Many many questions

[Travlr]

So where to start is the big question. So I have many many questions to ask and don't know where to begin really.

#1. I want to have as good cow
Management as possible with the small operation that I have due to land constraints. I grew up with my grandfather feeding grain year round so since my 2 years at this by myself I have always feed a little grain daily 5 gal bucket of local feed 14% protein 10 head of cattle. Pasture is in pretty good shape just fertilized a month ago triple 19. I wormed using pour on ivermectin about the same time as well. I also have trace mineral salt out along with the coop minerals free choice. Fresh spring water year round. My biggest concern is should I be feeding more/less. Some of the momma cows 3 of them that have calf's between 2-4 weeks old look a little poor but it may just be me.

#2. I've read and searched on Wdg wet distillers grain. A ton of feed here is $380. I can get 275gal of the Wdg for $150. Money wise it looks good but what are the pros and cons?

#3. One of my first cows I bought and kept her for 1.5 years wouldn't ever breed/stick. Come to find out she was a twin. Idk if that has anything to do with it or not but anyways it was time for some freezer meat so off the the slaughter house she went. So now my mother/step-father and brother and sis in law are wanting to half one this fall. I do have a stet that's 13 months old. Came with a cow/calf pair I picked up at a sale. He's only about 650-700lbs right now. I know they need to be fed out 90+or- days. What are some tips for doing feeding him out? Grain only, grain and hay? How much would I need to start out on and slowly raise the amount of grain?

If any of this needs to plebe posted elsewhere please feel free to criticize me and I'll get it moved over. All cows and bull are brangus with 1 pure angus and 2 charlottes. Bull is an Angus with Holstein way back in he lineage. So far 3 heifer calves in a month With more to come in a month to month and half.

#1. Land constraints... Assuming you have a healthy stand of good grass, dividing your pasture with an electric wire so your cattle only graze a third at a time, changing each month, will benefit your cows more than anything else you do. It will also benefit your pasture. The only thing I've ever done extra, is to use a mineral block. One with magnesium in the spring as the fresh grass comes on, and a red one the rest of the year. A gallon of molasses grain/dairy feed will train your cows to come into your corral and any more is unnecessary. The rest of it is expense without any significant return compared to cost. Cattle that are too fat have more calving problems than skinny cattle. Pics of the cow's/calves you think are "a little poor" would be the only way to tell.
#2. Any feed other than pasture/dry forage has costs and problems associated with overfeeding. If you have good grass you don't need supplements... unless you have very poor soil or are in some kind of area with specific soil problems.
#3. A female/male twin combination too often results in the female calf being sterile. But as you found out they make freezer beef. You can "feed out" your steer or not. Some people prefer grass fed and some like grain finished. I've always fed mine for only a month while still on pasture. I just look for cattle that are easy keepers and don't need much grain to lay on fat. I've never fed more than a gallon of grain at each feeding, one in the morning and one at night. You do you and you'll learn by experience.

 

[smartin0022]

#1. Land constraints... Assuming you have a healthy stand of good grass, dividing your pasture with an electric wire so your cattle only graze a third at a time, changing each month, will benefit your cows more than anything else you do. It will also benefit your pasture. The only thing I've ever done extra, is to use a mineral block. One with magnesium in the spring as the fresh grass comes on, and a red one the rest of the year. A gallon of molasses grain/dairy feed will train your cows to come into your corral and any more is unnecessary. The rest of it is expense without any significant return compared to cost. Cattle that are too fat have more calving problems than skinny cattle. Pics of the cow's/calves you think are "a little poor" would be the only way to tell.
#2. Any feed other than pasture/dry forage has costs and problems associated with overfeeding. If you have good grass you don't need supplements... unless you have very poor soil or are in some kind of area with specific soil problems.
#3. A female/male twin combination too often results in the female calf being sterile. But as you found out they make freezer beef. You can "feed out" your steer or not. Some people prefer grass fed and some like grain finished. I've always fed mine for only a month while still on pasture. I just look for cattle that are easy keepers and don't need much grain to lay on fat. I've never fed more than a gallon of grain at each feeding, one in the morning and one at night. You do you and you'll learn by experience.

Yall don't worry about wild onions in the pasture Travlr? We pull them a minimum of 90 days b4 slaughter because of the wild onions. I've not had one myself that tasted like onions but most folks round here claim you can throw the whole beef in the holler if they've been into the onions. I have finished on pure legumes (not my cup of tea) but never grass alone. Clean grass hay Timothy fescue and orchard with some brome mixed with lots of feed (corn based) is pretty standard here. I agree with everything else you stated just curious about the wild onions and the effects in your area. They are prevalent here.

 

[Son of Butch]

They are prevalent here.

please post general location
or finish your sentences
ie They are prevalent here... in Florida

 

[smartin0022]

please post general location
or finish your sentences
ie They are prevalent here... in Florida

I'm sorry to have offended you maybe I've tried to post my location b4 fella and don't know how to do it. I pm'd the guy my phone # that posted the questions. I live in central KY. I appreciate the please... I edited this for my poor attitude

 

[Travlr]

Yall don't worry about wild onions in the pasture Travlr? We pull them a minimum of 90 days b4 slaughter because of the wild onions. I've not had one myself that tasted like onions but most folks round here claim you can throw the whole beef in the holler if they've been into the onions. I have finished on pure legumes (not my cup of tea) but never grass alone. Clean grass hay Timothy fescue and orchard with some brome mixed with lots of feed (corn based) is pretty standard here. I agree with everything else you stated just curious about the wild onions and the effects in your area. They are prevalent here.

Where is "here"?

I never saw any wild onions on my ranch in Arkansas... or the place in South Dakota. So yeah, not a problem. I've heard some things about what an animal eats being a problem in flavoring the meat. In Arkansas they told me the deer would taste bad if they fed on red oak acorns (high in tannins) and be fine if fed on white oak acorns. Milk can be affected by what an animal eats too.

So again, where are wild onions that much of a problem?

Ah, I see you already answered that. Central Kentucky.

 

[smartin0022]

Where is "here"?

I never saw any wild onions on my ranch in Arkansas... or the place in South Dakota. So yeah, not a problem. I've heard some things about what an animal eats being a problem in flavoring the meat. In Arkansas they told me the deer would taste bad if they fed on red oak acorns (high in tannins) and be fine if fed on white oak acorns. Milk can be affected by what an animal eats too.

So again, where are wild onions that much of a problem?

Central KY. Here in CENTRAL KY they say deer on beans are not as good tasting as deer on corn.

 

[farmerjan]

To post your area on your avatar (pic) go up on right hand side of page to your name or avatar... down to account details, then down to location and put in central KY or something like that. It should then show up on the avatar everytime you post.

 

[Son of Butch]

I'm sorry to have offended you

No offense taken, but it is frustrating trying to learn challenges others face without knowing were here is. No problems with wild onions here in Minnesota.

 

[sstterry]

I'm sorry to have offended you maybe I've tried to post my location b4 fella and don't know how to do it. I pm'd the guy my phone # that posted the questions. I live in central KY. I appreciate the please... I edited this for my poor attitude

There is also a line in your profile that allows you to put your general location. I am in East TN and wild onions are not a problem here either.

 

[TNtrout23]

Steps to take:
1- Become a student of forages. 2-Become a better student of forages. 3- Never quit being a student of forages. 4- Then think about livestock.

I had my soil sample sent in last Wednesday so that's a start anyways.

 

[smartin0022]

To post your area on your avatar (pic) go up on right hand side of page to your name or avatar... down to account details, then down to location and put in central KY or something like that. It should then show up on the avatar everytime you post.

Thanks. I've looked for that at least a half dozen times with zero success.

 

[kenny thomas]

There is also a line in your profile that allows you to put your general location. I am in East TN and wild onions are not a problem here either.

They might not be a problem but you have plenty of wild onions. Remember as a kid people talking about the milk cow eating them and the milk having an onion taste. It's one of the first things to get green in the spring so some cows will grab them. After grass gets green they don't eat them much. Plus the onions die off pretty early in the year.