing the protein from the SBM by adding the oats. Could you explain the reasoning for removing the SBM if oats is added? Personally I like a 50/50 of barley/corn and the pound of SBM should give you the amount of protein you need. I wouldn't be scared of it.

Replacement based on a need for a protein source. Yes, it won't be nearly as high protein as soybean meal. A few months ago, I would be, like you, recommending SBM. However, I read an article in some farm magazine/paper that SBM protein is not utilized efficiently by the rumen and that good quality oats, or a protein block, was a better source of protein. Cattle don't need continual 48% protein anyways. Last time I priced SBM locally was $0.31/lb, while good whole feed oats were $0.10. :cowboy:

I got news for ya Aaron. No protein is utilized efficiently by the rumen. Most of it goes to feeding the rumen bugs. As for the 48% protein, that is being diluted by the lower protein grain. By my figures, 3 pounds of barley, 3 pounds of corn, and 1 pound of SBM would come to a mix with 16% protein, which is about where you want to be for calves. You need to get a new supplier for SBM too. The last load I got was at 20 cents. I maintain that oats is a garbage feed whose only use should be for horses or if you want a safe creep feed.

 

[TexasBred]

Typically whole oats will run 12% protein and around 4-4.5% fat and 12% fiber and have 85-88% of the digestible energy, TDN, NEg, NEm, etc. of corn. Plus the oat hulls provide 12% fiber. Oats are by no means "junk" and work well in a diet. The 12% protein from the oats would work well for these steers and be a little more "forgiving" than the "hotter" corn. If you wanted to do anything you might mix the oats and corn 50:50 and forget the SBM as it's just another ingredient to buy and mix.

 

[Aaron]

Typically whole oats will run 12% protein and around 4-4.5% fat and 12% fiber and have 85-88% of the digestible energy, TDN, NEg, NEm, etc. of corn. Plus the oat hulls provide 12% fiber. Oats are by no means "junk" and work well in a diet. The 12% protein from the oats would work well for these steers and be a little more "forgiving" than the "hotter" corn. If you wanted to do anything you might mix the oats and corn 50:50 and forget the SBM as it's just another ingredient to buy and mix.

Wow!!! Someone actually agrees with me! :banana: :banana: :cowboy:

 

[canadianfarmboy]

Thanks for all the replies , helps undersatand how other people are doing things . Soybean meal down here is running around 480 / tonne at 46% protein and 6% fat . The calves seem to be doing well on it . Ill have to take a few pics for you guys to pick apart :lol2: . Arron i never go tback to your post but the cattle will be sold as stockers before the ground softens up