Feeding Soybeans to calves

[MurraysMutts]

I've been searching a bit, but haven't found exactly what I'm after.

I'm feeding my two 350-400lb project heifers 14% creep and good Bermuda hay. (Untested)

I'm getting some (unknown amount but possibly 1000lbs) of soybeans.
Idk what kind of soybeans. They're free soybeans.

Any pitfalls?
How much can I feed with the creep?
Surely my lil 200lb bull calf can eat em too?

 

[Banjo]

if they are raw soybeans they have an enzyme in them that they can't digest. Soybeans have to roasted or cooked in someway to destroy the enzyme that makes them undigestable.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Be careful or they will get loose as a goose. It does not take half a ton of soybeans to kill two little heifers if that is your intent.
Make sure they are not treated seed beans. Do some reading on your own before taking forum advice (including hisself)

 

[Lee VanRoss]

P S forgot to add if there is not a lot of splits, wait until spring and drill them and then graze them off.
Last I knew beans were around $12 per bushel. (I haven't followed that market lately) Good Luck!

 

[Banjo]

Whole Raw Soybeans as a Cost Competitive Protein Supplement for Cows and Calves

Current market conditions for raw, whole soybeans are making them price competitive in parts of Nebraska with other protein sources such as distillers grains and alfalfa hay to be used as a protein supplement for cows as well as weaned calves.

beef.unl.edu

 

[MurraysMutts]

if they are raw soybeans they have an enzyme in them that they can't digest. Soybeans have to roasted or cooked in someway to destroy the enzyme that makes them undigestable.

I have heard that only pigs/hogs would need the soybeans to be roasted because of this enzyme.

Be careful or they will get loose as a goose. It does not take half a ton of soybeans to kill two little heifers if that is your intent.
Make sure they are not treated seed beans. Do some reading on your own before taking forum advice (including hisself)

Thanks!
I was curious about that! I've heard never to feed treated wheat. Was unaware of treated soybeans. I'll HAVE to get some more info on these beans.

I do feed these animals by hand. I have no intention on feeding them free choice. I don't feed anything free choice actually. Thank you again.

Whole Raw Soybeans as a Cost Competitive Protein Supplement for Cows and Calves

Current market conditions for raw, whole soybeans are making them price competitive in parts of Nebraska with other protein sources such as distillers grains and alfalfa hay to be used as a protein supplement for cows as well as weaned calves.

beef.unl.edu

Thanks so much for the link!

 

[SBMF 2015]

Market is off a little.$11.00+ . Sell the beans and buy some cattle feed.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Market is off a little.$11.00+ . Sell the beans and buy some cattle feed.

Kind of a weird thing.
I guess they only made 2 bushel an acre?
They can't sell em because of insurance?

They are right out the field. Free beans!

 

[HDRider]

Kind of a weird thing.
I guess they only made 2 bushel an acre?
They can't sell em because of insurance?

They are right out the field. Free beans!

I'd figure out something. That Nebraska link spelled it out

 

[mwj]

Kind of a weird thing.
I guess they only made 2 bushel an acre?
They can't sell em because of insurance?

They are right out the field. Free beans!

Tell them to be very careful about disposing of those beans. They need to confirm with the insurance company that they can harvest and dispose of them. I had a friend that screwed up by letting a mutual friend utilize a ruined crop for free. He did it with a verbal ok and almost had to pay back several years of federal loan support payments. Have it in writing or pass on the chance for free feed.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

if they are raw soybeans they have an enzyme in them that they can't digest. Soybeans have to roasted or cooked in someway to destroy the enzyme that makes them undigestable.

Cattle are fine to eat raw beans.
No more than 7% of total ration can be from soybeans. They are also higher in energy than SBM so they will add to your rations energy, and will need adjusted for such. Only problems you will in counter is mold.
Feed quite bit of whole beans a few years ago when they were cheaper than other protein sources. Make great supplement for cows also, and they love them.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Tell them to be very careful about disposing of those beans. They need to confirm with the insurance company that they can harvest and dispose of them. I had a friend that screwed up by letting a mutual friend utilize a ruined crop for free. He did it with a verbal ok and almost had to pay back several years of federal loan support payments. Have it in writing or pass on the chance for free feed.

Thanks for the advice. The story goes like this...
Once they found out they weren't gonna make, they quit cutting and insurance did their thing. He had to get this out of his truck. All in all there is about 1200lbs. These things are TINY!
Smaller than small corn kernels.
I fed a handful with evening ration. They didn't seem impressed....

 

[callmefence]

Thanks for the advice. The story goes like this...
Once they found out they weren't gonna make, they quit cutting and insurance did their thing. He had to get this out of his truck. All in all there is about 1200lbs. These things are TINY!
Smaller than small corn kernels.
I fed a handful with evening ration. They didn't seem impressed....
View attachment 10226

Send them to @Chevy . She can put them in her vegetarian chili..........

 

[Chevy]

Send them to @Chevy . She can put them in her vegetarian chili..........

Heck yea!!! We can make some corn shoots... like paint ball.
Have a BBQ I'll bring some corn dish. I know how to make a corn bread casserole.... don't believe it's like taco chili soup. It's a real recipe..... My mother in law make it one time.... when she still talked to us 6-7 years ago. She made us Thanksgiving dinner frozen it for months. We got it started eatting it all excited about it like yummy. cat hair and her hair in nearly every bite. Hahahahaha We were mad, it was good. Next year she did the same thing.... same thing hairy frozen Thanksgiving. Hahahahaha. Sucked. To get hairy Thanksgiving dinner. She hates me. She wanted her son to married a strumpet.

 

[TexasBred]

Cattle are fine to eat raw beans.
No more than 7% of total ration can be from soybeans. They are also higher in energy than SBM so they will add to your rations energy, and will need adjusted for such. Only problems you will in counter is mold.
Feed quite bit of whole beans a few years ago when they were cheaper than other protein sources. Make great supplement for cows also, and they love them.

Get rid of the beans and use soybean meal. Has plenty of energy double the protein so you can use half as much and it has no real drawbacks.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

Get rid of the beans and use soybean meal. Has plenty of energy double the protein so you can use half as much and it has no real drawbacks.

What's the cost of sbm compared to free beans?
Raw beans are 38-40% pro and 18-20% fat, sbm is 48-52% pro and 1-5% fat. Just depends on what you want, and cost.

 

[MurraysMutts]

Yeah.....

I gotta weigh em. Calves got loose fast. And they ain't had much at all!
Gonna have to weigh everything and re-evaluate. I've gotten lax on weighing the creep. Just been giving 2 and a half scoops for the 3 of em.

I cut half a scoop, and added 1/4 scoop beans once a day. I feed twice a day. But no beans for morning feeding. They been hitting the Bermuda hay pretty hard too.
Pretty powerful stuff those beans are!

 

[MurraysMutts]

Get rid of the beans and use soybean meal. Has plenty of energy double the protein so you can use half as much and it has no real drawbacks.

Just trying to utilize the FREE beans. Lol
Thanks for the info tho!

 

[MurraysMutts]

Just thought I'd bump this up with some kinda useless update.

I fed half a scoop with regular feedings of cubes. The shorthorn cow I had made the best improvements. But she was very poor to begin with.

Everyone else ate it (even the smaller project calves) and made it thru winter. Everyone that got the beans seemed to hold condition pretty much.

No issues to report.

 

[Peace]

Just thought I'd bump this up with some kinda useless update.

I fed half a scoop with regular feedings of cubes. The shorthorn cow I had made the best improvements. But she was very poor to begin with.

Everyone else ate it (even the smaller project calves) and made it thru winter. Everyone that got the beans seemed to hold condition pretty much.

No issues to report.

Did it loosen up their manure? It usually will...and it will be really loose if you're feeding too much