Trouble with math

[dun]

Numbers have never been by strong suite unless I have them written down somewhere.
When calculating feed requirements, is it 2 1/2% or 3 1/2 % of body weight.

 

[jkwilson]

For finishing, I've always heard 2-2 1/2% of body weight, no more than 25 lbs a day.

 

[1848]

I've always used 2 to 21/2 % Dun, but I have also heard of some going higher. Guess it depends on the percentage fiber, fat, protein, etc....and whether your showing.... :)

 

[milkmaid]

I've always heard to grain 'em at 2-2.5% of their body weight. So a 500lb calf would get 10-12.5lbs of grain per day. I usually grain at 2% and then provide free-choice hay or pasture. If you're talking total feed ration percentage it's more - I believe 3.5-5% or so. Might be even a touch higher. So for a 1,000lb cow that's around 35-50lbs of feed per day.

 

[Bobg]

I use the 2 1/2% figure for finish calves. We run them on grass until the are 16 month and then grain for 120 days, these are longhorn/Hereford crosses. They have been grading at high "Choice" I used to work for my Wife's Grandfather and the last 30 days that he would fatten a calve for themselves he would give them a 5 gallon bucket of feed a day.

Bobg

 

[dun]

Not addressing calves. This pertains to how to calculate how much hay I need for the cow herd. Since we have only rarely fed hay in years I forgot how to calulate the pounds per day.

dun

 

[milkmaid]

I'd be using that 3.5% - 5% figure then. Wish I didn't ever have to feed hay. :lol: When fed small bales free-choice, I can usually count on a cow cleaning up half a bale to a whole bale of hay per day. Bale = 60-70lbs or so for me, so that's 30-70lbs of hay/day...you're looking at least 4-5% of body weight. I believe I had a vet quote me 5-6% once.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I've always heard to grain 'em at 2-2.5% of their body weight. So a 500lb calf would get 10-12.5lbs of grain per day. I usually grain at 2% and then provide free-choice hay or pasture. If you're talking total feed ration percentage it's more - I believe 3.5-5% or so. Might be even a touch higher. So for a 1,000lb cow that's around 35-50lbs of feed per day.

Milkmaid has a useful post quoted above.

It depends on the size of their rumen, the amount of fiber in the feed, the amount of waste, and the ADG you are targeting. Mature rumens and low fiber feed and high rate of gain target means they can be fed more.

I plan for 2.7% to 3.0% dry matter intake for stockers on immature forage to get an ADG around 2 pounds. I have seen people recommend numbers between 2.0% and 4.0% based on numerous unknown assumptions.

 

[Texan]

This pertains to how to calculate how much hay I need for the cow herd.

Dun, I've always tried to figure around two percent for hay. Add in another ten percent of the total for waste. That would make it 2.2%. But that is also based on them being able to pick a little. Even if you're talking about hay only, with no pickings, I don't see how it could be much more than another half percent at most.

 

[Bez]

Not addressing calves. This pertains to how to calculate how much hay I need for the cow herd. Since we have only rarely fed hay in years I forgot how to calulate the pounds per day.

dun

Well Dun - I use the following - 10 x 5 foot round bales per cow per winter plus 2 round bales of straw - feed not bedding and whatever grain and mineral I can scrounge.

I know it is far out of reality for you, but thought I would throw it your way just for interest sake.

Regards,

Bez

 

[Texan]

Dun, I'm sure you already know most of this stuff, but you got me curious, so I found this article by Dr. Blezinger in Macon's archives. The whole article was pretty long, so I copied the part of it that might interest you.

"A very basic rule of thumb is that the average cow will eat about 2.4 percent of her body weight in dry matter per day. In other words, a 1,100 pound cow needs to consume around 26.5 pounds of dry matter every day. This is easy to calculate if a cow is eating only dry hay. The hay probably averages 85 percent dry matter or better. This means that an 1,l00 pound cow would need to consume about 31 pounds of hay per day (26.5 lbs DM/85% or 26.5/.85 = 31 lbs.) Therefore, this is from all sources, standing grass, hay, silage, grain, etc. Other factors which may affect this include temperatures (heat – they eat less, cold – they eat more), moisture conditions (wet, dry, muddy, etc.), stage of production (dry, trimester of pregnancy). Therefore we need to build in a “fudge factor” of 20 percent or so."

Complete article here:

http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2001 ... T171.shtml

 

[dun]

Dun, I'm sure you already know most of this stuff, but you got me curious, so I found this article by Dr. Blezinger in Macon's archives. The whole article was pretty long, so I copied the part of it that might interest you.

"A very basic rule of thumb is that the average cow will eat about 2.4 percent of her body weight in dry matter per day. In other words, a 1,100 pound cow needs to consume around 26.5 pounds of dry matter every day. This is easy to calculate if a cow is eating only dry hay. The hay probably averages 85 percent dry matter or better. This means that an 1,l00 pound cow would need to consume about 31 pounds of hay per day (26.5 lbs DM/85% or 26.5/.85 = 31 lbs.) Therefore, this is from all sources, standing grass, hay, silage, grain, etc. Other factors which may affect this include temperatures (heat – they eat less, cold – they eat more), moisture conditions (wet, dry, muddy, etc.), stage of production (dry, trimester of pregnancy). Therefore we need to build in a “fudge factor” of 20 percent or so."

Complete article here:

http://www.cattletoday.com/archive/2001 ... T171.shtml

BINGO, that was the number I was looking for. Searching around I hadn;t been able to find it, but with my typing skills I may not have had anything spelled right.

Thanks

dun