Protein Tub vs Hay

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Son of Butch

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Why would some one buy a protein tub rather than hay?

200 lb 20% protein tub sells for $57.50 or $575 a ton 20% x 2,000 lbs = 400 lbs of protein = 1.43 per pound of protein
A ton of alfalfa/grass mix hay that tests 15% protein 13% moisture = 261 lbs of protein on dry matter basis per ton
15% hay delivered at $175 ton = 67 cents per lb of dm protein vs $1.43 tub protein

People must be buying the tubs, I see them at all the farm stores.
Even if you had 30% waste feeding hay...
Is there any sensible reason to pay more than double for a protein tub vs hay?
 
Feeding tubs is for convenience whne the available hay is of low quality, It isn;t a substitute for hay.
 
Son of Butch":ezs9m6lq said:
Guess I just find it hard to believe there is a market for tubs at such crazy prices. Soybean meal is less than 50 cents per pound of protein.
Convenience costs. Depending on the number of head you can stick a tub out and have it last a week to amonth or so. That's 7-30 days when you don;t have to bear the cold crappy weather or go out in the dark after you get home from work to feed.
 
I used tubs a couple of years ago, in ignorance, my cows didn't care for them. We raised some roundup ready alfalfa last year and are grinding it with a little corn to make a ration. I free choice a "good" mineral mix feed the cows at a bunk once a day and they look the best they ever have. That along with the fact that our hay is subpar this year because of the dry weather last summer. I knew from the beginning also that most tubs use an urea form of protein which isn't the best form and could be harmful if over consumed.
 
Son of Butch":1wakp6lp said:
Why would some one buy a protein tub rather than hay?

200 lb 20% protein tub sells for $57.50 or $575 a ton 20% x 2,000 lbs = 400 lbs of protein = 1.43 per pound of protein
A ton of alfalfa/grass mix hay that tests 15% protein 13% moisture = 261 lbs of protein on dry matter basis per ton
15% hay delivered at $175 ton = 67 cents per lb of dm protein vs $1.43 tub protein

People must be buying the tubs, I see them at all the farm stores.
Even if you had 30% waste feeding hay...
Is there any sensible reason to pay more than double for a protein tub vs hay?

It's not an "either/or" situation. Tubs Do Not replace hay...if needed at all they are fed to supplement poor quality hay and/or grazing. If you were feeding 7-8% crude protein hay the supplemental tubs might be a necessity "in addition" to the hay. For the alfalfa you used in the example you woudln't need the tubs at all.
 
I've only used tubs one winter a few years ago- I had a chance bunch of hay that was over a year old and had been sitting outside that I had to get rid of. I fed this slimy old hay with the tubs, and you would have thought that I was feeding fresh alfalfa based on how good of condition my cows looked. If you've got decent hay, though, tubs are not worth the extra expense.
 
Agree with the others, plus not all protein tubs are created equal. I buy 24% tubs when needed ($52.) and figure that one tub lasts 6 to 8 head 30 plus days. That's about 28 cents per day per cow.

You need to look at your cow's condition and determine what they need. Sometimes they need a little help during the winter months.

I would never substitute a tub for roughage.
 
Really the only time you need to use tubs is in the last month or so before calving when hay is below about 10 % cp.
 
We justified using tubs when there was standing bahai in the pastures that was frosted and certainly low in feed/protein value, but still wanted them to eat most of that bahia. Fed a few tubs to keep them eating the bahai till early January. Bought the "natural" tub with no urea. Saved quite a bit of hay as normal years would have started feeding hay in December. So, for $400 in tubs, saved maybe 60-90 bales of hay. Your mileage may vary, but that was our experience this winter...
 
razephroot":5eqewys6 said:
We justified using tubs when there was standing bahai in the pastures that was frosted and certainly low in feed/protein value, but still wanted them to eat most of that bahia. Fed a few tubs to keep them eating the bahai till early January. Bought the "natural" tub with no urea. Saved quite a bit of hay as normal years would have started feeding hay in December. So, for $400 in tubs, saved maybe 60-90 bales of hay. Your mileage may vary, but that was our experience this winter...

Good move. That's the way they're designed to be used.
 

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