What protein feed would you choose.

[greggy]

I feed calves a pellet.

There are various ones out there and many are marketed to the animals age.

I have plenty of other supplement feed, however most is low protein.

Calves all weaned long ago, are at about say 300lb average.

Pellets all contain vit and mineral and they get a bit over a percent of body weight in pellet, max reccomended is 2....

Pellet for young calves is 20% protein

Pellet for 300lbsers is a 16%

Price is about 40 a tonne more for the 20%

Would you use the higher protein when also feeding the other low protein supplement.

Money wise vs % there seems no real advantage that I can see.

They are fed the 2 feeds seperate, but following each other, essential same as mixing.

There is an option to ad barley to slow starch release, not sure what value that may be. They have no issue I know of as is....and are limited and in 2 feeds.....

 

[callmefence]

If your grass and hay isn't good enough

Nothing I know of can beat whole cottonseed

 

[Buck Randall]

If your grass and hay isn't good enough

Nothing I know of can beat whole cottonseed

Cottonseed is great feed, but it's awfully expensive if you're not in a region that grows it.

 

[greggy]

I am not sure we can even get it locally, the drought has done all sorts of things to prices and supply.

The mill that is within an hr uses mainly canola & some other grains, they have same issue, if the ingredients get too expensive or hard to get, it would put them out of business.

And that is prob why I have never seen anything above 20%, I have a small supply of Lupin which is 30%, but is not reliable, I used to mix some of that to improve protein, but the pellets also have rumensin type product and vit and minerals and buffers, so, it is worth using those pellets for that reason.

 

[wbvs58]

Greggy this time last year I was adding soyabean meal. Thommo the manager at the coop reckoned it was the cheapest protein source last year, about 40% protein. Other years I have used cotton seed meal when it was best value. I buy it in the 1 ton bags.

Ken

 

[callmefence]

If your grass and hay isn't good enough

Nothing I know of can beat whole cottonseed

Cottonseed is great feed, but it's awfully expensive if you're not in a region that grows it.

Cheap enough if you're a few miles from the gin.

 

[Bcompton53]

I use soybean meal mixed with corn.

 

[kilroy60]

Why spend money on extra protein when it's not needed? Too much protein is a waste of money. If you're wanting to fatten up your calves, they need more fat/carbs - not protein. Review your feed ingredients wherever you purchase your feed. Look for the fat content in the feed versus the different protein levels.

 

[greggy]

The pellet is part of the diet, they get a lot of low protein high energy feed....they are growing calves...

The issue may be volume able to be consumed....it is the only reason I am weighing it all up.

 

[callmefence]

Whole cottonseed can reach 25 percent protein
23 percent fat and a tdn of 90 percent. You just can't beat that.

 

[Dave]

Alfalfa. But I am in the middle of 1,000's of acres of irrigated alfalfa. Cheaper than anything else.

 

[greggy]

How much delivered 150 miles west of Sydney ?