Self limiting feed

[350farms]

We had good results with the stock piles grass and liquid feed. Even as dry as it was it cut our feed time down significantly. The liquid feed is easy and hands free as it gets. You make a call and poof... it's there.

Not sure if the wcs is available in your area but we saw good results just feeding it as little as once a week. If you could line it up on the weekends it might work.

My goal is to only put hay out if its below freezing or if we pen up cattle or some thing of that nature.

Which liquid feed do you use?

 

[Brute 23]

Which liquid feed do you use?

I can not remember the name of the one I am using now. Id have to ask the guy next week.

You might read thru these 2 posts and maybe use the search portion for more. Every one on here chimed in with some good info on liquid feed.

Liquid Feed Results

After the thread on liquid feed I did some shopping and found a liquid feed we have been trying. If I remember correctly its like a 32% protein, 4% fat. It was really hard to find any one who emphasized the fat content besides Purina and they were just out of the ballpark, high. The feeders are...

www.cattletoday.com

There is another thread where I was pricing out several brands and people were talking about liquid feed. I can not for the life of me find it.

West Way was mentioned by CB or some one and was #2 option. I believe it is a large company that might be in your area. I just called the main number and they put me in contact with a dealer in my area.

 

[350farms]

Sounds good,
Thank y'all for your input.

 

[Farmgirl]

350,

I like you am not able to feed my cows every day during the winter. We have fed 38% cubes or cottonseed meal 1 or 2 times per week very successfully. The key is the higher protein. 20% cubes should be fed more frequently. This is a much cheaper method than liquid feed. BTDT

 

[Caustic Burno]

350,

I like you am not able to feed my cows every day during the winter. We have fed 38% cubes or cottonseed meal 1 or 2 times per week very successfully. The key is the higher protein. 20% cubes should be fed more frequently. This is a much cheaper method than liquid feed. BTDT

You priced cubes lately?
25 bucks a 100, that's the good price seen up to 32.

 

[Farmgirl]

Haven't fed any cubes since late winter. At least with the 38%ers you don't need to feed as much. I bet its still cheaper than liquid feed.

 

[farmerjan]

Mature dry cows winter on some stockpiled pasture and hay. Lactating young cows with fall calves pretty much the same but try to feed them a little better hay. The young weaned stuff has gotten corn silage topdressed with about 1 lb 17 % stocker pellets and the old cows with fall calves get corn silage along with hay.
I will feed any fall calving heifers good hay and maybe get some corn silage once-twice a week.... enough for 2 days maybe in the feed cart.... they get hay and fill up on that then the next day get some silage.... we try to not have fall calving first calf heifers, but sometimes they just need to get bred and so we have had some the last 2 years.

Everyone has free choice mineral, and salt blocks, which helps to keep them from spilling out the mineral. Have a couple of cows that really will not hardly touch the mineral, so the TM salt blocks help. Son keeps track of where he stacks which hay so can feed out the different "quality" hay to the different groups.
We will pull cows and put with different groups if one seems to be getting thin or something.... but we try to keep cows that will winter on what we have to feed. Weeded out the ones that need alot of tending to.... the dairy cows require a bit more but that is taken into consideration.... they will get a little grain a couple times a week if they have nurse calves on them but again, I try to not have nurse cows with calves in the winter. Calves will be able to come in through a creep gate for a little grain in the winter at the one place. It helps to make them calmer to work with too...

 

[Brute 23]

Haven't fed any cubes since late winter. At least with the 38%ers you don't need to feed as much. I bet its still cheaper than liquid feed.

It's not realy an apples to apples comparison with those two IMO. They are two different tools with two different applications. Some times you can get by with one or the other, some times you need both.

A 38% cube here is a cottonseed cube. They are around $16 per #50 bag. Loose cottonseed, with more nutrition, is #170 ish per #1000 tote. That's around 1/2 the price. Down side it you cant always cover as much ground moving wcs like a cube hopper.

 

[Lisagrantb]

Tried liquid and liked it but didn't like the fact that you couldn't move the tubs and that made for a muddy mess. We feed marginal hay 8-10 and this year it's looking like it is going to be worse because of all the rain so we have always kept 30% tubs out from the coop to supplement. Late last year we started using a 20% protein mixture with salt as the limiter with good results and it's less than 9$ a bag from the coop so pound per pound protein it's a good bit cheaper than tubs and still convenient. Where in La are you , I'm up red River from Colfax to natchitoches.

 

[350farms]

Tried liquid and liked it but didn't like the fact that you couldn't move the tubs and that made for a muddy mess. We feed marginal hay 8-10 and this year it's looking like it is going to be worse because of all the rain so we have always kept 30% tubs out from the coop to supplement. Late last year we started using a 20% protein mixture with salt as the limiter with good results and it's less than 9$ a bag from the coop so pound per pound protein it's a good bit cheaper than tubs and still convenient. Where in La are you , I'm up red River from Colfax to natchitoches.

I'm in Deville, less than an hour from ya. But we are in pretty poor soil, definitely not good river ground.

 

[Lisagrantb]

Well I kinda sum it up with you are going to spend money feeding them and it just depends on your strategy and situation. I see two kinds of fat cattle one is the small hobby types and the other is cattle in pastures that have oil/gas wells in them. We say it must be the paint on the wells that make them fat when they rub against it. All the normal cattlemen that are trying to just make a buck supplement as much as they can afford and it is what it is. Like someone said you can spend a fortune feeding what the experts say you need to feed. It's good to learn from them but at some point you just have to spend the little money you have in the best way you know how.

 

[350farms]

Well I kinda sum it up with you are going to spend money feeding them and it just depends on your strategy and situation. I see two kinds of fat cattle one is the small hobby types and the other is cattle in pastures that have oil/gas wells in them. We say it must be the paint on the wells that make them fat when they rub against it. All the normal cattlemen that are trying to just make a buck supplement as much as they can afford and it is what it is. Like someone said you can spend a fortune feeding what the experts say you need to feed. It's good to learn from them but at some point you just have to spend the little money you have in the best way you know how.

I understand that, I've had em for over 30 years. I was wanting to see what some others did, and appreciate the input.

 

[Farmgirl]

It's not realy an apples to apples comparison with those two IMO. They are two different tools with two different applications. Some times you can get by with one or the other, some times you need both.

A 38% cube here is a cottonseed cube. They are around $16 per #50 bag. Loose cottonseed, with more nutrition, is #170 ish per #1000 tote. That's around 1/2 the price. Down side it you cant always cover as much ground moving wcs like a cube hopper.

Brute,

In my message I was referring to 38% cubes or CS meal. Not whole CS.

 

[Gonz]

If you go with the liquid, look into Mix30. Folks I know seem to be happy with it and I think it is a fair bit cheaper than the accuration.

 

[Jafruech]

I've tried a good bit over the years, but my job now has me tied up until after dark during the week, which makes hand feeding every day pretty tough. That is why I swapped to the accuration blocks. I paid for the convenience, but now the price has forced me to find a better alternative.

The prarie hay rounds I feed test at around 6.5-7% protein. Cost about 110 a ton delivered (65% of that is freight but WAY cheaper than I can get here locally).

During Blizzards and the weeks that are severe sub zero, I feed some oat hay rounds (2 prarie hay bales to 2 oat hay bale) that tested at 12.5% protein.

When feeding on dead forage that has been sitting for a few years, I'll supplement a 22% natural chelated mineral tub just because it's easy and they last pretty well for me.

 

[Caustic Burno]

It's not realy an apples to apples comparison with those two IMO. They are two different tools with two different applications. Some times you can get by with one or the other, some times you need both.

A 38% cube here is a cottonseed cube. They are around $16 per #50 bag. Loose cottonseed, with more nutrition, is #170 ish per #1000 tote. That's around 1/2 the price. Down side it you cant always cover as much ground moving wcs like a cube hopper.

Cotton seed, sow bean has followed corn.
That 1000# tote is over 200 bucks now.

 

[Brute 23]

Cotton seed, sow bean has followed corn.
That 1000# tote is over 200 bucks now.

It's still going to be cheaper than feed in a sack made with cottonseed.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Unlike all of you, I feed 6 months of the year. But --- my land really produces grass. We put up baleage - generally around 15%. That is all they get plus free choice good loose mineral. Hay is getting mowed right now! I basically have 200 acres usually with 50 breeding females (heifers & cows). 200 includes about 45 acres woodland, 85 acres hay field, 70 acres pasture & scrub areas. 30 acres of hay field, we usually late fall graze. Last year was the only year since 1978 that I had to buy hay for winter feed. We get 2 cuttings.

 

[callmefence]

What works for one won't necessarily work for another. What works this year won't necessarily work next.

We always plant some oats and have good volunteer ryegrass that's the best way. Cows at home or any groups that are on hay means we're in there every couple days. So might as well feed them. Last fall I paid 190- 200 per ton for whole cottonseed. 20 percent protein 20 fat 20 fiber. You can't get much better feed. Cows on stockpiled grass only getting checked every several days we use liquid feed and tubs depending on location. Very little cake fed here. WCS is just as easy and far cheaper and better.
Gin trash is not a supplement it's a filler. Why can't you move liquid feeders? I do it all the time.

 

[ccr]

We put our liquid feeder on a pallet and move it with the tractor pallet fork.