50/50Farms
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What's your price/lb at the end of it all?
Grain finish mixtures
- Thread starter Montanaidiot
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Montanaidiot
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Last year was terrible for hay and buying those mix breed was a little more expensive but I was at 4$ a lb. This year I'm doing way better got a good deal at the sale ring and a screaming deal on hay so I'm shooting for under 3 this year. That's hanging weight tho. So another .75 for butcher and 100 kill fee. In the freezer this year is about 6.5 a lb.
Little Joe
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This a half longhorn steer we just sent to processor, 20 months old, 615 hanging weight. 60 days on regular feeding at 15 lbs/ day. He had quite a bit of finish before I started graining him regularly.
His mama probably only weighed 700 lbs live weight
His mama probably only weighed 700 lbs live weight
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Little Joe
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50/50Farms
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That's a number. Your marbling is definitely impressive, maybe even a bit too much. I'd look more into byproduct feeds, maybe not as much straight up cake. The creep idea isn't bad. Since your final feed out period is only around 90 days, I'd focus on straight corn. Lead them onto it for rumen adjustment, then hit them with WSC. I don't know about up there, but down here buying by the tote cuts your corn cost by up to 50% of the bagged rate. TSC is the convenience store of agriculture and you'll pay accordingly. We've done well on SBH, WSC, and whatever else made a good third additive in the past, but with a longer feed out period. For just 90 days of intensive feeding, I'd put the corn and maybe byproducts on 'em and put more hay into them the rest of the time. That's just my opinion.
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Montanaidiot
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I like that. The first few year I chalk up to seeing if I can actually do it. Now I'm trying to hone the process and maybe even break even so someday maybe i can scale up
I just sell the friends and family so I don't charge what I probably could to the people in town. I need to find a cheaper feed source somewhere.
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Montanaidiot
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Do you think that's reasonable pricing? I really keep trying to figure out how to do all this cheaper but it's sure a struggle.I like that. The first few year I chalk up to seeing if I can actually do it. Now I'm trying to hone the process and maybe even break even so someday maybe i can scale up
50/50Farms
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It's a double edged sword of an answer. For really good beef, you can in theory charge close to around that, but you're just about overdoing it. If you were 30 years older we'd call you loving those animals to death.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
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Protein is needed - but - you only need about a 14% protein ration as weaned calves. Reducing that to about 10-12% max for finishing (remember hay has protein also).
You don't need to be fancy. WSC with a protein added to make it 14% ration (corn is 9% protein). You should start with 1% of their BW - that is a safe amount. Should increase slowly - wait at least 7 days to get the bugs right before upping the amount. Keep increasing as long as they completely clean it up.
Generally, we butcher at 12 to 13 months of age, with an average around 750# HCW.
A buyer just came. Said they would NEVER buy store meat again. Even the hamburg makes it worth it.
I charged $3.75/lb HCW this year, they pay butcher fees.
You don't need to be fancy. WSC with a protein added to make it 14% ration (corn is 9% protein). You should start with 1% of their BW - that is a safe amount. Should increase slowly - wait at least 7 days to get the bugs right before upping the amount. Keep increasing as long as they completely clean it up.
Generally, we butcher at 12 to 13 months of age, with an average around 750# HCW.
A buyer just came. Said they would NEVER buy store meat again. Even the hamburg makes it worth it.
I charged $3.75/lb HCW this year, they pay butcher fees.
50/50Farms
Well-known member
Ma'am, if you ask me, the problem here for him isn't in the age or hanging weight, it's in these calves coming off the teat and into the honey bun factory. I think he'd do well to keep them to hay and grass with some creep or cubes longer, cut the straight cake out or down, and since his final feed out is 90 days, hit them with WSC and a protein heavy byproduct. If he's looking to cut costs even more, a protein additive of free choice nature while on grass and hay with a 90 day WSC and additive finish for roughage and rumen health might be a ticket.
I mean, these cuts look almost like hog cuts.
Biggest problem, at any rate, is the TSC. You can't feed animals from there unless you're ready to eat the cost. It's the agricultural gas station.
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Montanaidiot
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That's probably accurate they all turn into pets. I want to make the best beef I can but I'm sure I can be alot smarter about doing it.
50/50Farms
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I'm not dogging on you. At any rate, I'd at least start talking to mills or wholesalers. I can't imagine that you're too small a customer, the guys with just little hunting leases can buy it by the tote so there's no reason you shouldn't be able to. If they balk, be a squeaky wheel to get the grease.
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Montanaidiot
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You had me rolling
with going into a honey bun factory 
that is absolutely the case. I am really taking all this to heart and next year I'm going to trail off a bit on the treats.
50/50Farms
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Lmao. You could also look for a day old bread store if you want to be this loving.You had me rolling
Jeanne - Simme Valley
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When and how long you feed depends on your management.
For me - I do not have a place to feed "feedlot" cattle through the winter. So, we only feed out fall born steers. They are born Sept/Oct and are weaned ~~April-ish~~. We get them started on a creep feed (WSC & whole oats w/ protein) around Feb, so weaning is less stressful and they have a good start. Not full feed creep, just give them a little maybe 3x a week. Just so they "know" what grain is. Once weaned, they get 1% BW of WSC + protein, increasing as I mentioned earlier. My goal is to finish them for October. They are on full pasture all summer - little bit of rotational grazing. Put on hay around August, still on a small pasture, but grass pretty slim pickings. "Generally" get them up to maybe 2% of BW. 2% of a 1000# steer is a lot of corn - 20# - to eat in 1 day. They can have more if they clean up and look like they need more pushing, but generally, that's about maxing out.
So, all this to say - I'm on a time frame. Wean & finish in 6 months.
For me - I do not have a place to feed "feedlot" cattle through the winter. So, we only feed out fall born steers. They are born Sept/Oct and are weaned ~~April-ish~~. We get them started on a creep feed (WSC & whole oats w/ protein) around Feb, so weaning is less stressful and they have a good start. Not full feed creep, just give them a little maybe 3x a week. Just so they "know" what grain is. Once weaned, they get 1% BW of WSC + protein, increasing as I mentioned earlier. My goal is to finish them for October. They are on full pasture all summer - little bit of rotational grazing. Put on hay around August, still on a small pasture, but grass pretty slim pickings. "Generally" get them up to maybe 2% of BW. 2% of a 1000# steer is a lot of corn - 20# - to eat in 1 day. They can have more if they clean up and look like they need more pushing, but generally, that's about maxing out.
So, all this to say - I'm on a time frame. Wean & finish in 6 months.
@Montanaidiot --- I began using Jeanne's corn only recipe 3 or 4 years ago and LOVE it. She knows her stuff.
I do things a little differently than her in that I raise on grass til 800 or 900 lbs, then to corn they go. You must have good grass management to keep them in good condition the whole time they're growing. I aim for a carcass no less than 700 pounds, preferably 800.
Start at .5 or 1.0% bodyweight and work up from there slowly til they're leaving corn behind. I feed half the ration in morning and the other half in evening, it keeps their gut better in check. Always have free choice hay and mineral out for them. They'll take care of themselves.
FEED SOURCE: You really need to get away from box stores. They'll take all of your moneys. I buy my corn directly from a producer. Last I bought was $360 per ton. It was $16 per 50# at the local CO-OP at that time. I've found bulk corn on FB marketplace even. I fill a trailer with barrels and buy a couple ton per visit as it's an hour drive each way. A grain bin is in my future. Some outfits are set up to deliver if you buy enough.
There is a hell of a demand for farm fresh beef right now. It's a great time to be tapping into that market. Best of luck to you in your endeavor.
I do things a little differently than her in that I raise on grass til 800 or 900 lbs, then to corn they go. You must have good grass management to keep them in good condition the whole time they're growing. I aim for a carcass no less than 700 pounds, preferably 800.
Start at .5 or 1.0% bodyweight and work up from there slowly til they're leaving corn behind. I feed half the ration in morning and the other half in evening, it keeps their gut better in check. Always have free choice hay and mineral out for them. They'll take care of themselves.
FEED SOURCE: You really need to get away from box stores. They'll take all of your moneys. I buy my corn directly from a producer. Last I bought was $360 per ton. It was $16 per 50# at the local CO-OP at that time. I've found bulk corn on FB marketplace even. I fill a trailer with barrels and buy a couple ton per visit as it's an hour drive each way. A grain bin is in my future. Some outfits are set up to deliver if you buy enough.
There is a hell of a demand for farm fresh beef right now. It's a great time to be tapping into that market. Best of luck to you in your endeavor.
crossbreed
Well-known member
Hope I don't sound ignorant, what is WSC?
Whole cottonseed
Silver
Well-known member
Whole shelled corn
Whole Shelled Corn
Edit: Silver beat me to it. I am graining mine now. He will be up to about 20lb/day by the end of this week. My processing date is late Feb. so I am hoping for plenty of marbling.
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