Feeding Ear Corn

[mnmtranching]

I've been feeding 50 steer calves for about 2 months.
I took this old Fox chopper with the gathering chains and sickle disconnected.
It has a conveyor that feeds the knives, has a high capacity so I dump scoops in with the loader.
Some what Red Neck.

Ready to dump in the bunks.

 

[bigbull338]

now thats a great redneck corn chopper.an the best thing is you prolly already had the chopper.

 

[mnmtranching]

now thats a great redneck corn chopper.an the best thing is you prolly already had the chopper.

Yup, pulled the chopper out of the brush, took about 15 minutes to disconnect a couple belts, little grease and oil and she runs like brand new. I thought it would take some power to chop the ear corn, nothing like chopping green corn. I can do a 5 ton batch in about 1/2 hour.

 

[HerefordSire]

Can you grow your corn cheaper than buying it, say over a 10 year average corn price? I like what you are doing. I think we all have to start cutting corners. One of my acquaintances grows a little corn down the road and has an inexpensive combine that works pretty good. Makes me want to get one. Nothing like looking at 10-20 tons of personal home grown corn in a bin.

 

[buckmaster33]

Can you grow your corn cheaper than buying it, say over a 10 year average corn price? I like what you are doing. I think we all have to start cutting corners. One of my acquaintances grows a little corn down the road and has an inexpensive combine that works pretty good. Makes me want to get one. Nothing like looking at 10-20 tons of personal home grown corn in a bin.

I've often debated this myself(is it cheaper?)...I only grow 15-20 acres of corn a year, gets picked with my 2 row NI 325 corn picker(which by the way is my favorite activity?!) Stored in the corn crib, and ground with some salt and mineral during the winter time. After accounting for man hours, It's probably not saving me anything...but it does work well for my crop rotation. I no-till my corn and then plow it up and reseed the following year. And this way I can also get my lime spread and incorporated into the soil. I guess that counts for something...and the corn field definitely does help my bowhunting!

 

[mnmtranching]

There you go buckmaster. Those of us with cows have an advantage. Pick the corn, no drying costs, turn the cows on the stalks, let the cows do the fertilizing, winter the cows on the corn ground, buy the cheap seed. YUP! you can do OK with raising your own corn these days.

 

[BamaCowboy]

That sure gives me a few ideas. Looks good, makes good feed, what more could a cowboy want

 

[KNERSIE]

Do you add anything to the ear corn?

 

[mnmtranching]

Do you add anything to the ear corn?

No, The calves get free choice grass hay, with about 10 pounds of the corn. They are on free choice 37% blocks that have salt, vit and minerals. I top dress from a bucket about 10 pounds of 40 % beef concentrate pellets daily. Trouble is I'm almost out of ear corn, I will start on corn silage topped with a custom 14% mix, still feed the blocks but discontinue the 40% concentrate.

What do you think?

 

[S B Knap]

There you go buckmaster. Those of us with cows have an advantage. Pick the corn, no drying costs, turn the cows on the stalks, let the cows do the fertilizing, winter the cows on the corn ground, buy the cheap seed. YUP! you can do OK with raising your own corn these days.

If your picking the corn, then grazing the stalks and feeding the ground or ear corn why not strip graze standing corn and not pick it in the first place?

 

[buckmaster33]

There you go buckmaster. Those of us with cows have an advantage. Pick the corn, no drying costs, turn the cows on the stalks, let the cows do the fertilizing, winter the cows on the corn ground, buy the cheap seed. YUP! you can do OK with raising your own corn these days.

If your picking the corn, then grazing the stalks and feeding the ground or ear corn why not strip graze standing corn and not pick it in the first place?

One, I cant see that as a very efficient way to feed the cornfield. Two, I'm pretty sure I dont wanna be screwing around with moving fence when its 20 below wind chill!

My cows get wintered on avg/good hay plus 3-4 lbs of grain daily during Dec-Feb to add some extra energy. I ease off the grain come March so I dont get monster calves come Mid April...found that out the hard way one year! My puller was its' weight in gold that year! Also, by having the ear corn available to grind...I can feed out a steer to butcher when the freezer is low, sell some to a neighbor or whatever. And yeah, if the field is adjacent to the regular pasture, I will let them out to clean it up after its been picked...just never really heard of anyone "intentionally" letting their cows graze standing corn? Maybe it's a Southern thing?!

 

[S B Knap]

One, I cant see that as a very efficient way to feed the cornfield. Two, I'm pretty sure I dont wanna be screwing around with moving fence when its 20 below wind chill!

My cows get wintered on avg/good hay plus 3-4 lbs of grain daily during Dec-Feb to add some extra energy. I ease off the grain come March so I dont get monster calves come Mid April...found that out the hard way one year! My puller was its' weight in gold that year! Also, by having the ear corn available to grind...I can feed out a steer to butcher when the freezer is low, sell some to a neighbor or whatever. And yeah, if the field is adjacent to the regular pasture, I will let them out to clean it up after its been picked...just never really heard of anyone "intentionally" letting their cows graze standing corn? Maybe it's a Southern thing?! [/quote]

The only standing corn that gets grazed here is dryland that didn't make enough to be harvested or it will get baled. Cows will make more use of it than calves they waste too much.
Not saying Im right or trying to start an argument just looking at it from a different perspective but for 15-20 acres I would run two hot wires splitting it in three sections and just drop the wire when they clean that section of field up and then pick it up in the spring. You could sell the combine save the fuel and time in picking it if its all going to the same animals just an opinion.
What part of NW Wis are you at I was born and raised in west central Wis north of LaCrosse. Scott

 

[buckmaster33]

The only standing corn that gets grazed here is dryland that didn't make enough to be harvested or it will get baled. Cows will make more use of it than calves they waste too much.
Not saying Im right or trying to start an argument just looking at it from a different perspective but for 15-20 acres I would run two hot wires splitting it in three sections and just drop the wire when they clean that section of field up and then pick it up in the spring. You could sell the combine save the fuel and time in picking it if its all going to the same animals just an opinion.
What part of NW Wis are you at I was born and raised in west central Wis north of LaCrosse. Scott[/quote]

Hey, no offense...we're all entitled to an opinion. And yes, these days it definitely doesnt hurt to think outside the box once in awhile...seems you get so used to a certain routine, its hard to break even if ya know there are more efficient ways to do it. By the way, "Sell the combine" you say?!....thats funny...unless the ole New Idea 2 row picker is classified as a combine?!

The metropolis of Cumberland....20 miles west of Rice Lake.

 

[mnmtranching]

I think that when corn was dirt cheap, why not just turn the cows in the poorer corn and I did, worked OK. It was a learning experience, a lot of waste, cows will spit out ears and push ears in the dirt. First thing cows do is search out the ears, get the craps, then gradually go after leaves. It works but not good. Worst thing is a stretch of wet weather while the cows are in any type corn field 90% will be wasted because of mud. Picking corn is easy and cheap, doesn't take anywhere near the time or fuel like chopping green corn. Much better to have the corn and spread the feeding out evenly.