backgrounding cattle

[aj]

If one had extra round bales of cane..........what would be the simplest cheap ration to add pounds on say 20 steer calves. Round bale feeder.......decent sorgum sudan cane. Now what.......couple pounds of grain aday....or not.....protein tubs or cake in a bunk......since its a small number and ddg is hard to get....I didn't consider this. Not trying to get them to show level......just to a feedyard level. Not wanting to uase a feed wagon and tractor. Maybe no way to avoid this though.

 

[GoWyo]

I would probably feed 3-5 lbs of good quality alfalfa per head per day to increase the protein so they can digest the cane hay and if the grain is cheap maybe 3-4 lbs of that to get a little more gain.  Tubs are usually an expensive source of protein compared to alfalfa.

 

[RyanChandler]

Corn. The calves need energy - not so much protein. 

 

[GoWyo]

I guess you better test your protein percentage in the sorghum-sudan hay, aj.  What I have seen is that it is about 7-9% crude protein if headed out.  Six-weight calves need about 1.5# of crude protein per day.  If the hay is 8% c.p., then they will need about 19 lbs. of your hay per day to get enough to gain 1.5# per day.  I guess if they meet their basic protein requirements, then add energy through carbs or fat, whatever is cheap, if you want a higher rate of gain.  If the steers are going to pasture in the next few months, then it doesn't make much sense to put a bunch of expensive dry lot gain on them.

 

[nate53]

Simple:  Feed a square bale of alfalfa everyday.  Start out at about 5lbs. of corn and work your way up to 10 or so a day.  This with your sudan should be simple enough.  Maybe put a little rumensin in with the corn.  We usually grind some square bales of alfalfa in with the corn and hand feed.  You want enough corn in it to make them grow but not get fat.

Extra Round bales?  Is this what happens when it rains in western Kansas? ;D

 

[RyanChandler]

If the Sudan was cut when it should have been- long before it headed out- it's CP% should be more than adequate. Even when offset with 8% corn.

 

[knabe]

why do cattle need to grow at their genetic maximum?

if not, is their mature size stunted or merely delayed.

 

[aj]

Cane 8%. I could get thinga out on some volunteer wheat.....but I have 11 miles of electric fence to build right (stalks). Bolz always said if you feed more than 3 pounds of grain you might as well feed 10 pounds because the grain screws up the forage bugs. Last year I grew replacement heifers on no grain,stalks, self feed round bales. But man......800# steer brings alot of mulaa at the salebarn. I am tempted to try 4 tubs of cheap Orchelon protein tubs. No labor......calves won't over eat it maybe. 2 pounds of grain aday on 60 head would only be 5 buckets aday in the bunk I guess.

 

[aj]

Cane at 125$ a ton.....6 cents apound........0625 cents....times 20 pounds. Dollar 25 to gain a pound and a half? Some return not much Cattle feeding is hard.

 

[RyanChandler]

Surely you can find a cheaper roughage source.  I can buy good coast hay for cheaper here.

 

[RyanChandler]

*coastal