Feeding Cull Cows

[Stocker Steve]

Most of the fattening cull cow write ups I have seen assume that you dry lot the cows and get a feed conversion of 10 or 11 to one. This does not sound profitable with today' feed prices.

I am looking into grazing cull cows 60 to 90 days on stockpiled fall pasture with some byproduct supplement. Do you have any suggestions on this?

 

[bigbull338]

i know this cows gain weight fast on lush pasture.so in 60 to 90 days you could expect them to 150 to 200lbs.you probly need to feed them 3 or 4lbs of the cheapest feed you can get everyother day.

 

[Howdyjabo]

I can only pencil out feeding cull cows on grass alone.

 

[KNERSIE]

A little extra energy in the form of barley, corn or even just an energy lick will hasten the process considerably when on abundant grass.

 

[novatech]

Might want to pick up that pencil and see what they will bring as they are. Re-invest the money into something that has a better conversion ratio.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Might want to pick up that pencil and see what they will bring as they are. Re-invest the money into something that has a better conversion ratio.

Have you seen any forage based numbers on cull cow feed conversion?

 

[KNERSIE]

Might want to pick up that pencil and see what they will bring as they are. Re-invest the money into something that has a better conversion ratio.

Have you seen any forage based numbers on cull cow feed conversion?

Doubt such numbers exist.

In my experience dry cows fatten very easily and that is all you want, they are not going to grow any more so you don't need high protein. Over here fat cull cows sell very well, skinny ones are hard to give away

 

[Stocker Steve]

I sell most of my yearlings in August. The feeder market is tight then and the cool season grass is in a growth slump.

I have tried to buy back sucking calves in August. I would process them and then turn them out on fall pasture. This has not worked well - - since I have to wean them, the price per pound usually declines during the fall, and the ADG off lush fall pasture is about half or two thirds of what you can get in the early summer.

This fall I plan to try some thin cows. I should not have to wean them.

 

[novatech]

Might want to pick up that pencil and see what they will bring as they are. Re-invest the money into something that has a better conversion ratio.

Have you seen any forage based numbers on cull cow feed conversion?

Never have seen any. Just looking at the 10 or 11 to 1 in your original post. If I cull them that may be the reason. I don,t mind a cow that gets pulled down by a calf but after the calf is weaned she needs to catch up pretty fast or she goes on the trailer.
I consider them hard keepers and that converts to non-profit.

 

[Dave]

I have grazed thin cull cows and made money. But I have always done it in the spring (buy in April and sell in June). The problem I think you might run up against is the time of year you are talking about is when the traditional slump in the butcher cow market occurs. It may be just a regional thing here but in the fall when cows come out of the hills and out of the pastures is when the greatest number are shipped and thus there are lots of them on the market.

 

[TexasBred]

Not going to feed a "cull cow" period. If she's a cull I want her gone asap.