Please help with Heifer Feed Ration

[RicochetFarms]

Since last November our farm has moved from milking holsteins to raising beef cattle and steers. My husband and I have just started our adventure on raising show beef heifers. We currently bought 2 Mainetaineer heifers and 4 Shorthorns that we would like to raise as show heifers. We have been feeding our animals Kent Beef Show Grower which has
13.5% crude protein
3.5% crude fat
11% crude fiber
Along with calcium, phosphorus, salt, potassium, copper, selenium, zinc, vitamin A, Vitamin D3, & Vitamin E
The main ingredients are corn, oats, barley, processed Grain By-Products, Cottonseed Hulls, Soybean Meal, Sunflower Meal, Dried Whey, etc.... However, the feed is costing us almost $19.00/bag and feeding our heifers 15lbs/day.

We have asked our local feed mill if they would recommend us creating our own mix and having them bag it or if they had a product that would do the same as the Kent mix. The gave us a CFS Beef Creep 14%
Crude Protein 14%
Crude Fat 3%
Crude Fiber 11.5%
ADF 15%
Calcium, Phosphorus, Salt, Selenium, Vitamin A, Vitamin D3, & Vitamin E
The main ingredients are corn, plant processed products, processed grain by products, and minerals.
The feed mill said that is would cost us $14/bag. They didnt say how much to feed except the label says a max of 5#/head.

Are we feeding in the right direction or do we need to be looking else where? Do people have cheaper suggestions?

 

[jbzdad]

The coop op in Healy Kansas has a grower ration and a finisher ration.... The coop in Dodge city has a finisher ration

Rage in price from 815 to 9 per bag.  Corn,distillers cottonseed hull pellets etc

All are good feed but not " name" feed

For slightly more than 1/2 that feed you could get these and just add a little supplement

Grain prices are really down. The feed companies may be a little slow to adjust down. But this is prolly about 500 bucks to the project

 

[jbzdad]

<party>Figure 140 days x 30 lbs is two tons

 

[jbzdad]

<party>A gravity flow trailer and buying in bulk saves labor and money

 

[CAB]

http://www.steerplanet.com/asklund-acres-aaok-feeding-program/

Many PPL have and are using this feed ration with success. You can tweak as needed for your area and available feedstuffs. Good Luck. Link above to the ration.

 

[paj315]

Personally, for $14 a bag I can buy Umbargers Lite em up or Payload . Which are both excellent feeds for show heifers and they are a complete feed . Other than maybe adding beet pulp . Just my opinion .