Growing Corn

[tncattle]

Probably should have put this in the grasses, pasture & hay forum but so many more people seem to be on this forum. Will be picking up some bred Herefords in early March and 4 Hereford steers. The steers will probably avg. around 600 lbs. maybe a little more and I want to have them ready for butcher in early Oct. I was thinking of feeding straight corn for the last 60-90 days but with corn so dang high and probably will be them to I'm rethinking. Now when I ask the next question take in mind I've never done this before so I'm pretty clueless.

How realistic would it be to try and grow my own corn for these steers? I've got access to 5 good acres to use but have no clue if that would be enough, too much, almost enough, etc.

Is it very expensive to buy the seed and everything else that is involved? I do have the use of a tractor, plow, disc etc. but have no clue how to even go about planting.

Is it seriously possible or should I just buy the corn and be done with it? :???:

 

[jedstivers]

Gonna cost $170-200 acre to grow it. Dryland in Tn will make anyway from 0 to 135 bu/ac depending on rain. Will be ready to harvest in Sept.

 

[highgrit]

It will be way cheaper to buy what corn you need. I would say good luck but that won't help either.

 

[Jogeephus]

Corn is very easy to grow but id does need water at certain times during its growth. If you get timely rains you might surprise yourself with the yield. If you decide to do it and have a decent yield I'd suggest borrowing or buying an old feed mill and throw the whole ear of corn into the grinder shuck cob and all. Add some mineral, little molasses and you will have as good if not better feed than you could buy.

 

[novaman]

I think you are far better off buying your corn for feed. It takes a lot of inputs, machinery, know how and luck to get corn in the bin. I have most of the equipment to grow grain corn (I grow corn for silage) and still choose not to do it because I don't think I can make it work. Keep in mind I use a fair amount of grain corn too.

 

[Cowdirt]

Row cropping requires a whole nother set of skills. Also different equipment. I'm not big on borrowing equipment, or lending for that matter. At your present level of operation, I would continue to buy the corn. srbeef makes grazing corn look pretty attractive but I venture to say that most folks on this board could not make that work for them. He has the knowledge, equipment and is in corn country. :2cents:

 

[jtbakv]

why not feed staleys or a mix its cheaper and does pretty good

 

[tncattle]

why not feed staleys or a mix its cheaper and does pretty good

I briefly googled Staleys and didn't really find anything specific, what exactly is it and where do you get it? I'm not dead set on corn but was thinking I wanted to try it and see how they finished and tasted.

 

[tom4018]

Hey Tncattle,

Got a neighbor that is buying calves and holding them 90 days or so. He is buying feed from Performance Feeds in Red Boiling springs and getting a really good deal. I need to get me a bin, they are about $50 a ton cheaper than what I pay now. I just don't feed a big amount of feed unless i buy a few calves so it would take me several years to pay for a bin.

 

[tncattle]

Hey Tncattle,

Got a neighbor that is buying calves and holding them 90 days or so. He is buying feed from Performance Feeds in Red Boiling springs and getting a really good deal. I need to get me a bin, they are about $50 a ton cheaper than what I pay now. I just don't feed a big amount of feed unless i buy a few calves so it would take me several years to pay for a bin.

Is there a minimum amount of tons you have to buy before you can get that good price?

 

[Jalopy]

Growing corn this year probably wouldn't help much for these calves because at the earliest late August would be when you could harvest and that would only give you 30-45 days of corn foe these calves if you are going to butcher in October. Also if the calves weigh 600 in March you are brobaly looking at 1100-1200lb slaughter so if you are looking for 4 head at 600#/hd gain that would be 2400# gain and worse case scenrio of 5# corn /# gain you would need 12000# of corn or roughly 210 bushels of corn. At $8/ bu that is $1680. If you could get someone that has experience raising corn and do it 50/50 then you may have a break even situation of raising opposed to buying but unless you just wnt the experience of raising corn I would suggest just buying it. JMHO

 

[Jalopy]

My oh My! I sure should have proof read my earlier post. The Typos are terrible. Sorry everyone.

 

[tncattle]

Hey Tncattle,

Got a neighbor that is buying calves and holding them 90 days or so. He is buying feed from Performance Feeds in Red Boiling springs and getting a really good deal. I need to get me a bin, they are about $50 a ton cheaper than what I pay now. I just don't feed a big amount of feed unless i buy a few calves so it would take me several years to pay for a bin.

I called them and they quoted me $186 a ton, of course that is today's market price. Who knows what it will be in July. At those prices I'll just let them grow out on grass. I know it will take longer but I just ain't paying that much.

 

[Jalopy]

2000# divided by 56#=35.7 bushels x $7.00 =$249.90/ton at $8/bushel=$285.69 /ton
Feeding corn is expensive also.

 

[novaman]

$186 sounds cheap compared to everything else. I am assuming this is a complete feed with protein and all?

 

[tom4018]

Hey Tncattle,

Got a neighbor that is buying calves and holding them 90 days or so. He is buying feed from Performance Feeds in Red Boiling springs and getting a really good deal. I need to get me a bin, they are about $50 a ton cheaper than what I pay now. I just don't feed a big amount of feed unless i buy a few calves so it would take me several years to pay for a bin.

Is there a minimum amount of tons you have to buy before you can get that good price?

About everyone wants a 3 ton min. for delivery.

 

[jtbakv]

staleys is a mix of molassis corn and other ingredients wheat middlings, I dont remember everything but it's usually 20% protein comes in pellets. $188 ton in cleveland but prices drop soon as grass starts growing good. demand is lower so they drop the price usually about 50-70 a ton in summer. a commodity mix is about 15% protein and is staleys and candy, wheat middlings and some other stuff its also $188 ton. comes in a loose material.

 

[HEREFORD ROADHOG]

Growing corn this year probably wouldn't help much for these calves because at the earliest late August would be when you could harvest and that would only give you 30-45 days of corn foe these calves if you are going to butcher in October. Also if the calves weigh 600 in March you are brobaly looking at 1100-1200lb slaughter so if you are looking for 4 head at 600#/hd gain that would be 2400# gain and worse case scenrio of 5# corn /# gain you would need 12000# of corn or roughly 210 bushels of corn. At $8/ bu that is $1680. If you could get someone that has experience raising corn and do it 50/50 then you may have a break even situation of raising opposed to buying but unless you just wnt the experience of raising corn I would suggest just buying it. JMHO

In other words if you want them slaughter wt. & ready by Oct. you are going to have to buy them some feed,because they will not get big enough that fast on grass alone.

 

[shaz]

Hey Tncattle,

Got a neighbor that is buying calves and holding them 90 days or so. He is buying feed from Performance Feeds in Red Boiling springs and getting a really good deal. I need to get me a bin, they are about $50 a ton cheaper than what I pay now. I just don't feed a big amount of feed unless i buy a few calves so it would take me several years to pay for a bin.

I've used Performance alot too. They're cheaper but, like you, I don't feed 5 tons a year.

Wondering, what value is buying and feeding calves for 90 days? In other words, what can you really accomplish in 90 days in the South???

Just curious

 

[tom4018]

Hey Tncattle,

Got a neighbor that is buying calves and holding them 90 days or so. He is buying feed from Performance Feeds in Red Boiling springs and getting a really good deal. I need to get me a bin, they are about $50 a ton cheaper than what I pay now. I just don't feed a big amount of feed unless i buy a few calves so it would take me several years to pay for a bin.

I've used Performance alot too. They're cheaper but, like you, I don't feed 5 tons a year.

Wondering, what value is buying and feeding calves for 90 days? In other words, what can you really accomplish in 90 days in the South???

Just curious

He says he is averaging 62 cents a day per calf profit, usually has 30 or so. He uses it to supplement his chicken houses.