lick tubs

[farmwife]

Though it's not a tub, we feed Mix 30 (16 protein and 10 fat). Can feed in lick wheel tanks or open topped tubs/troughs/or whatever. http://www.mix30.com Cost right now is 175 a ton (250 gallons). We use a 275 gallon square tank (inside a frame) with a ball valve attached at the bottom and a hose (via banjo coupler) to put it in the tanks.

Is the $175 per ton the normal price, or has it gone up this year?

We paid 190 a ton delivered to our tanks. Last year it was 160. We should have plenty come calving season since we fenced the cows out of where it is. The hay this year is only low quality, last year we fed multiple year old that had been stored outside. That stuff was way below low quality more like crappy or P-poor. The possums are getting into the open tanks though. Gotta remove another one in the morning.

It has gone up - we were paying 160 a ton - we get it straight out of a railcar, too.

 

[Anonymous]

Anyone ever try liquid feed from QLF?
They seem to have the market around here.

 

[TexasBred]

Angus, doggone it some of the guarantees got cut off but I have an idea what most of them are. Anyway I think you already mentioned in a previous post that once cattle get adjusted to liquid feed the consumption depends on the quality of the forage or hay. You can feed low grade hay and consumption will go up. Put them on a hay you know has high protein and they will hardly go to the lick tank at all. Locate it away from water and make free choice salt and mineral available. Cattle can taste the mineral in the supplement and may over eat in an attempt to satisfy the need for some specific mineral.

 

[hayrack]

Sure a 32% protein can be utilized well, at low intakes. It's the total protein intake that matters, not the percentage of protein in the supplement.

With the lack of quality Hay in this area, Cattle dont want to leave the Tubs.So how would you control their intake?

That is where the good tub will help control it. I feed some Forage Star tubs and they are high but they consume it slow. I also feed loose mineral when they are out too.

 

[dalebarber]

SEE IF YOU CAN LOCATE POWER KEGS MANF. BY VITAFERM WITH AMAFERM, THEY ARE 20% PROTEIN WITH A BREEDER FORMULATED MINERAL AND VITAMIN PACKAGE (W CHELATED COPPER) FEEDS FOR AROUND 35 CENTS A DAY. CONSUMPTION ON ALL TUBS DEPENDS ON AVAILABLE FORAGE, THEY ARE ONLY A SUPPLEMENT NOT A COMPLETE FEED

 

[TexasBred]

Dale, Vitaferm makes great products but I tried the tubs a few years ago and cows would hardly touch them especially after they were rained on and sort of soured. Are they still distiller's grain based????

 

[dalebarber]

yes they are, out here in the texas panhandle rain usually isn't a problem. . by only putting out a weeks feeding at a time shouldn't lose to much consumption stays around a pound and cows winter great. You will see consumption jump 1/2 lb right before calving.

 

[simangus23]

I think lick tubs are a waste of money--- range cubes are better and you can limit feed them

We still have 600 Tons of good quality Hay if ya need some.

 

[1982vett]

I have to disagree that lick tubs are a waste of money.

Started using them in the summer of 06 when the pastures went to hades. Was using them on some heifers I was going to breed and decided to try them on the cows as well. After the cows became accustomed to them I began noticing that when momma went to the tub their calf went to the tub also. Can't help but believe at least the calves benefited.

I use the all natural 18% tub.

 

[Needmore Land and Cattle]

I agree. We use cooked molasses tubs regularly, but then, we aren't in the middle of a hay shortage. That was the previous three years.The tubs really make them clean up the hay.

 

[TexasBred]

Molasses tubs are the most expensive way of supplementing but they do work and there are some good ones on the market especially in the "cooked" line. Pretty nice when the weather is horrible and all you have to do is sit in front of the fireplace rather than get out in the weather to feed. Don't use them now but have used them in the past.