Question for those who buy lightweights to feed

[Stocker Steve]

Pretty tough to compete against growing corn lately.

Can be done but there is more risk with stockers.
Interesting accounting question is what if your stockers graze green corn?

 

[SRBeef]

Pretty tough to compete against growing corn lately.

Can be done but there is more risk with stockers.
Interesting accounting question is what if your stockers graze green corn?

That may be an interesting accounting question but as a practical matter, stockers grazing green, growing corn are likely going to be very sick or dead and provide a big expense deduction.

Jim

 

[AllForage]

Pretty tough to compete against growing corn lately.

Can be done but there is more risk with stockers.
Interesting accounting question is what if your stockers graze green corn?

That may be an interesting accounting question but as a practical matter, stockers grazing green, growing corn are likely going to be very sick or dead and provide a big expense deduction.

Jim

Couldn't be more wrong, do some homework. Growing OP or grazing variety corn with minimal N due to management practices can be extremely practical. My only thoughts are that the protein will be too low for growing cattle and will need some supplementation. Green leaf corn is generally best used on finishing cattle.

 

[Stocker Steve]

My only thoughts are that the protein will be too low for growing cattle and will need some supplementation. Green leaf corn is generally best used on finishing cattle.

Buyers like to see big green yearlings coming off short pasture with their ribs showing - - but I think then you are leaving money on the table.
Green leaf corn can provide an ADG 3# to "pop" yearlings. Most of the corn stalk is left in the field. Must have an OK feed balance to get that level of gain.
Typically they are only on it for a couple weeks before they go to the feed lot, and if your corn is off in August then it opens up some double cropping options. On paper cereal rye looks good.

 

[TexasBred]

Pretty tough to compete against growing corn lately.

Can be done but there is more risk with stockers.
Interesting accounting question is what if your stockers graze green corn?

With corn near $7.50 a bushel you've got your work cut out for you Steve. Grazing corn is not uncommon. I wouldn't graze any heat stressed corn but the good stuff would be pretty much like feeding silage. I'd introduce them to it slowly until they adjust to it.

 

[AllForage]

My only thoughts are that the protein will be too low for growing cattle and will need some supplementation. Green leaf corn is generally best used on finishing cattle.

Buyers like to see big green yearlings coming off short pasture with their ribs showing - - but I think then you are leaving money on the table.
Green leaf corn can provide an ADG 3# to "pop" yearlings. Most of the corn stalk is left in the field. Must have an OK feed balance to get that level of gain.
Typically they are only on it for a couple weeks before they go to the feed lot, and if your corn is off in August then it opens up some double cropping options. On paper cereal rye looks good.

Steve, I confess to not knowing much about what "buyers" want. I do know that is not always in your best interest. Growing cattle need sufficient protein and green corn does not have enough. IF these stockers are 800 or over they should be fine but any smaller and they need supplement. I believe there should not be a rumen adjustment necessary so as soon as they get the hang of what the stuff is they start gaining and I have read up to 4#'s a day. It is an expensive crop even with little N input from outside and a couple of weeks only is not worth the effort in my opinion. Now if you just "leaf" grazed and then sent the cows in behind to clean up then that would make sense.

Stockman Grass Farmer has probably done more to promote real life producers grazing green corn. I don't care for the magazine at all anymore though. I have been tempted to grow some, but I think I will go for BMR sorhum sudan. You get multiple grazing and can cut it for hay. I know it does not have the gains of corn but it is cheaper and less risky in my opinion.

 

[Stocker Steve]

There is a cost to having "growing" cattle not gaining anything on slumping summer pasture. I don't understand how we can not afford to supplement when the buyer can afford to put these same yearlings on full feed ?

Yes there is also a cost and some labor to supplementing. In the past - - fertilizer, supplementing with harvested forage, and supplementing with standing grain had similiar feed costs. Between 2 and 3 cents per pound.
Last summer we mostly supplemented on pasture with alfalfa hay since it was by far the cheapest palitable feed and we were too short on moisture to have fertilizer work. I will re run the projections for 2013, but cattle futures are up and corn futures are down compared to this summer.