Salvage feeder from old hay wagon

[Dave]

Back 50+ years ago in college animal nutrition class I was taught that barley was worth 90% of the value of corn. At that time it was very rare to see a field of corn. What little you did see was raised for corn silage. Times have changed. There is a fair amount of corn raised in the irrigated west. But the key there is irrigation. Barley can be raised on dry land that is too dry to raise corn on. Northern Idaho is too far away from the major irrigation areas and the main cattle feeding areas thus corn in bulk is most likely not available. And the cattle fed in the PNW darn sure make grade regardless if they are fed corn or barley. I have a couple friends who retain ownership on hundreds of head. I have seen their close out sheets.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Let me know where I can get $300/wsc corn within 50 miles and I'll buy some.

If cash corn is $4/bu. That's less than $150/ton. That's a lot of wiggle room for freight and markup.

 

[NIdahoShorthorns]

Back 50+ years ago in college animal nutrition class I was taught that barley was worth 90% of the value of corn. At that time it was very rare to see a field of corn. What little you did see was raised for corn silage. Times have changed. There is a fair amount of corn raised in the irrigated west. But the key there is irrigation. Barley can be raised on dry land that is too dry to raise corn on. Northern Idaho is too far away from the major irrigation areas and the main cattle feeding areas thus corn in bulk is most likely not available. And the cattle fed in the PNW darn sure make grade regardless if they are fed corn or barley. I have a couple friends who retain ownership on hundreds of head. I have seen their close out sheets.

I have a good friend who used to run the feed program at El Oro in Moses Lake, WA. They feed out the Snake River Farms beef brand that grades prime and gets sold in fancy restaurants. One of their biggest starch inputs is potato waste left over from processing. He used to get the trimmings from the standing rib roasts for free, that's some good beef. Which gets to my point, feed what's available where you are.

 

[NIdahoShorthorns]

If cash corn is $4/bu. That's less than $150/ton. That's a lot of wiggle room for freight and markup.

I can't buy corn by the bushel, the cheapest it's available to me right now would be ~$450/ton. Someone else made up the $300/ton price.

 

[NIdahoShorthorns]

Wether you intended or not that's kind of a profound geographical cattle feeding statement; through out history the cattle out west were fed on days and the cattle in the Midwest were fed on quality because the "I" states raised the most corn and corn fed cattle grade.
So much so that thirty minutes from me they put in a rail spur that was meant to haul 100 car loads of corn at a time to Hereford, Texas to the feed lots.

Profound in what way? Timothy hay grown 5 miles from me gets shipped to China and Japan. That's a pretty valuable commodity; I can get the kick outs for ~$100-150/ton depending on the year. But just because local feed gets shipped out, doesn't mean I can afford to ship feed in. I said 50 miles because that's my rule of thumb; every 50 miles(one way) is $100 in hauling costs for me. I thought this pertinent to the thread because OP indicated he's starting out without a lot of resources; driving 50 more miles to save $100 doesn't actually save you anything. I could probably feed corn too if I was buying it off of rail cars.

 

[Dave]

I have a good friend who used to run the feed program at El Oro in Moses Lake, WA. They feed out the Snake River Farms beef brand that grades prime and gets sold in fancy restaurants. One of their biggest starch inputs is potato waste left over from processing. He used to get the trimmings from the standing rib roasts for free, that's some good beef. Which gets to my point, feed what's available where you are.

I have toured El Oro. I have a friend who retains ownership on 500-600 head that get custom fed at El Oro. That lot and a couple satellite lots in that area are owned and operated by AgriBeef. Their headquarters aren't far from me. They have a big program with Wagyu. My neighbor/partner sells them a semi load of yearling Wagyu bulls every year.
I mentioned earlier that big potato processing plants in the PNW all have big feedlots located close by. Moses Lake WA, Pasco WA Boardman OR, Caldwell ID. Grant County WA (Moses Lake) is the highest potato producing county in the nation.

 

[SBMF 2015]

Profound in what way? Timothy hay grown 5 miles from me gets shipped to China and Japan. That's a pretty valuable commodity; I can get the kick outs for ~$100-150/ton depending on the year. But just because local feed gets shipped out, doesn't mean I can afford to ship feed in. I said 50 miles because that's my rule of thumb; every 50 miles(one way) is $100 in hauling costs for me. I thought this pertinent to the thread because OP indicated he's starting out without a lot of resources; driving 50 more miles to save $100 doesn't actually save you anything. I could probably feed corn too if I was buying it off of rail cars.

What you said is EXACTLY why cattle were/are finished in the mid west. It was cheaper to put the feeder cattle on a rail car and ship them to the Midwest than it was to ship feed to the cattle.
Back in the 50's 60's 70's most farmers around here would buy at least one rail car of yearlings to finish out over winter.

 

[NIdahoShorthorns]

What you said is EXACTLY why cattle were/are finished in the mid west. It was cheaper to put the feeder cattle on a rail car and ship them to the Midwest than it was to ship feed to the cattle.
Back in the 50's 60's 70's most farmers around here would buy at least one rail car of yearlings to finish out over winter.

I think that's similar everywhere. Is it cheaper to ship the feed or the steer? Growing up where I did selling in the fall or feeding over winter all depended on the years hay crop. It's not really profound, it's just input cost vs. the price you think you'll get when you sell.

 

[sgreear]

Let me know where I can get $300/wsc corn within 50 miles and I'll buy some.

What exactly is WSC Corn? Water soluble carbs? What would I ask for going into the store? Remember, I'm a newbie here.

 

[mwj]

Whole shelled corn.

 

[sgreear]

Whole shelled corn.

Well now I just feel stupid.

 

[wbvs58]

Well now I just feel stupid.

Don't.

Ken

 

[sstterry]

Well now I just feel stupid.

Definitly don't. There are lots of abbreviations here I have had to either ask about or look up over the years.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I'm the die-hard WSC feeder. I would NEVER purchase any type of processed corn. Waste of money. Yes, flaked corn sure LOOKS purdy (pretty) - but waste of money. I show cattle - go to maybe 7-9 shows in the summer/fall. You should see some of the bag feed people feed. Now, don't get me wrong. I feed my spoiled show string more than just WSC, but it is the base of my ration. I add cotton seed pellets and PreCon for fillers. And, I feed LOTS of good grass hay, free choice all day & night.

 

[sgreear]

I watched a vid months ago and what they guy said was he feeds WSC and hay. To fatten his feeders. I thought he was dumb. He explained that he fed hay and corn in a % in lb. He said that the hay went to the rumen and helped digest the corn and convert starches to sugars I think. First time I had heard that.

As a kid I grew up on a dairy farm and my dad would never feed whole corn and said it would just come out the other end and get nothing. That's prob why I didn't grasp WSC being WSC. He did not feed hay. Yes he fed Cotten seed he fed Hersheys chocolate a blast of minerals and A few other things.

So the hay breaks wSC down??????? Do you feed a ratio or x amt of Corn and all the hay it can eat

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I am not a nutritionist and can't explain all the WHYS, but cattle need the fiber in their diet.
Yes, you see the "whole corn" in their manure, but if you had the sophisticated equipment to dissect the manure with cracked/processed corn, you will find just as much corn. You just can't SEE it.
I take fall born weaned calves in April, start them on the WSC diet. Granted, these are Simmental steers, so they are already 550-600#/6 month old calves. I finish them in October with an average (minimum) of 750# hot carcass weight. Full hay and/or grass from day 1 to finish.

 

[cowman82]

I'm the die-hard WSC feeder. I would NEVER purchase any type of processed corn. Waste of money. Yes, flaked corn sure LOOKS purdy (pretty) - but waste of money. I show cattle - go to maybe 7-9 shows in the summer/fall. You should see some of the bag feed people feed. Now, don't get me wrong. I feed my spoiled show string more than just WSC, but it is the base of my ration. I add cotton seed pellets and PreCon for fillers. And, I feed LOTS of good grass hay, free choice all day & night.

i moved to a new place and called up a 'feed mill' to price some feed. well, I guess they mostly dealt with show animals. They priced me a ton price of feed for 2,3xx.00

what... ??

 

[sgreear]

WSC around here is $280 -$300 a ton. 50 lb bag is same as a big bag from feed store

 

[sgreear]

I am not a nutritionist and can't explain all the WHYS, but cattle need the fiber in their diet.
Yes, you see the "whole corn" in their manure, but if you had the sophisticated equipment to dissect the manure with cracked/processed corn, you will find just as much corn. You just can't SEE it.
I take fall born weaned calves in April, start them on the WSC diet. Granted, these are Simmental steers, so they are already 550-600#/6 month old calves. I finish them in October with an average (minimum) of 750# hot carcass weight. Full hay and/or grass from day 1 to finish.

When you are feeding weaned calves 550-600 wsc what ratio per day do u feed? .5 % 1% ? I think I know u will prob move up to 2%? How long before slaughter are u at 2%? What are u doing for heifers?

 

[SBMF 2015]

When you are feeding weaned calves 550-600 wsc what ratio per day do u feed? .5 % 1% ? I think I know u will prob move up to 2%? How long before slaughter are u at 2%? What are u doing for heifers?

1% of their body weight up to about 900. Then start bumping them up 1/2lb wsc every 7days. By 1,100 they're eating 28-30lbs and can go on a self feeder. ( that's old school, the way we used to do it.)

Hfrs the same thing but they will finish smaller. Or go slower and grow them longer.