Protein Tubs

[highgrit]

Good hay is expensive to grow. We put 300lbs. of 20-10-20 per ac. at green up, and 200lbs. per ac. of 20-0-20 after each cutting. And feeding good hay is still cheaper than any other kind of feed we could buy locally.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

All of which just makes me Tire kickers wanting to buy hay and they always want me to take a loss on it when they want to buy. Lock the gates and go home.

Good hay is expensive to grow. Fertilizer is expensive. Healthy cows calving in less than a year's time is profitable. Feeding trash and spending money on supplement (even grain) just does not compute in my narrow mind.

If I had to feed the trash hay described here, I'd just quit. I have endured the droughts and still ended the year in the black.

If someone had some good genetics and did not want to sell out completely, I can understand getting by with juicing. There are times there are no other alternatives.

If that hay is that low in content, why even bale it? Why buy something for $40 which is junk and spend money trying to make it work? Why not just buy good hay?

My point exactly. For $55 we could buy it. But around here everyone want $75 and higher. We raise our own hay, and on an average year get by just fine (we won the hay show last year at our big district fair). Normally get 120 bales off about 35 acres. This year we got 66, not enough to get us through. We always sold around 20 or 30 bales for $35 a bale, to help repay the baling fee. I know how much it cost to raise hay, we fertilize, soil test, and drill when necessary. It certainly does not cost $75/bale to grow and bale it. I am just trying to get through this year, and hope for more rain next year to get a better crop!

 

[backhoeboogie]

FSR I irrigated one year and wound up with nearly $100 in each bale. Lesson learned.

You sound as tho you are where I was last year. I dumped all the calves I could and culled 31 cows. Fed left over hay first then started feeding the hay that was made. Planted oats, rye, wheat. Got thru winter with two bales left over while managing to keep the best of the herd.

If it had not rained on the winter grasses I may have had to make more choices.

I plan to roll a lot more hay year to year from now on.

 

[calfbuyer]

Slick, is it Mix 30?

 

[Sir Loin]

How about this?

I read an ad in a local paper for hay insurance the other day.
As best as I remember it, it went like this:

A local farmer offered up to 200 4 x 5 round bales of 1st cutting grass hay, barn stored, for $30 per bale.
With a non refundable upfront $5 deposit per bale.
Hay must be paid for and picked up ( FOB ) on or before Aug. 31, 2013.
Offer expires Jan. 1, 2013 or upon depletion of hay in stock.

What are your thoughts on that?
SL

 

[slick4591]

Slick, is it Mix 30?

It's called OK Range 32. I'm told it's formulated for northern Texas and lower Oklahoma. It's 32% protein and 3% fat. You have now tapped my full knowledge of the stuff. I'm sure I can dig up my brochure if you need more info.

 

[cow pollinater]

I use tons of protien tubs every year and so does everyone else that I know of in this area. Our grass is only green for five months out of the year so we calve them out on dry grass about two months before green even starts. They have plenty of dry grass when they calve but the protien they need to get the calf off to a good start is lacking and the cheapest way to fix that here is barrels.

 

[dun]

I use tons of protien tubs every year and so does everyone else that I know of in this area. Our grass is only green for five months out of the year so we calve them out on dry grass about two months before green even starts. They have plenty of dry grass when they calve but the protien they need to get the calf off to a good start is lacking and the cheapest way to fix that here is barrels.

You don;t have flood irrigation? Over around Oakdale that was the only way we could keep the pastures going at all.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Fire Sweep look up Bass Feeds. Shouldn't to far from you.

 

[cow pollinater]

I use tons of protien tubs every year and so does everyone else that I know of in this area. Our grass is only green for five months out of the year so we calve them out on dry grass about two months before green even starts. They have plenty of dry grass when they calve but the protien they need to get the calf off to a good start is lacking and the cheapest way to fix that here is barrels.

You don;t have flood irrigation? Over around Oakdale that was the only way we could keep the pastures going at all.

My cows are on really steep foothill grass. I have irrigated ground in the valley but it's just enough for horses, bulls, and replacement heifers. Only a select few ever get to come back down and spend any time on the easy pasture.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

Fire Sweep look up Bass Feeds. Shouldn't to far from you.

Rogersville is about an hour and a half away from us. We have lots of feed stores around, what specifically should I be looking for at Bass Feeds?
We found some small round bales, just baled this week, 4 x 4's that are around 500 pounds. $25/bale, and they have 34 in the field. I think I am going to buy them, since it is close, fresh baled, and looks good. Con; they are small, so not sure how long they will last (our normal 4 x 5 last 2 1/2 days usually). Another con, they are string tied, not net wrapped. We have never dealt with string, so not sure about that fact. I guess we will need to cover with a tarp?
We learned last year that we will NEVER sell extra until the season following. We always sold about a third, and last year I cut myself short and had to buy 15 bales in February for a small fortune. So we agreed to not sell until after the winter, and of course we do not get enough to even get us through the winter! Oh well, the famous saying around here is always keep a year's worth of hay in storage and I have now figured out why!
This cattle business is an ever learning one, that is for sure!!!

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

As them about the Vita Ferm Tubs, they work.

 

[TexasBred]

All of which just makes me Tire kickers wanting to buy hay and they always want me to take a loss on it when they want to buy. Lock the gates and go home.

Good hay is expensive to grow. Fertilizer is expensive. Healthy cows calving in less than a year's time is profitable. Feeding trash and spending money on supplement (even grain) just does not compute in my narrow mind.

If I had to feed the trash hay described here, I'd just quit. I have endured the droughts and still ended the year in the black.

If someone had some good genetics and did not want to sell out completely, I can understand getting by with juicing. There are times there are no other alternatives.

If that hay is that low in content, why even bale it? Why buy something for $40 which is junk and spend money trying to make it work? Why not just buy good hay?

Because sometimes it just dollars out a lot better than buying fertilizer, baling, hauling and storing hay. If it helped me wean off a couple thousand more pounds of calves at an even higher rate of return it would definitely be worth it.

I'd feed the liquid but I wouldn't mess with pouring it on or in a bale. Just a waste of good feed. Let them have access to the liquid and they will eat the hay.

 

[Limomike]

As them about the Vita Ferm Tubs, they work.

Thats the kind we use around here.. good product.

 

[TexasBred]

As them about the Vita Ferm Tubs, they work.

Thats the kind we use around here.. good product.

2X but the ones I've used were distillers grain based rather than molasses. Power Tubs I believe they called them back then.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Vita Ferm puts out a good product. Wintered cows on some pretty sorry hay with Vita Ferm Tubs. Cows hit spring looking good and healthy.

 

[user1]

What are the Vita ferm tubs. Are they basically a mineral or is basically a protein source.

 

[Limomike]

Both....

 

[Lon]

Sorry i know i am behind on this topic here but thought i would but my 2 cents in on it as well and thats about all its worth. In our part of the country we feed cake. There are poeple that put out tubs and liquid as well. Typically we feed winter pasture with 1-2 lbs a cake a day average. Some years like this year when feed is scarce we will be feeding it with the little hay we have as well. Also i have seen alot of people bring them threw the winter on straw bales and a couple lbs of cake a day on dry years like this one. As far as i know most poeple are staying in the black. I know for myself i can feed the straw and cake cheaper than i can by good hay for. Also you see alot of crp hay put up in this country and most grass hay is only cut every other year so it will put up more than a bale an acre. Part of the reason you will see alot of cake being fed as well and they are making money doing it. Also i have seen some real rangy cows get by on poorer hay or just pasture without supplement (living and raising a calf off of well below what is said a cows needs for nutrition) then just bloom when green grass comes in spring too. All depends on the rancher and what type or cows he has or what he is willing to feed. Granted we dont usually have get more than one cutting for hay even with alfalfa we might get a second cutting if its a pretty decent year. So i guess it boils down to what works in you part of the country dollar wise as well.