protien tubs

[cross_7]

our local feed store has was looks like cooked molasses in big tubs
he has a couple different ones
20% protien and 4%
32% protien and 12%

has anyone tried these
are they a good source of protien for cattle on dry standing grass ?

 

[hillsdown]

I will be putting out a lot of protein tubs this winter. I think I will go for the highest % of protein..

Ask your nutritionist ?

 

[TexasBred]

our local feed store has was looks like cooked molasses in big tubs
he has a couple different ones
20% protien and 4%
32% protien and 12%

has anyone tried these
are they a good source of protien for cattle on dry standing grass ?

Cross what do the 4% and 12% represent? Non Protein Nitrogen?? What's the price on the tubs.

 

[cross_7]

our local feed store has was looks like cooked molasses in big tubs
he has a couple different ones
20% protien and 4%
32% protien and 12%

has anyone tried these
are they a good source of protien for cattle on dry standing grass ?

Cross what do the 4% and 12% represent? Non Protein Nitrogen?? What's the price on the tubs.

sorry
the second number is fat

around 80.00 for the 32%
and 50.00 for 20%
200# tubs
i'm going to gone for 2-3 days at a time so i thought that these might work as a supplement while i'm gone
since the grass is lacking

 

[rockridgecattle]

I will be putting out a lot of protein tubs this winter. I think I will go for the highest % of protein..

Ask your nutritionist ?

Watch out HD, some tubes are meant for different things. Calves get a different protien tub than weaned, than cows even.
when you cost out the tubes, they are quiet expensive compared to grain.

As well, some tubes are low moisture, some are high. High moisture makes it more readily available and they will go through it like candy. The low moisture they have to work at it, so they are on more of a maintainer amount.

Last year we were going to use tubes to supplement. One of the livestock guys from MAFRI (manitoba ag) had the cow boss software. it increased the feed bill higher than increasing grain. With grain all cows get about the same. Where as the tubes, unless you put out several at a time to feed the whole herd, the boss cows eat alot and the lowers get way less.

during our drought last year we rolled barley, got them up to 5# of it a day, and added rumensin to help get the most from the feed as well as to prevent codcidious from being shed.

 

[dun]

The only advantages to feeding tubs vs some other supplement is the labor and the storage.

 

[cross_7]

The only advantages to feeding tubs vs some other supplement is the labor and the storage.

i agree
i could feed cottonseed or alfalfa, but thats not an option.
i'm having a hard time believing a 200# tub will be beneficial
but they must have some value

 

[Angus Cowman]

Tubs are actually a very good source of protein but you better have alot of forage for them to eat because if not they will try and fill up on the tubs I did some comparisions on tubs last yr for a feeed dealer and I found out the most expensive tubs were actually the cheapest to feed

I was using them for cows grazing on stockpiled fescue and cleaning up thick standing grass that they otherwise wouldn't eat or when they did it had little protein

the ones I ended up using made the cows and calves look slick and shiny and the cows did clean up alot more of the rank grass than in previous yrs

I am not using them this yr on the cow herd except on some 1st calf hfrs and some replacement hfrs just so they get an extra boost

there was a pretty good discussion on this last yr on a thread I started
the ones I fed had 12% fat and I beleive 38% protein cost per day per cow averaged around $.27 per hd per day

 

[AngusLimoX]

Haven't used them in years and think I was foolish when I did.

 

[hillsdown]

Well I am feeding grain to my cows this year because of the drought and no feed, and I will use my own plan as I know my cows best. Having said that, protein tubs put out free choice if all is up to snuff will be used by cattle as they see the need..

If you are on top of your herd you will know exactly what is going on..


That is why I said consult your nutritionist..

 

[skyline]

I started using them last winter when I had to be out of town for a week. I use the 38% tubs. It has a limiter in it and from my calcs, using actual consumption (which is pretty close to what the tubs said) the price worked out to be fairly close to the 20% cubes that I was feeding. I liked the results that I got last year and have started using them again this season. The 38% tubs can be fatal to horses, so if you have any horses, be careful they don't get in the pasture with your cows.

 

[TexasBred]

Cross_7, in your circumstance the tubs should work very well for you. Get the higher quality tubs and you'll be fine especially if you have one available with a 10-12% fat content. Intake should be about what's advertised for the tub and seldom if there an overeating problem regardless of size or agressiveness of certain cows. They jsut get there first and leave first. NPN can be but seldom is fatal to horses. There is just not enough in the tubs nor do they eat enough to consume at a fatal level. I've seen them standing at lick tanks eating liquid feed with NPN in it with no harmful results.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Well I am feeding grain to my cows this year because of the drought and no feed, and I will use my own plan as I know my cows best. Having said that, protein tubs put out free choice if all is up to snuff will be used by cattle as they see the need..

In the first sentence you are using your own plan and in the second sentence the cows are running the show??? :lol:

My nutritioinst advised me to spend $800 a year on candy my cows haven't needed for years.
Lets see, candy for Bessy or new rifle for ALX ???

My situation - I got took - it won't happen again.

 

[TexasBred]

So now you're saying you have "obese" cattle and you still have to hunt with the old gun?? :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

 

[HerefordSire]

Ask your nutritionist ?

:?: :?: :?: :?: :?: :?: :?: :?:

In addition to a vet bill?

 

[AngusLimoX]

So now you're saying you have "obese" cattle and you still have to hunt with the old gun?? :lol2: :lol2: :lol2:

Am I that hard to decipher! :lol:
Sorry Bessy, I am a sucker for cold blue steel.

I remember when I first used the tubs, I needed a second load, but the feed store said they couldn't get any more for a while as they got held up at the border. Too many chicken feathers in the mix. Chicken feathers and mollasses. For 70 bucks a tub.

I know they ( tubs ) have come a ways since then, but just don't see needing them again.

I guess if I started needing to spend a couple calves worth of profit on things that should be in my feed then it would be time to assess whether I should be in cattle or not. They get loose minerals and sodium blocks, it's all they need around here.( Gotta keep an eye on Se deficiency Vit E though ).

 

[backhoeboogie]

If your hay is good, protein tubs are a waste of money in my opinion. Loose minerals and good hay is the least expensive means for me to maintain good BCS.

During droughts there was a lot of import hay around here that wasn't very good. Cows were selling dirt cheap. You could make a good business case analysis then for protein tubs.

 

[hillsdown]

HS a nutritionists advice is free BTW. Have you never had your feed analyzed ? :???:

ALX in a good year I would say they are a waste of money, but in a feed crisis it will be a necessity. My cattle tell me what they need by their condition and coat. I feed accordingly. My cows calving the first of the year and a feed crisis could be interesting to say the least, I am going to have to be right on top of my game.
The replacement heifers will have access to the creep feed and will be fed the lowest quality of feed with a new mineral (I haven't picked it up yet) that was suggested to me from my nutritionist.

The dry cows will have to eat straw and grain plus very low quality feed as well and will have access to the protein tubs, I am using the same minerals that I use with my flush cows and recips.

The fresh cows will get a combination of straw, good quality hay , grain and protein tubs for when they feel they need it. The calves will have creep hay and calf starter. I will also provide the same minerals that I used last year for fresh cows.

What I am doing is done often but not usually with a herd that calves so early in the year and could face some very extreme temps.

Like I said it will be a whole different game this year, hay to buy is not an option, there isn't any around this year and although many have said there would be a lot of cereal hay there isn't any . The green feed around was cut far too late to be of any value more than straw and the price they want for it is the same as hay 80-100 $'s a 1000 lb bale plus shipping... I have already stripped my herd down to the bare minimum ,so I need to be very creative this calving season..

 

[HerefordSire]

HS a nutritionists advice is free BTW. Have you never had your feed analyzed ? :???:

Heck no. I don't trust anyone with my cattle.

 

[TexasBred]

If your hay is good, protein tubs are a waste of money in my opinion. Loose minerals and good hay is the least expensive means for me to maintain good BCS.

During droughts there was a lot of import hay around here that wasn't very good. Cows were selling dirt cheap. You could make a good business case analysis then for protein tubs.

The value of protein supplementation is always related to the value of your roughages. Good hay, very little additional protein needed......low quality roughages....a little protein supplementation may be in order or you can just let them survive winter and hope for a wet spring.