Protein tub feeding

[denoginnizer]

I normally put out another tub when or before the cattle consume the old one. I was thinking if I waited 2 or 3 weeks before replacing the empty ones I could possibly cut my protein bill by a quarter. Any thoughts on going that long ? I know some of you are not feeding any protein and I was wondering how your cattle were doing and if you had good results getting the cows re-bred? My hay is from fields that have not seen fertilizer in years. I had around 96% bred on the cows last year feeding the poor quality hay and protein tubs so I hate to change to much.

 

[Angus Cowman]

No it won't help and it might cost you more because when they run out and then you add a new one they will consume more than if it was in front of them all the time
and also your cows system won't regulate by having the protein inconsistently is like feeding alfalfa hay one day and crap hay for 3 weeks then 1 bale of alfalfa and so on it doesn't give the cows a consistent diet and that would cause more problems than doing nothing at all

 

[Kate]

Just out of curiosity how much do the tubs cost? We are paying $60.00 for a 200# tub, 16%. They started out a few years ago at $25.00 and have gone up every year! :cry2:

 

[CKC1586]

Just out of curiosity how much do the tubs cost? We are paying $60.00 for a 200# tub, 16%. They started out a few years ago at $25.00 and have gone up every year! :cry2:

Paid $70. two weeks ago, 25% sweetlix.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Just out of curiosity how much do the tubs cost? We are paying $60.00 for a 200# tub, 16%. They started out a few years ago at $25.00 and have gone up every year! :cry2:

Kate are you using the cooked tubs or the poured tubs an what is your consumption pr hd pr day on them

I use a cooked tub 38%protein and 12% fat and the consumrtion is about .75lbs pr cow/calf pair pr day and my calves are weighing between 300-450lbs
The tubs I use are 225lbs and they cost $96.50 each they are from Purina

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

My hubby was a nutritionist and he agrees that the protein tubs can be very helpful in a low quality hay situation. I agree I wouldn't let them run out, you will definately get over consumption each time they get their new supply.
BCS makes a major difference in healthy lively calves, and breeding back.
I know it's a big bite in the billfold, but pay now or pay later.
You also have the choice of fertilizing ($$$) this year for better quality hay for next year. Either way, it is costly to keep cows in good condition.

 

[Kate]

We use the cooked tubs and have cattle on 3 different farms. Each farm has 28 head of cattle (not counting calfs) and they consume 4 tubs in 3 to 4 weeks. The real young and real old cattle consume more than the middle age cattle. All are getting good grass hay out of the barn and have loose mineral. Personally I like the sweetlix tubs better but husband thinks they are too high!

 

[denoginnizer]

My hubby was a nutritionist and he agrees that the protein tubs can be very helpful in a low quality hay situation. I agree I wouldn't let them run out, you will definately get over consumption each time they get their new supply.
BCS makes a major difference in healthy lively calves, and breeding back.
I know it's a big bite in the billfold, but pay now or pay later.
You also have the choice of fertilizing ($$$) this year for better quality hay for next year. Either way, it is costly to keep cows in good condition.

The fertilizer cost so much that it is way cheaper to buy tubs and feed low quality hay. Also if you fertilize and dont get any rain you have to absorb the cost of fertilizer plus you have to go by hay. My tub dealer claims they will eat more if I stop and start but I am not sure. I have a small heard of 16 cows that I try my expermental trials on before I try it on the lager pastures. I guess I should start there.

 

[Angus Cowman]

We use the cooked tubs and have cattle on 3 different farms. Each farm has 28 head of cattle (not counting calfs) and they consume 4 tubs in 3 to 4 weeks. The real young and real old cattle consume more than the middle age cattle. All are getting good grass hay out of the barn and have loose mineral. Personally I like the sweetlix tubs better but husband thinks they are too high!

I know it is hard to get people to understand but alot of times the higher priced tubs are cheaper in your instance I took the cost pr lb X the lbs per day consumption and the higher price pur-lyx tub is actually cheaper per hd per day my consumption on the 38/12 225# tub is costing me 31and $.315 per day and yours is running roughly $.357 per day per hd
you can seach on here for protein tub comparisons I posted my results from a test we did

 

[TexasBred]

We use the cooked tubs and have cattle on 3 different farms. Each farm has 28 head of cattle (not counting calfs) and they consume 4 tubs in 3 to 4 weeks. The real young and real old cattle consume more than the middle age cattle. All are getting good grass hay out of the barn and have loose mineral. Personally I like the sweetlix tubs better but husband thinks they are too high!

I know it is hard to get people to understand but alot of times the higher priced tubs are cheaper in your instance I took the cost pr lb X the lbs per day consumption and the higher price pur-lyx tub is actually cheaper per hd per day my consumption on the 38/12 225# tub is costing me 31and $.315 per day and yours is running roughly $.357 per day per hd
you can seach on here for protein tub comparisons I posted my results from a test we did

Cheap tubs are usually cheap for a reason. Plus if they are not cooked you're that 2-3-4 lbs. per head per day they eat is about 35% water. Water cost same as protein, vitamins and minerals when mixed and eaten together.

 

[MoGal]

I'm using 200 lb tubs that are 18% fat and 16% protein. They are $60 each (the fat is the High Fat Range supplement I've mentioned a while back). I'm guessing these are not cooked since its 2 lbs per head per day and yes if we wait 3-5 days from when they empty the tub then they really consume the next one so I'd rather put another one out when that one is emptied. All the needed minerals are supposed to be in it as well so at least that's a plus.

We're also feeding 5x6 round bales of alfalfa free choice.

We have one heifer who calved on 11/22 that so far we haven't seen breed back (unless we just missed catching her).

 

[Angus Cowman]

I'm using 200 lb tubs that are 18% fat and 16% protein. They are $60 each (the fat is the High Fat Range supplement I've mentioned a while back). I'm guessing these are not cooked since its 2 lbs per head per day and yes if we wait 3-5 days from when they empty the tub then they really consume the next one so I'd rather put another one out when that one is emptied. All the needed minerals are supposed to be in it as well so at least that's a plus.

We're also feeding 5x6 round bales of alfalfa free choice.

We have one heifer who calved on 11/22 that so far we haven't seen breed back (unless we just missed catching her).

Well if you are feeding alfalfa then IMO opinion you are wasting your money on feeding the protein tubs they are intended for low protein hay and forage

the hay you are feeding should have all the protein needed

 

[hayray]

The problem I had when usign the protein tubs is the low amount of protein for the price. Always seems cheaper to buy alfalfa in most cases. the highest protien I could find was a 40% protein for around $90 per 200 lb. tub, that is around $900/ton. So the times I did it, I did it just for the convienience on a small group for a short time. Is that why most people are using the tubs or is that alternative protein sources are really not available in your area?

 

[BeefmasterB]

I normally put out another tub when or before the cattle consume the old one. I was thinking if I waited 2 or 3 weeks before replacing the empty ones I could possibly cut my protein bill by a quarter. Any thoughts on going that long ? I know some of you are not feeding any protein and I was wondering how your cattle were doing and if you had good results getting the cows re-bred? My hay is from fields that have not seen fertilizer in years. I had around 96% bred on the cows last year feeding the poor quality hay and protein tubs so I hate to change to much.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it! The key thing in your post, IMO, it that the hay hasn't been fertilized in years. I would keep the protein AND minerals out all winter. 96% bred is pretty good!

 

[Angus Cowman]

The problem I had when usign the protein tubs is the low amount of protein for the price. Always seems cheaper to buy alfalfa in most cases. the highest protien I could find was a 40% protein for around $90 per 200 lb. tub, that is around $900/ton. So the times I did it, I did it just for the convienience on a small group for a short time. Is that why most people are using the tubs or is that alternative protein sources are really not available in your area?

My reasons for using the tubs are
1 - High qaulity alfafa isn't easily available I grow some but not much,

2 convenience and labor saving

3 and is actualy cheaper than paying the $150 + ton for alfalfa when you figure in fuel labor and equipment cost

4 have lots of forage that they need to consume and the tubs better utilize this

alfalfa at 150pr ton equals 7.5cents per lb x5lbs =37.5cents per day pr hd

38% tub at $96.5 pr 225lbs =42.8cents pr lb x .75lbs per day consumption =32.1cents pr hd pr day

and that is not figuring labor and equipment cost to put out alfafa everyday

 

[hayray]

thanks for the numbers, I am going to do some more pencliling cause last time I penciled it out it did not seem to work out so I have to see what was going on there cause your numbers look pretty good.

 

[Angus Cowman]

thanks for the numbers, I am going to do some more pencliling cause last time I penciled it out it did not seem to work out so I have to see what was going on there cause your numbers look pretty good.

alot of the tubs will have higher consumption rates than others they guarantee the one I use not to be over 1 1/4 lbs per day

the numbers I used on the cows are cows with 300lb + calves also and I just figure on cow #s and don't count the calves if I figured the calves ate 10% of total then the cow lbs pr day would be lower also

 

[jcarkie]

my son found some minerex 30% tubs and wanted to try them. i never cared much for them.i to have penciled but with the price of feed, we feed grass hay and tubs to our mature cow herds, against my better judgement, i am older and wiser. but i have to admit they are working the cows look good and consume the amount they are suppose to. we have cows with fall calves and spring cows that are just now calving. i have almost changed my mind, these young whipper snappers might be right.

 

[MoGal]

You could be right, perhaps the alfalfa hay would be plenty. But the girls seem to be in really good shape (maybe there's a reason my Dad has always told me if he had to come back as an animal, he'd want to be one of mine) and are breeding back 32-35 days after calving.

We didn't fertilize the alfalfa last year (because of the cost) but I thank God we were able to always bale it at the right time and it always rained the very next day after it was baled. We haven't had the protein tested.

We normally feed ground corn in the winter (2- 5 gallon buckets for about 30 head so its not a significant amount either) with free choice hay but we didn't grow corn last year (wheat instead). We have 37 head running on about 10 acres so I consider them being drylotted as grass is not growing. We have 11 calves 1 day to 2 months old and have 10 more (mostly heifers and 2nd calvers) due between the 10th and 28th of this month. We always end up keeping about 10 heifers per year and many of our cows give plenty of milk.

I believe the cows need the extra nutrition right now, whereas if the calves were 4-5 months old, I wouldn't be giving the lick tubs but would instead be feeding creep to the calves.