What do you feed? Do you use a feed cooker or not?

[justintime]

I imagine there are lots of variations in rations used for developing show cattle , and steers and heifers, depending partly on where you live... and partly on what feeds are available. I was interested in finding out if most buy prepared feeds from a feed mill... or do you blend your own ration using some grain you may grow on your farm, or purchase locally? Does anyone have a feed cooker and cook grain as part of the ration?

I have  feed cooker and in the past year, I have had a few people trying to buy it. It had not been used for 35 years, so I plugged it in a few weeks ago and put some barley and corn in it. I had almost forgot how good it smelled... and how crazy the cattle are for it. I have some bred heifers that I are going to a sale in 6 weeks and they will almost knock you down to get to the feed trough when you put some of the cooked grain in with some of the prepared feed they are getting. I was wondering if anyone else still cooks feed or not.

 

[dutch pride]

We had a steer we needed to push harder this year so we put about 3 #s of corn in a slow roaster with a equal amount of water at low temp and let it cook between feedings. Steer really loved it! Not only did he eat more at each feeding, he really put on some finish in a hurry. We just added it to his normal ration which is something we make up at local feed elevator.

DLZ

 

[farmboy]

were about to change what we have been feeding to a ration we were given which i was also told is what dave guyer feeds. it seems to have worked on the calves we bought

 

[simtal]

heifer/bull ration:    rolled oats and beet pulp (equal parts), kent pelleted protein.  ad lib grass hay/grass.  <-------------------------easy feeders
heifers                      rollled oats, beet pulp, dry rolled corn (equal parts), kent pelleted protein. grass hay <-------------------------harder feeders

Don't know of anyone feeding cooked feed around here (IL).  I think that there are easier/better ways to feed steers to get the same results. 

Anyone using distillers/soybean hulls in show cattle diets?

 

[HSV]

I feed a 14% custom ration that is prepared at a mill with a high percentage flaked corn, some oats and pellet and molasses's. I am away a lot and have a young family so I need to keep it simple. I would not be opposed to doing something else when I have more help.

 

[dutch pride]

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Anyone using distillers/soybean hulls in show cattle diets?

[/quote]

We used soy hulls and corn gluten in our feed mix. PM me if you want our complete ration

DLZ

 

[vet tech]

we also use soy hulls...they are a low fat and have a higher protien i believe....tell me if im wrong ))

 

[Jill]

We feed a mix that replicates Honor Show Chow using their premix.  We started out raising feeder pigs and we did a lot of custom mixing at home, when we switched over to cattle it was just easier and more economical to have them mix it at the mill rather than spend the day mixing feed.  We have cooked corn in the past and no I don't believe there are easier ways to get the same kind of results, but we just don't take the time unless it is for a calf that needs the fast weight or better finish.  We tried the soy hull pellets and just weren't happy with the consistancy of the feed, ended up with a lot of fines, we have also used corn gluten when we are trying to push one hard.  We have a neighbor that is getting in some corn gluten pellets to feed his cows this winter, may give those a try and see how they work.

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

I use a crock pot to cook up some sugar beet pulp in the winter time.

 

[kanshow]

Matt  - Stop by the next time you are over this way to get a bag of Full Tank to try. 

Where would you get a cooker these days?    We used to have one way back when I showed.  We cooked for horses and steers.    It just seems like the cattle are better doing these days.   

 

[BCCC]

Kanshow, you can get them from sullivans and possibly valley vet(not sure though)


We are feeding a pretty simple ration this year because alot of times, when we go to shows we dont take them all so I have to keep it simple so my dad or sister will actually feed them,so we will see how it turns out. We are feeding 1/2 corn, and 1/2 milo, or 1/2 Corn, 1/4 oats, 1/4 milo. And we throw it all in a electric cement mixer, and let it mix for awhile, And then we throw a mollases mix on it until, no more dust is floating around in there. And then we leave a protein block in their pen. When we start tying them up and leaving them under fans, we will have to get a protein pellet to add to their feed. Then for steers they get a flake of hay morning and night, and then for heifers they have free choice grass hay. I am trying to find some barley so I can feed that threw the summer.

As for cooking feed, we normally dont unless we are pushing one or need to finish it more.

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

And we throw it all in a electric cement mixer, and let it mix for awhile, And then we throw a mollases mix on it until, no more dust is floating around in there.

That is a great idea for a feed mixer. 

 

[Jill]

Matt  - Stop by the next time you are over this way to get a bag of Full Tank to try. 

Where would you get a cooker these days?    We used to have one way back when I showed.   We cooked for horses and steers.    It just seems like the cattle are better doing these days.   

We don't have one of the big cookers, we use crock pots for single feedings and it runs 12 hours per feeding, not elaborate but it works.

 

[BCCC]

And we throw it all in a electric cement mixer, and let it mix for awhile, And then we throw a mollases mix on it until, no more dust is floating around in there.

That is a great idea for a feed mixer. 

Its works great also its has handle so you can dump it and it took some tin flashign and made a deal to fit in the buckets on one end and the mixer on the other so you don't spill any of it.

 

[Limiman12]

So does cooking the corn make them.finish faster because they eat more or make the corn more digestible so they get more calories out of it?

 

[cowman 52]

Cooking the corn will get you more fat out of the same amount of corn. 


As far as mixing feed,  a mortor box will be the easiest way,  feed for 5 or 50 and a heck of a lot easier to haul than a cement mixer.  A 3 by 3 one foot deep will hold 150 lbs and let you stir it with a square nose shovel. 

 

[woodyc]

in scotland after world war 2 up until the early 80s it was standard to feed bulls 4 times a day a dry feed in the morning a cooked mash at lunch time a dry feed at 5pm and a cooked mash at 8pm plus a two goes at a foster cow and the bulls were sold a year old and very fat times changed and the lack of labour ment a change of management ment people bought in feed rather than mixing and did away with foster cows and cooked feed but in the last 5 years there is a swing to cooked feed again and now bran mash can be bought and you just add hot water but to my mind its very expensive i use a burco boiler for barley and the cattle love it and i have used forster cows and would do so again but its very frowned on in scotland now