Molasses use?

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cypressfarms

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My new job is at a plant that makes wildlife products. Through employee discounts, I'm able to buy 2.5 gallon jugs of molasses at about 18 cents per pound. (Roughly half the price that the company charges for sale) When I calculated what my local feed store charges for molasses tubs per pound it worked out to around 30 cents per pound.

Besides pouring this on hay bales, is there any good use for this with my cattle operation?

I've always focused on grass for my cows, but if I can purchase this so cheap, it may be cost effective to use as a supplement in the winter time.

Anyone have any ideas?
 
You can add it at about 3 to 1 dry feed to molasses by weight to make the feed taste a lot better to the stock. Especially good for dusty stuff like bean hulls or some processed byproducts that aren't all that tasty to start with.
 
When in a pinch in a drought, pour molasses over straw bales to help maintain body condition. Molasses is very high in energy and makes unpalatable forage much more palatable.

It helps alot with losses due to wind in fine grounded feed, by making it lumpier and less dusty.
 
You might want to check with your local feed mill. Mine just quoted me a price of $.13 a pound. I have to provide the
container (bucket, barrel, etc).
 
The ethanol plant close by sell "condensed solubles" which they say is a molasses type product. About 6% protien I think, last time I seen a price it was about $40 a ton, they will put it in a 275 tote for you, totes were $25 I think. Thought about trying it but hate to leave a tote in the truck all the time as I don't have a way to get it off. Thought it might help with some poor hay.
 
Corn is about 8 cents a pound, other than to settle the dust in your feed at 18 cents it is not a cheap feed.

Larry
 
Molasses is used almost entirely to increase eye appeal, palatability and to control dust in finished feed. Unless you absolutely have to have it the stuff does nothing but take up space in a feed formulation which could be better utilized by other ingredients with much more value.
 
Some really good points by everyone. Thanks! The product that I was considering buyingwas a molasses product (it does have some minerals in it, but I don't have the breakdown in front of me) that the company sells in 2.5 gallon jugs. This would already be prepackaged - and they sell to employees at 50% of distributor cost. Looks like I might be better off going with some bulk feed. I have a front end loader - so I could handle super sacks. Looks like I'm going to have to do something in February - my hay is coming up short, and I'm not sure the ryegrass will cover all the cows.

Time to start calling and comparing!

Thanks again - you never know until you ask.
 
Cypress - I have a idea that comes to clean-up. I spray molasses on briar patches. The cows clean it up in no time, and that means I don't have to get in there with a ditch bank blade... 8)
 
Gerald that sounds like something my dad would have done. He would come up with more ideas. Always said "if you want to find a quick and easy way to do something....hire a lazy man". Now don't take that wrong but it did apply to dad sometimes. :lol: :lol:
 
TexasBred - No offense taken. I am an efficiency fanatic. I am always on the lookout for "double uses". Saves a lot of time and money....I think.... :???:
 
MikeC":3bogh62m said:
My Feed Mill operator tells me he buys molasses for $130 per ton. ($.065 per pound)

Don't sound like your company is doing you a real big favor at those prices....................

Just throwing out ideas and comparing Mike, and glad I did. Made the call to the local feed store and they have a high protein "stocker grower" that works out to .105 per pound. Looks like I'll have to bite the bullet this weekend. I HATE supplementing. From my perspective, it means I've failed. Like I put on another post just recently, sometimes you gotta take your medecine and learn from it.

This weekend is Mardi Gras weekend. While everyone is partying and catching the parades - I'll be fencing in ryegrass and preparing the super sacks to supplement.

One good thing though - the same company I work for just gave me 6 "totes". These are thick plastic containers that will hold about 400 gallons each with a metal frame around them and a metal pallet type base. (They are designed to hold liquid and have a valve to discharge at the bottom of the tank) I'll be taking a grinder to them and cutting them in half to use a feeders. Hopefully it will make it easier to unload the super sacks as well.
 
Here, liquid feed is 245 dollars per ton. It is 37 percent protein and has food value. I would think liquid feed would be better at that price than 360 per ton for molasses
 

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