ok..sounds good...but i need a better price or bulk cottonseed tote before i purchase.
Who's fixin to start feeding hay
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DCA farm
Well-known member
Crazy that many held on to them till day of sale I try any take mine day before if I know ima be selling some like I'm doing right now I'm kinder Louisiana bound with some open dry bags pairs and a couple young cows that didn't raise their calves well
callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
You go straight to the gin. We use a dump trailer but it's easy to haul and handle if you don't have a dump.
callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
You go straight to the gin. We use a dump trailer but it's easy to haul and handle if you don't have a dump
Search for a cotton gin or maybe a coop that makes feed in the area. That's about as direct purchase as you can get.
I'll have to check on Gin's...never heard of it and never been there...would you know of the closest one to dallas/ waco area? I found this link for bulk cottonseed sellers https://wholecottonseed.com/cottonseed-marketplace/texas-cottonseed-suppliers/ ...but i like the idea of bringing in-hauling the cubes myself
callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
We go to Taylor or Granger. Granger is certainly close enough to Waco. But you should be able to find one closer I would think.
Caustic Burno
Well-known member
I predict a lot are out for good.Seems like a lot of people selling out. I wonder how many get back in shortly after. I mean, I haven't been doing this long and have already sold out and bought more and thinking about getting out again.
When the average age is 60+ for cattlemen in Texas.
I have already seen the decline.
The small operations is what keeps the Ag industry alive like all small businesses.
You don't need a local tractor dealership for two or three big operators. It has been a land utilization operation all my life.
In my area it's just not being used for cattle anymore.
Last USDA figures I saw there were 247,000 operations in the state, the vast majority were small herds.
You can't backfill that it's an acreage thing.
Hpacres440p
Well-known member
There is a gin in Birome
bird dog
Well-known member
Also one in Frost. There is no cotton seed available at this time of the year. there maybe some when the harvest starts but it goes quickly to favored customers. Its not a easy club to break into.
callmefence
Keyboard cowboy
Cottonseed is available ~november thru December sometimes into Jan. . If they're out just get on the list. We always buy enough to last to next year.
I've feed it two years old with no noticable decrease in quality. Rodents and insects hardly bother it.
I've feed it two years old with no noticable decrease in quality. Rodents and insects hardly bother it.
We have a lot of cotton in the area and several gins have it year round here. Pretty handy. You are right about storing it. I don't mind buying it because if it greens up or what ever you can just stop and save it for winter or the next time you need it.
WalkerRanch 3-2
Active member
The local feed store may offer what they call "ground feed" and is sold in bulk ration. It is what I get in my feeder & sometimes by the ton in a big waterproof bag. It has crushed corn and little pellets.
Ground feed costs a fraction of what cubes cost. See if your local feed stores have something like that. Lot of cattle eat that daily without hay. I feed hay but my cousin just feeds ground feed. No sacks
That is a good point. Our local feed store is offering ground feed in #2000 totes now and there is quite a bit of savings from sacks also if you can handle them.The local feed store may offer what they call "ground feed" and is sold in bulk ration. It is what I get in my feeder & sometimes by the ton in a big waterproof bag. It has crushed corn and little pellets.
Ground feed costs a fraction of what cubes cost. See if your local feed stores have something like that. Lot of cattle eat that daily without hay. I feed hay but my cousin just feeds ground feed. No sacks
collegeboundgal
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If their auctions are anything like ours, one could take them in the NIGHT BEFORE and still be the second to last one to sale. I know because I stayed to see them sale. I was NOT happy. That was the last time I took anything there.
I wasn't worried about the drought until this past week. We didn't have an abundance of grass but had enough. Well looking yesterday I'm not so sure now. I doubt I'll be panic selling though. We've fed our way through dry times before. To me it's kinda like sell and loose unrealized money now and when rebuilding or feed and loose real money this year. Not sure I can take another herd rebuild. The big misconception out there is that cows can only survive a drought if you feed them lots of hay.
Lucky...these past few days...I was so close to staging up the stock-trailer to sell at least 50% or even all my herd...but what you're saying is exactly why I don't want to rebuild another herd..I have a young group 2 to 3 year old cows....only a few had their second calf....all are proven to deliver on their own...hierarchy has been established...well oiled herd. The Divine message I got was to "keep on keeping on" ....so that's what i'm going to do. It's just money....God always provides more....it's always been the case in my life. I need to keep the faith...to tell you the truth (I know) God put me here late in life as a cattle producer...why would He want me to quit, sell out and sit on a computer all day trading stock or wandering around doing little things all day versus pulling fencing and bringing feed. As a producer I'm supposed to be productive...with or without money. I'm staying in cattle and riding out the drought...i expect it to be rough...unforgiving.
KAstocker
Well-known member
One thing I like about having stockers is there is always value in keeping certain classes of them. Not always the case for dry cows. This hasn't happened yet, but if I ran out of grass, I could send them to a custom yard. Feed price goes up with short supply, but so does value of putting weight on them.
OP
OP
cowgirl8
Well-known member
After 2011, we've kept 2 yrs of hay on hand. It also helps that we bale our own. We dug out our ponds, built new ones because if you run out of water it dont matter how much hay you have. My goal is to hang on for the next 2014/15.. What happened then was it didnt look like the market was going to go up so people sold during the drought and decided to slowly add to build their herds. But remember what happened.. Cow prices went sky high. I dont know about you guys but i wasnt going to buy someones old cow for 3500 , but people were grabbing and snatching.. We just stuck steady and built our herd up like we've always done. Now, we've discussed this, husband and i and thought, maybe the next 2014, we'd sell out, sell every cow except for a small herd of young cows. 300 bred cows at 3,500 each.. Of course we could do that now with our hay.. we have around 3000 that isnt for sale.. but if it goes up to 100 a bale...luckily, we have a lot to sell which was our other drought thought.. Find as much to bale to sale.. Got super lucky. Son told me he found a note on his tractor, someone wanting hay. He had been driving all around looking for fields with hay. We went into this early in the year not knowing if we'd get stuck with a bunch of cheap hay or gamble that our 10 yr drought was going to be this year.
I remember in 2014, i was out getting donations at the 4way for the fire department. A trailer full of cattle pulled up and i help my nose, they were really stinky. The driver rolled his window down and yelled, "Thats the smell of MONEY." Remember those days???
Cattlelow
Well-known member
Well said.
