Feeding Commercial Cattle

[partimer]

I have 20 cows, a bull, and 6 calves. The weather here has been cold for a while. I want to know what you guys do for feeding a small operation like this. Right now I just put out hay for them and give them some mineral. But I got some older cows that arent looking too good. So do you feed anything else but hay and mineral?

 

[Angus Cowman]

just hay and minerals
you might try a protein tub or if you can seperate these older cows maybe feed them a lil grain a few times pr week

I have fed protein tubs in the past but as my forage and hay is getting better I don't feel that I can justify the cost for the end result

but they are a good protein source if you get the correct ones

 

[dun]

Granny and a few wet cows (till next week) are getting hay, minerals and a protein tub. All the rest are just getting hay and minerals and what grass they can snatch between snow piles. When we wean calves next week the wet cows will go out with the others and not get the tub anymore. Some are commercial and some are registered but they're all treated the same.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have 20 cows, a bull, and 6 calves. The weather here has been cold for a while. I want to know what you guys do for feeding a small operation like this. Right now I just put out hay for them and give them some mineral. But I got some older cows that arent looking too good. So do you feed anything else but hay and mineral?

You can go broke out of a sack quick, if your cows aren't maintaning condition on your hay mineral's and protien you need better cows. You mentioned you have six wet cows which will need even more hay and minerals to maintain BCS. Or are you worrying about nothing if you cows are holding a 4.5 to 5 BCS your OK. If you are running heavy influenced Brimmers they need loafing shed to get out of the wind and cold as they will starve to death eating you out of house and home trying to stay warm. What do you call older cows? I don't know your area but if you were here and determined to hold on to these cows I would recommend a 2-1-1 mix.
http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/ansci/beef/as1026w.htm

 

[backhoeboogie]

Put those older cows in a heat gate and check their teeth. If their teeth are gone, you need to part ways with them. If their teeth are okay, you need better hay. Decent hay is way cheaper than sack feed.

I agree with the rest of what everyone else said above.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Hay, mineral & water is all they should need --- IF -- the hay has any food value. Just because they eat it doesn't mean it has very much food value.
edit: it doesn't matter whether they are purebred or commercial. A cow is a cow.