Feeding Replacements

[tripleS]

Hey Ya'll. This is my first post on here so take it easy on me if I do something wrong. I've got 25 head of commercial angus replacement hiefers that i really need to get growing. They average around 500-600 lbs. now. The bigger ones have just been breed and the smaller ones will wait till around May to breed. They are getting as much rye hay as they want and have a Pro-Lix liquid supplement but just aren't pleasing me on growth. I can get soybean hulls pretty cheap around here. I guess what I need to know is what would some of you with more experience do if you really wanted to see some major growth? I appreciate the help.
Oh yea being cost efficient does matter to me.

Alex

 

[Dee]

I am feeding my replacements #1 of soy bean meal, and #2 of distillers for protein along with silage and hay. Since uping their protein I can see quite a bit of gain on them. They aren't fleshy, just nice muscling. I don't know if the hulls have high enough protein in them? Are you giving them any grain? I am trying to get mine close to #1000 for breeding in April, and I think I'll be fine. Do you know what their ADG is at all, or have a way to weight them? Might give you a better idea?

 

[tripleS]

thanks for the information. Why are you keeping your hiefers until #1000 pounds to breed them. Everything I've ever known is it is ok to breed them around 60% of their body wieght. Are you just shooting for really large cows? I know that would be really nice but i usually shoot for a #1100 pound angusX cow. Thanks for helping me out.

 

[fellersbarnoneranch]

The ideal size varies by region and conditions. (I think northern folk like em big to winter better and a bit longer legged to scale those mountains! ) We feed soybean meal and a Really good mineral. Free choice hay and they are on winter wheat, so if mine don't grow--they will grow wheels! I know someone that implants their young cattle--but I like mine natural. My uncle used to feed his "WHEATIES"! No joke! FDA stopped him though. Good luck.

 

[redangus]

I am feeding out 18 reg. red angus heifers, and I feed them about 2.5lbs a day of a 14% ration of corn, sb hulls, and CSM. They are growing off really good. I look for the cheapest ingredients that I can get.


http://www.uaex.edu/Other_Areas/publica ... A-3043.pdf

Here is a link to some feeds for beef cattle.

 

[tripleS]

alright thanks for all your help. Let me throw something else at you. What if you wanted to feed something as free choice. Is there anything I should steer away from that may cause bloating or overeating?

 

[TLCfromARK]

18 heifers, free choice hay, salt, mineral, one sack ( 50#) of 12 % creep per day. ( ~ 2 1/2 lbs each )

 

[tripleS]

alright thanks for all your help. I went down to the local feed mill and got a little over 2 tons of soybean hull pellets for around 190.00. I thought that was cheap enough. I started feeding 20 of the heifers 120 lbs. (6 Lbs/head) a day and they are cleaning the troughs. I will let them eat all they want at this price but I don't know how much is too much. I would like to put some in the self feeder but am a little scared to. How fast should I increase and do you think i can ever give free choice to it. They really need to put on some wieght and size. Its 12.5% protien and they have free choice to hay, minerals, and salt.

I also have some bred heifers that need a little more size. The bull just got taken out last week. It won't effect calving ease to feed them hard for a few months will it?

Thanks

 

[dun]

I also have some bred heifers that need a little more size. The bull just got taken out last week. It won't effect calving ease to feed them hard for a few months will it?

Thanks

It very well may. Studys have shown that heifers/cows on a better quality diet have less dystocia then those on a poor diet.
Plus the calves are more vigorous at birth
dun

 

[Stocker Steve]

I have seen several positive reports on how a soybean hull supplement increased the free choice hay intake and conversion.

Have you tried feeding unprocessed soybean hulls rather than pelleted soybean hulls?

Is $95 a ton also the typical current pelleted price in your area?

 

[msscamp]

I have seen several positive reports on how a soybean hull supplement increased the free choice hay intake and conversion.

Have you tried feeding unprocessed soybean hulls rather than pelleted soybean hulls?

Is $95 a ton also the typical current pelleted price in your area?

I don't know if you have any sugar factories in your area, but beet pulp will also encourage the eating of forage and more efficient conversion of the same. You might want to look into that as another option. Just my thoughts.

 

[Aero]

We pay $78/ton for soyhulls and i think its an additional $6/ton for pelletized soyhull. ($84/ton)

 

[Stocker Steve]

We pay $78/ton for soyhulls and i think its an additional $6/ton for pelletized soyhull. ($84/ton)

$84 sounds like a very good price. I was quoted $111/ton. I said it sounded high - - the comeback was it was that they did not sell much so they buy it by the half semi load...

Sugar beets are grown in this area but the pulp seems high priced. it may be the same issue as the soy hulls - - several middle men marking it up.

 

[Aero]

$84 sounds like a very good price. I was quoted $111/ton. I said it sounded high - - the comeback was it was that they did not sell much so they buy it by the half semi load...

heck, we buy it by the semi load. we were quoted over $100 a few months ago. as the soybean supply grows, the price will go down.