Bagged Show feed - Your input appreciated

[Silver]

I could care less about the price..its what is in the bag that counts..you get what you pay for in most cases.

You get what you pay for and you can only put so much feed down a calf so it should be the best quality available.

 

[LostFarmer]

Follow up question.  Do most feed straight from a bag or do they blend?  I look at $28 CWT for steers and what the kids sell them for and it isn't going to make it in our operation.  The projects have to come close to breaking even on the finance side.  Do people mix feeds a little different depending on the calf? 

 

[NHR]

We have fed several different brands of feed over the years. We have come back to feeding Honor Show Chow (Purina) Fitters Edge, It is the best we have found and we are getting it for $10.90 per 50 lbs and it is fresh off the truck.  Should have never changed!

Last year we fed Acco Showmaster and just had to many consistency problems and it was $11.50 per 50 lbs.

We also top dress with Vita Ferm's Sure Champ pellets.

 

[BCCC]

Umbargers all the way. We have cattle and pigs on it and wouldn't change a thing.

Best bagged feed by far.

Ditto

 

[stangs13]

Follow up question.  Do most feed straight from a bag or do they blend?  I look at $28 CWT for steers and what the kids sell them for and it isn't going to make it in our operation.  The projects have to come close to breaking even on the finance side.   Do people mix feeds a little different depending on the calf? 

If your wanting to mix feeds try HSC grand 4-tfyer, you can contact a rep or one of the ambassadors to get specific mix recipes, they also have some on the site.

 

[CMB]

We mix our own ration and I would put it up against any bagged ration. The only difference is it's 1/2 the price. I have fed them all and they do work well but unless cost isn't a matter then that's the way I would go. We use a premier show calf pellet/supplement in the ration. This ration costs $16 per 100#'s. It has corn, oats, barley, cotton seed hulls, show calf concentrate pellets, soyhull pellets, molasses, and meds. The biggest difference I would see is it does not have steam flaked corn.

 

[tama]

we are lucky to live in an area with muliple choices fro good feed mills> Right now the steers are on a mix from Kent hand made ration adjusted fat and protein to match weight goals etc. By the ton it is not cheap but way less than a bagged feed> tha most important part is the freshness.They will mix a ton or a half whatever we need.Like all feed it comes down to performance and if they won't eat they don't gain!The nice part up here is access to beet pulp/cotton hulls/rolled and flaked corn etc.  The coop doesn't have those products on a dailly basis but Kent (which is a small mll too) does have.Main thing is communication-make a few calls and check what they will do for you 

 

[jlingle]

We use the Circle R feed from Luther, Oklahoma.  Out of the feeds we've tried, our calves don't eat anything as well as they eat the Circle R feed.  They've done extremely well on it.

 

[stangs13]

Another thing, I dont care how much they eat, its what they do with what they do feed...HSC is made for calves to eat less of it, thus saving on the pocket book. I have seen calves switch from eating 30 lbs of grain a day with a competitor to 16 lbs of fitters edge and be just as full and fresh..so in the long run, are you saving more on a cheaper feed?

 

[AAOK]

Follow up question.  Do most feed straight from a bag or do they blend?  I look at $28 CWT for steers and what the kids sell them for and it isn't going to make it in our operation.  The projects have to come close to breaking even on the finance side.   Do people mix feeds a little different depending on the calf? 

A little off subject, but I think still fits in the topic of costs.  Whether it is the price of Feed, Calves, Show Supplies, Entry Fees, etc, when you're talking about your kid's projects you should consider the costs of operation not an expense, but rather an investment in the future of your children.  I can think of no sport or activity that will teach responsibility, the reward of hard work and corporate finance as well as do the combined tasks of showing cattle.  As the song says, "Teach your children well!" 

PS - If you want a good, cheap ration, send me a PM.  (but you're going to get a Feed Program too; which is usually more important than what you feed)

 

[CAB]

Follow up question.  Do most feed straight from a bag or do they blend?  I look at $28 CWT for steers and what the kids sell them for and it isn't going to make it in our operation.  The projects have to come close to breaking even on the finance side.   Do people mix feeds a little different depending on the calf? 

A little off subject, but I think still fits in the topic of costs.  Whether it is the price of Feed, Calves, Show Supplies, Entry Fees, etc, when you're talking about your kid's projects you should consider the costs of operation not an expense, but rather an investment in the future of your children.  I can think of no sport or activity that will teach responsibility, the reward of hard work and corporate finance as well as do the combined tasks of showing cattle.  As the song says, "Teach your children well!" 

PS - If you want a good, cheap ration, send me a PM.  (but you're going to get a Feed Program too; which is usually more important than what you feed)

  AAOK, that last P.S. you gave is exactly right. Too many PPL try to make what you feed so important, which it is, but how you feed is way more important IMO.

 

[Silver]

Another thing, I dont care how much they eat, its what they do with what they do feed...HSC is made for calves to eat less of it, thus saving on the pocket book. I have seen calves switch from eating 30 lbs of grain a day with a competitor to 16 lbs of fitters edge and be just as full and fresh..so in the long run, are you saving more on a cheaper feed?

I don't know about this, my calf is eating 33 lbs of FE and always wanting more. Along with as much grass as he can eat.

 

[NHR]

Another thing, I dont care how much they eat, its what they do with what they do feed...HSC is made for calves to eat less of it, thus saving on the pocket book. I have seen calves switch from eating 30 lbs of grain a day with a competitor to 16 lbs of fitters edge and be just as full and fresh..so in the long run, are you saving more on a cheaper feed?

I agree, we feed alot less with HSC compared to showmasterand others and are getting better results. Once we switched back to HSC our heifers hair started to look fresher and she has the show ring bloom that we like. Wont be switching again!

 

[klintdog]

We feed a ration from Woody's Feed  & Grain who is a local company in Norht Dakota, although I've seen people from all across the country feeding it. We pay approx $8/ 50lb bag.

 

[fordkindagirl]

We have always used Honor Show Chow. It is costly ($12.25/ 50 lb bag) but we've found it works out to about the same as other feeds (cost wise) since it is such a power packed feed( you don't have to feed as much). And it is an overall great feed.

 

[LostFarmer]

I am not disagreeing with you the feed program as in consistency and careful follow up is as important of more important than what is fed.  I pulled your ration from another thread and it looks like it will work.  The problem I run into is this is not corn country nor is it soybean or cotton.  We have barley and beet pulp to go with brewers grain as the primary commodities to work with.  I have fed the fitters edge and cut it with barley, oats, and a little grass hay.  Barley for me is cheap as in what ever the price at the bin is.  The problem I have had is acidosis when I push more barley.  It will lay down the fat at the end though. 

My point is I can go buy a winning calf.  A good friend in Wyoming raises some very good ones.  I can buy top notch feed and work the program but in the end a $125 buckle from Montana Silversmith is cheaper.  IF to win is your only goal.  I make the kids keep a record of the project to the last nickle.  They do the work.  Right now they are feeding at 5:30 am to get the feed down them when it is still cool then rinsing.  I get the project idea but to throw more into it than is needed or just winning is not the end result.  I am not raising cattle I am raising kids.  LF

 

[steerjock48]

Umbargers all the way btw 11.25 a bag