Feeding shelled corn

[Angus Cowman]

Wasn't meaning the efficiency on the cows was low was ??if you feed 15 lbs of grain and 5 lbs of hay and only get 5-6 lbs per day of gain wouldn't you be better off feeding them 10lbs of hay and 10lbs of grain and get more economical gains

I have some feeders up right now and they are eating 24 lbs of hay a day per hd and getting 11lbs of grain a day per hd and my gains are 5-6 lbs a day

that is an average on the hay because it is free choice and I feed them the grain everyday
was ??? the economics of it

 

[oakcreekfarms]

That is something that I have been looking at, I don't need them to gain 5-6lbs per day like I have been. I more or less would need them to gain around 3-3.5lbs per day to get to slaughter weight by June 1 or a little before. I have looked at that model as being able to save me a little money in the long run. However I need my bull calves to be around 1200lbs by around the first or second week of April, that way I can start to lower their feed to get them ready for breeding season. I think a bull really needs to be at least that big to sell as a breeding yearling. I think more then adequate fat cover on a yearling bull is a good thing. They will burn that fat before getting into muscle loss while breeding cows if worked hard their first year.

In the past our hay was so high in price that it was as economical to feed grain and get better gains and move them off the place, rather then slower gains and have to keep them around.

What kind of hay are you feeding? It is amazing you get those type of gains on hay, I think the kansas bull test usually averages around 4lbs gained daily and they are fed a hot ration.

 

[Angus Cowman]

They have Alfalafa and grass mix and then either Rye or fescue and Clover at all times
weighed some the other day they were weighed on the 7th of August and thye weighed 636 lbs I weighed them last week I beleive it was 154 days and the gain was 4.2ADG they grossed 1282lbs I was weighing them to see if they were ready to sell for freezer yet I am selling some of them in Jan they are 15 months old their total ADG from birth is 3.2

 

[tncattle]

I can get shelled corn for $6 a bushel around here. Is that a decent price or to high?

 

[Crowderfarms]

You can buy it for 8-9 dollars a hundred.

 

[tncattle]

You can buy it for 8-9 dollars a hundred.

when you say hundred do you mean 100 pds.? A local is trying to sell me shelled corn for $6 a bushel, I haven't bought any. Where are you getting it for $8-$9?

 

[Crowderfarms]

We buy all our Corn out of Kentucky. Bear in mind a bushel of Corn weighs 56 lbs.

 

[tncattle]

We buy all our Corn out of Kentucky. Bear in mind a bushel of Corn weighs 56 lbs.

CPC Commodities in Ky.? So your getting shelled corn for $160-$180 a ton right now.

 

[terra8186]

I can get shelled corn for $6 a bushel around here. Is that a decent price or to high

I would think that is too high. My local elevator charges about $0.50 higher than it is trading for on the Chicago Board of Exchange. Right now it is trading at $3.80/bushel. I can buy it for $4.30/bushel.

You should be able to buy it at this price from a local farmer that might be storing it. The elevators are probably only going to give him $3.30/bushel. Ask around.

 

[Crowderfarms]

We buy all our Corn out of Kentucky. Bear in mind a bushel of Corn weighs 56 lbs.

CPC Commodities in Ky.? So your getting shelled corn for $160-$180 a ton right now.

We buy from more than one outfit.

 

[Dixieangus]

You could add some 14% protein pellets {that is what I feed}.....There about 6.50 a 50lb bag..

 

[noltrh]

Hello, I just recently found this forum and have found a lot of answers to my questions reading all the older posts. I have a few questions that I wasn't able to find the answers for about feeding out my steers. I have seven steers ranging from 400 to 800lbs. They are penned up in a feeding area and I want to feed them out as fast as possible. I have access to shelled corn so I would like to feed them out with this. I know to put them on full feed is 1.5% to 2% of there body weight. I don't have a scale to weigh them so I am just guessing on what they weigh. (Not the best but what else can you do?) That being the case I am feeding them shelled corn at about what I think is 2% of there body weight, and two to three pounds of hay (roughage) per head per day. Here are my questions; the corn is about 7% protein, should I add something to get the protein up to around 12% or 14%? What should I use to do this? I can buy soybean meal at the local elevator and add it to the corn or maybe some kind of pellet? Any thought would be appreciated, also if it looks like I am doing something wrong please let me know what. Thanks for any comments.

 

[noltrh]

I certainly would. Much cheaper in long run. Soy or cotton seed meal added. I start mine off cows with 10%protein and high fat. Then 14# protein to build them up. Then reduce to 12% to fill out.
30 % tub might work instead. Just don't know. Would certainly help.

 

[M.Magis]

I certainly would. Much cheaper in long run. Soy or cotton seed meal added. I start mine off cows with 10%protein and high fat. Then 14# protein to build them up. Then reduce to 12% to fill out.
30 % tub might work instead. Just don't know. Would certainly help.

This is a 16 year old thread.