Limit Feeding Cattle

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Little Joe

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Right now I hand feed all of my calves that I'm finishing out daily. It's hard to go places with having to do this so I was thinking of building a bulk feeder and having salt mixed to limit their feed intake. I was thinking a 4' x 4' x32" bulk feeder with feeding area on each side. I usually only feed about 5 lbs a day each, will the salt keep that pretty close? I don't want a big feeder because I need to be able to move it around as I rotate pastures and would probably never have more than 10 on the feeder at a time and usually less than that. Anyone have any experience doing something like this?
 
I have one of these.
Different country obviously but the concept might be able to be adapted. This gives very good control of the feed rate. The concept is they need saliva on their tongue to lift the grain up which dries up after a while and they walk away until it they can have another go.

Ken
 
It's hard to get exact numbers with salt feed, imo, it's more if a range depending on conditions. They sell like 1-2 or 1-3 salt feeds but they aren't that impressive.

If I go back to a ground feed I will probably try an accuration mix for a limiter instead of salt.

In my dream world I would do the pellets in the auto feeders but the feeders are so dang high.
 
Have tried to limit feed with salt. Accuration is so expensive. A feeder that drops feed into a trough is soooo much better. Yes expensive though.
 
It's hard to get exact numbers with salt feed, imo, it's more if a range depending on conditions. They sell like 1-2 or 1-3 salt feeds but they aren't that impressive.

If I go back to a ground feed I will probably try an accuration mix for a limiter instead of salt.

In my dream world I would do the pellets in the auto feeders but the feeders are so dang high.
I feed range meal of different levels of protein depending on time of year.
2-1-1 corn, CSM , salt or 2-1 CSM and salt . Both blends made at the local mill with sorghum added as well as iodine when needed.
Typical five gallons to the ton sometimes I have a group that can consume more than I want so I will cut the sorghum back till I get the desired rates.
 
I would want to stick with my current ration, 25%ddg,25%corn gluten, 50%wsc, and just have salt added to it to ration them.
That's why when starting out I usually have it made in 750lb batches.
After a half a century I have never figured out why one group over the other can plow through so much salt over another.
After I get the consumption right I will have it made up by the ton in super sacks for my bulk feeder.
 
That's why when starting out I usually have it made in 750lb batches.
After a half a century I have never figured out why one group over the other can plow through so much salt over another.
After I get the consumption right I will have it made up by the ton in super sacks for my bulk feeder.
That was my experience also. I've even had consumption change during feeding so I don't know if they build a tolerance to the salt or range conditions change or what.
 
Have tried to limit feed with salt. Accuration is so expensive. A feeder that drops feed into a trough is soooo much better. Yes expensive though.
If you do like Purina accuration it is high. Last year when I did the feed mix with salt vs with accuration at a co-op there was very little price difference.
 
I'd think it would be very hard to limit them to less than 10#'s with salt so doubt you'll get to 5#. We've got a creep feeder that holds 1200# and we can fill it out of the truck hopper. I filled it every other day for 10 days to 72 calves we just weaned and I'm almost positive they ate it all on the first day.

I've only finished a calf out once but I'd think you'd want them at 10-15# a day to finish?
 
Fills from the back and is on skids so easily moved. Think they are around $2,500 now so fairly inexpensive for what you get. Screenshot_20241210_085307_Chrome.jpg Screenshot_20241210_085237_Chrome.jpgScreenshot_20241210_085753_Chrome.jpg
 
I'd think it would be very hard to limit them to less than 10#'s with salt so doubt you'll get to 5#. We've got a creep feeder that holds 1200# and we can fill it out of the truck hopper. I filled it every other day for 10 days to 72 calves we just weaned and I'm almost positive they ate it all on the first day.

I've only finished a calf out once but I'd think you'd want them at 10-15# a day to finish?
I up the feed closer to finish but don't want them eating that much for a year.
 

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