How long should I let her hang?

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I feed a fair bit of whole corn through the winter - in fact I figure I feed somewhere in the neighbourhood of about 12 - 15 tonnes plus of whole corn, undersized corn and corn fines per winter. I never spend the money to roll it.

The odd kernel does sprout after passing through the cow - provided the kernel has not been crunched.

As for the "rogue cornstalk" - I would not worry about it - they never last the season - the cows eat them down to the ground.

Regards

Bez
 
Bez":2nbw6q3j said:
I feed a fair bit of whole corn through the winter - in fact I figure I feed somewhere in the neighbourhood of about 12 - 15 tonnes plus of whole corn, undersized corn and corn fines per winter. I never spend the money to roll it.

The odd kernel does sprout after passing through the cow - provided the kernel has not been crunched.

Bez, I guess what I am looking for is how much is going to pass thru undigested. I wouldn't worry too much about seeds germinating because as you mentioned, I'm sure they would be quickly consumed. I just dont want to pour feed into the animals that is going to be wasted.

Thanks...........george
 
Rookie

I have never really given it much thought.

Let me explain exactly what I feed in the line of corn.

When it is combined and then run through the dryer and various augers to put it into the bin, there is of course the undersized corn. Then there is the "boot" that the kernel sits in. That is almost like a red dust. Around here it is called "Red Dog". No idea why - it just is. Along with that the combine tends to break some of the kernels as do the augers. Combining routinely takes place in sub zero temperatures and the kernel is brittle.

When all of this is run through the system, it travels over a screen that pulls all of this "waste" out and leaves a higher grade whole kernel. This high grade goes to market. The rest goes to the cows.

The stuff I feed tends to one day be lots of undersized whole corn - the next a mixture of whole and cracked and red dog. It just comes out of the bin in the order it goes into the bin.

I usually throw about 5 - 8 pounds of this to each animal - it actually goes on the snow and they pick it up. I just find a clean spot every day and put it out in a row about 100 yards long. It must be good, as they compete like crazy for it. Heaven knows they are certainly not wasting away.

When I look at what comes out the other end, I sometimes see a few kernels of corn - but far less than one might imagine. I suspect this is because I tend to feed just before dark. They in turn tend to bed down for most of the night and either sleep or chew their cud. There are no lights where they winter and our daylight ends at about 1630 at present. It does not get light until about 0700 - so there is lots of "chew time".

I started feeding at this time for other reasons, but it does seem to have cut down on wastage.

I know it is not scientific, but it works for us.

Big thing for us - cheaper is better.

Hope this helps - stay well,

Bez
 
I've heard alot about a "break in" period for introducing grain to steers, in order to help balance the bacteria in the rumen. But I have never found how this is to be done, any advice? Also, I heard that you should not feed hay or grass while graining, but at the same time, i read that they have to have some type of ruffage to properly digest, which is the real deal? Is there somewhere that one of you might direct me to read more about graining and finishing beef? I have read the Heather Thomas book, but it kinda seems to be generalizations about how to do this.

Thanks,

Todd
 
Sundown Land & Livest

I find it very interesting that you would hear this

Also, I heard that you should not feed hay or grass while graining, but at the same time, i read that they have to have some type of ruffage to properly digest, which is the real deal?

My last bale processor had a grain attachment - allowing me to feed hay and lay the barley right on top of the hay windrow.

I think when one talks about feeding grain, one needs to know what type of grain. When we fed barley or oats we would "build them up" by starting with one or two pounds per day for a couple of weeks and then gradually increase it as we saw fit. About a pound extra every couple of weeks. We fed in the field, and those that competed hard probably got more than those who did not - but they all seemed to do well and we certainly never had a problem. I think we ran them up to about 7 - 8 pounds at the most. Certainly it is not unreasonable to go higher - the cost held us back.

If you want to let them eat grain from a trough - it will not hurt them - just start them off at a couple of pounds and work them as I wrote about. If they have not seen grain before, they will be slow to start eating it - but some will take to it immediately. Be patient. After 5 - 10 days thay will be clamouring for more!

Remember - example only - If you have 10 cows and want them to get 4 pounds per day - you would feed 40 pounds. But in fact some cows will get more than others due to competition unless of course you separate them until they are finished with "dessert". Whatever number of pounds you feed per day - the amount the animal consumes depends on its' character - and competitiveness. It's inexact at best unless they are separated.

For those in pens, we always have hay on hand and let them free choice. There may be those who have animals on a straight grain diet - but the cost must be very high. We just throw the corn to them and let them eat all the hay they can stand.

Regards

Bez
 
Bez

Thanks for the helpful pointers. Now I need to figure out a storage?delivery system that will work for our set up. Do you buy bulk grain or bagged? If bulk, how do you store it?

Todd
 
Sundown Land & Livest":2tjtpzcj said:
I've heard alot about a "break in" period for introducing grain to steers, in order to help balance the bacteria in the rumen. But I have never found how this is to be done, any advice? Also, I heard that you should not feed hay or grass while graining, but at the same time, i read that they have to have some type of ruffage to properly digest, which is the real deal? Is there somewhere that one of you might direct me to read more about graining and finishing beef? I have read the Heather Thomas book, but it kinda seems to be generalizations about how to do this.

Thanks,

Todd

Todd, I have fed out steers for slaughter for a while and have always given them both cracked corn and good quality brome hay while preping them. Never had any bad luck except when I have stopped the hay a time or 2 as a test and the steer being tested got runny in the pies real fast. My mentor told me ya never wanted that condition to persist for very long and so I don't.

Hope this helps.............george
 
Sundown Land & Livest

Todd - I am afraid I am too big (If you saw me you would understand the pun) to play around with bags - and getting too old to like manhandling feed bags - it all goes into a hopper bottom bin - holds about 8 - 10 tonnes or so - just a guess - never measured it. About 20 feet high and 8 or so feet in diameter.

Any extra is stored in neighbours empty bins around the country until I need it. This year I have three off farm bins awaiting my pick up. No clue as to the actual amount - just that it is far more than last year. Good thing too, because we had some unexpected "guests" arrive this year that I am feeding as well along with my own and some permanent guests.

I bought the "home" bin used for 600 bucks and paid another 300 to have it moved, patched and mounted at my place - I poured the concrete base for it and installed a small auger to pull from the bottom and load the boxes - too much work to shovel the stuff. Total cost was in the area of $2K.

Did a small look at the books tonight - last year we filled the bin 2 1/2 times. Funny, I had completely forgotten about that until wife reminded me - I only remembered doing it once. I guess we feed out more than I figured. Not that it matters - I barter - the corn and corn fines come for free. As does about 2 tote bags of soy beans. I help the neighbour plant and harvest soy beans and corn - I get the gleanings in the fall. Saves a bundle in money and my time is worth nothing.

I have a gravity box on wheels that the neighbour will lend me for additional storage in the winter. I can fill it and keep it in the shop until needed - auger it into the bin as required

In the end because I get this stuff for nothing, I tend to be pretty slack with the computations. I just throw it to them until I figure "That looks about right" and they clean it all up. Believe me, they are never shorted.

But these cows live outside in the bush - are never bedded - simply well fed - they winter on their own.

Anyway, I ramble ...

I auger it out of the bin into a couple of large aluminum boxes a neighbour built for me - traded him a side of beef - open a small chute and allow it to trickle out on the ground / snow as I drive through the field. When it is empty I simply go home and park it in the shop.

When the snow gets deep I keep a road plowed compliments of my corn supplying neighbour and his big 16 foot swing plow and just feed it out on the packed snow in the road. I have kept a few of his cows for the past three years - for nothing - I think there are only 8 on the place - hardly notice them - so he can have his own freezer filled and he keeps my road opened. Cows love it when they hear me coming.

As usual it took me a long time to tell you how I store my grain - but that's it that's all.

You might have noticed I do a lot of barter - that and the good graces of some neighbours who helped me this year when hay suddenly got tight because of circumstances beyond my control - have helped us gather enough feed to get through this winter. Wouldn't have made it without them.

Now for the questions - how many cows you feeding? I saw a good set up for someone with about 20 cows once - bulk feed into a covered plywood gravity box on posts - set on an angle - one corner down - he bought the grain - had it blown into the box - and backed his truck under it. The grain flowed into plastic garbage cans and his kids shovelled it out onto the ground with plastic kids sand buckets from the back of the truck as he drove through the field. Worked fine for him - but I never saw how the truck handled in soft ground.

Would this work for you?

Regards

Bez
 
Bez":3garfw31 said:
The grain flowed into plastic garbage cans and his kids shovelled it out onto the ground with plastic kids sand buckets from the back of the truck as he drove through the field. Worked fine for him - but I never saw how the truck handled in soft ground.

Sounds like "family fun!" Quality time! :D
 
BEz

We have 35 acres and ran 13 head last year. I think that we could run about 18-20 without stretching the pasture too thin. But I dont know if I should base too many of my decisions on last year, as I think that it was above average. We sold the first group of calves in early December, and have now picked up 4 hereford calves, which I think would be a good number to expierement with for the next few months, until we pick up the balance of what we think we can run on the place.

I just finished building a 40'x40' barn, 1/4 of which is used as a loafing type shed for the calves and has feed bunks which provides easy access for me. I have looked in the area for used bulk grain storage, however have had little luck finding one. So the gravity box that you mentioned does intrest me. My biggest concern, and it may be unwarranted, is stopping the flow of feed, once I "open the flood gates".
 
Stopping the flow of grain is fairly simple as long as the gravity box chute has a "loose" gate that slides up and down - you see them all the time at feed mills - have a look at one at your local operation.

Bez
 
I actually wound up with 16 days of hanging. The hanging weight was 616 pounds, the packaged weight was 460. That is a 25% loss from hanging to package, and the second best I've ever achieved. Butchers said it marbled well, had a large ribeye, and looked great. Said good marbling but no excess back and rib fat. A sirloin is on the stove as I type. Picked the meat up at noon, just finished sorting it among my customers minutes ago.
 
greenwillowherefords":1o39qisz said:
I actually wound up with 16 days of hanging. The hanging weight was 616 pounds, the packaged weight was 460. That is a 25% loss from hanging to package, and the second best I've ever achieved.

What was the live weight of the critter?

george
 
Rookie":3r03qawn said:
greenwillowherefords":3r03qawn said:
I actually wound up with 16 days of hanging. The hanging weight was 616 pounds, the packaged weight was 460. That is a 25% loss from hanging to package, and the second best I've ever achieved.


What was the live weight of the critter?

george

I believe about 1050-1100; I got home from a Christmas function the night before he was supposed to go to the butcher, and found he had already trapped himself in the chute! I loaded him then and there, and the butcher has no live scales, so I never got the live weight on him. I do have a good idea of what he weighed as much as one can from visual appraisal, and knowing what my steers have been hanging as a percentage in the past, etc.
 
BTW, was that steak forevermore awesome! I seasoned it with Kingsford seasoning and Cajun blackening seasoning before cooking. Then when I got one on the plate, it passed the cut with the fork test with flying colors, and then that first melt in your mouth bite............there were no leftovers. I thought of Fellers comment about the dogs looking in the window! Take Care all.
 
Glad it was good, Howd you get it to turn out that good on the stove. already had supper but the way you describe it could almost smell it over the computer. you made me hungry again. believe Ill go scrounge some leftovers good night folks
 
brokenmouth":2sg2k784 said:
Glad it was good, Howd you get it to turn out that good on the stove. already had supper but the way you describe it could almost smell it over the computer. you made me hungry again. believe Ill go scrounge some leftovers good night folks

Used to go coonhunting with my fatherinlaw and his buddies. We'd be sitting in the back of the truck listening for the dogs, and I'd get to talking about the best steaks I'd had at various restaurants, etc. "Quit yer makin' me hungry!" they'd say.
 

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