Liquid Feed Results

[Brute 23]

After the thread on liquid feed I did some shopping and found a liquid feed we have been trying. If I remember correctly its like a 32% protein, 4% fat. It was really hard to find any one who emphasized the fat content besides Purina and they were just out of the ballpark, high. The feeders are around 300 gallons I believe and run about $285. Its a rectangle feeder with 6 wheels. The feed is running about $230-240 per ton, delivered, hands free, only a phone call from me. We started in Nov and the first fill was about #3 per head per day. I think it might have been down just a little due to the cattle learning to use the feeders and there might have been a few tubs still they had not polished off. The next fill avg about #4 /h/d. This was probably during the worst conditions. It was dry, there was only dried up, stock piled grass, and the cattle were calving daily. From that point until now we have ran right around #2-2.5 /h/d. I attribute the drop to the winter grass coming on. This place was also getting #5 per head per week of wcs for the first 60 days and then twice a week starting in January. They have gotten aprox 0.1 bales per head to date and that was mainly for a couple cold spells.

So far it appears to be winner just eyeballing the cows condition with calves at their sides. It definitely gets more consistent consumption than the tubs and appears to be cheaper, especially when you factor in the labor.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I have a liquid feeder and have for year's. Great product if you have forage, if not you can't afford the hay they will burn through. It's a tool in the box.

 

[anewcomer]

Brute, can you calculate the amount of protein in that 2-2 and 1/2 pounds per day?

 

[Brute 23]

Brute, can you calculate the amount of protein in that 2-2 and 1/2 pounds per day?

Naw I'm afraid not. That's one of many things I cant wrap my head around. If they eat that how does it factor in to what they need daily as a percentage or portion.

It's hard to do a good comparison with out knowing how to do it. I had a guy trying to explain it but hes so knowledgeable it's hard to follow him. It gets over my head real fast.

I've offered to pay people as kind of a consultant for cow nutrition but cant get any bites.

If your a human that needs 2000 calories you can count that because of labels on food show the calories per a certain unit of volume.

If you search it says a lactating beef cow need 15% protein. 15% of what? Or how many lbs of 15% feed? I don't understand how the lbs and % correlate as part of the whole daily diet.

 

[anewcomer]

Do you know the water content percentage? The supplier should be able to tall you.

 

[Brute 23]

Do you know the water content percentage? The supplier should be able to tall you.

I'll try to get a label next week and would appreciate your input.

 

[Allenw]

2.5 lbs of feed x .32% protein = .8 lb protein.

 

[Lucky]

I've been thinking about keeping liquid out year round to help with conception rates. I've heard it helps but haven't found any data to prove that it pays.

 

[anewcomer]

Allen's, isn't there a lot of water in that 2.5 pounds they're eating?

 

[anewcomer]

Maybe Texasbred could help us.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I'll try to get a label next week and would appreciate your input.

Is it Westway product?

 

[Rydero]

It's pretty simple. The supplement is 32% protein. 68% other things. So yes if they eat 2.5 lbs of supplement they are getting .8lbs of protein the other 68% a large percentage could be water.

If your lactating cow needs 15% protein (seems a little high off the top of my head) that means 15% of the feed she consumes for the day needs to be protein. If she eats 32 lbs of dry feed a day she needs 4.8 lbs of protein (32 x.15 =4.8). 2.5 lbs of your supplement supplies less than a lb of that for .36/h/d. It's expensive. I use ration software and generally speaking if I plug in 30% supplement in a ration where I'm feeding low quality hay at (say 5% protein) for every lb of supplement they eat the overall protein in the ration will go up about 1% - so if it was 5% if they eat 2.5 lbs of supplement it's moving from 5% to about 7.5%. That's about as simple as I can make it. Energy needs to be factored in too protein is just one part of the puzzle.

 

[Brute 23]

I believe they said it was a little over #13 per gallon. Thought there was a way to calculate water in it off that.

 

[Brute 23]

Is it Westway product?

Naw, there is a local guy that had westway that I really wanted to use but he pretty much refused to get a feed with any fat in it. He basically said it was not necessary. That contradicted every thing I read so I went in another direction.

 

[Brute 23]

It's pretty simple. The supplement is 32% protein. 68% other things. So yes if they eat 2.5 lbs of supplement they are getting .8lbs of protein the other 68% a large percentage could be water.

If your lactating cow needs 15% protein (seems a little high off the top of my head) that means 15% of the feed she consumes for the day needs to be protein. If she eats 32 lbs of dry feed a day she needs 4.8 lbs of protein (32 x.15 =4.8). 2.5 lbs of your supplement supplies less than a lb of that for .36/h/d. It's expensive. I use ration software and generally speaking if I plug in 30% supplement in a ration where I'm feeding low quality hay at (say 5% protein) for every lb of supplement they eat the overall protein in the ration will go up about 1% - so if it was 5% if they eat 2.5 lbs of supplement it's moving from 5% to about 7.5%. That's about as simple as I can make it. Energy needs to be factored in too protein is just one part of the puzzle.

Thanks. That makes sense. How do you know how many pounds per day the cow needs? Is it a set number or does it vary based on the protein quality? Is there a minimum and maximum amount of pounds that can or will eat regardless of protein content?

 

[BC]

If you search it says a lactating beef cow need 15% protein. 15% of what? Or how many lbs of 15% feed? I don't understand how the lbs and % correlate as part of the whole daily diet.

Brute, use the charts starting on pg 10 based on the size and milking ability of cow to determine needs.

https://www.uaex.edu/publications/pdf/MP391.pdf

 

[callmefence]

Allen's, isn't there a lot of water in that 2.5 pounds they're eating?

The amount of water in a liquid feed is really insignificant. The nutrition statement includes the water.

 

[callmefence]

Thanks. That makes sense. How do you know how many pounds per day the cow needs? Is it a set number or does it vary based on the protein quality? Is there a minimum and maximum amount of pounds that can or will eat regardless of protein content?

Kiss... what your doing is supplementing what your cows are grazing. The liquid is in no way a major part of their ration. You have no way of knowing how much each eats per day. Iirc your pretty much on pasture with winter grass and I imagine some burr clover and winter weeds. Probably had some warm season grass greening last week lol.
The hay your setting out gets visiting then the cows go out and rustle some green and lick the feeder from time to time. ( I'm guessing)You don't need a computer program, just keep a eye on your cattle.

 

[anewcomer]

Question is whether the feed tag says dry matter basis or as fed basis. Hard to believe a lick tub could be 32% protein and a liquid feed be 32% with all that moisture. Just looked at a product that had 30 in it's name and it was 30% protein on dry matter basis, but only 16% as fed.

 

[Allenw]

Question is whether the feed tag says dry matter basis or as fed basis. Hard to believe a lick tub could be 32% protein and a liquid feed be 32% with all that moisture. Just looked at a product that had 30 in it's name and it was 30% protein on dry matter basis, but only 16% as fed.

That's an important question and would make a serious difference.