whats a basic cheap feed?

[dutch pride]

Probably about as inexpensive a Complete Finishing ration you can mix.  Just need to add a quality Mineral.
1200 lbs. cracked corn
400 lbs. cotton seed hulls
200 lbs. whole oats
100 lbs. soy bean meal
100 lbs. molasses

This mix works very well and is a 10.5 pro and 5.2 fat at a cost of 218/ton  this week the soy oil does hair good.
SOYBEAN HULLS

amounts of each per ton please?

DLZ
CORN GLUTEN FEED
CRACKED CORN
COTTONSEED HULLS
CORN DIST GRAIN
LIMESTONE 38%
SOY OIL
BOVATEC 20
CANE MOLASSES
LN VIT PREMIX
4-PLEX

 

[Gerard]

Probably about as inexpensive a Complete Finishing ration you can mix.  Just need to add a quality Mineral.
1200 lbs. cracked corn
400 lbs. cotton seed hulls
200 lbs. whole oats
100 lbs. soy bean meal
100 lbs. molasses

This mix works very well and is a 10.5 pro and 5.2 fat at a cost of 218/ton  this week the soy oil does hair good.
SOYBEAN HULLS

amounts of each per ton please?

DLZ
CORN GLUTEN FEED
CRACKED CORN
COTTONSEED HULLS
CORN DIST GRAIN
LIMESTONE 38%
SOY OIL
BOVATEC 20
CANE MOLASSES
LN VIT PREMIX
4-PLEX

47 SOYBEAN HULLS 23.770
32 CORN GLUTEN FEED 12.000
24 CRACKED CORN 40.000
7 COTTONSEED HULLS 8.750
31 CORN DIST GRAIN 7.000
61 LIMESTONE 38% 1.700
22 SOY OIL 2.250
78 BOVATEC 20 0.120
30 CANE MOLASSES 4.000
86 LN VIT PREMIX 0.350
85 4-PLEX 0.060

 

[Gerard]

this ration is discounted because we feed a lot of feed , if you go and get it mixed it will be in the 300/ ton or more had a friend got it mixed at Blanchard OK and was 300+ / ton before corn went up.

 

[AAOK]

Wow that's cheap I think

I would guess that is a typo. Maybe $280/ton

Opps! Had to wait till I got home to verify; my quote was $259/ton for the ration AAOK uses (that was quoted on 10/28). That is bagged. Anyone know where I can get a good feed storage bin so I can get it in bulk and save some expense there?

Client of mine.  Great Company.....they can build anything you want, and have dealers scattered all around the Midwest.  Give them a call   http://heavybiltmfg.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=53

 

[AAOK]

this ration is discounted because we feed a lot of feed , if you go and get it mixed it will be in the 300/ ton or more had a friend got it mixed at Blanchard OK and was 300+ / ton before corn went up.

Gerard, where do you live, around Blanchard? Who mixes there?  I know a guy in Noble looking for a mill to mix his feed.

 

[Gerard]

this ration is discounted because we feed a lot of feed , if you go and get it mixed it will be in the 300/ ton or more had a friend got it mixed at Blanchard OK and was 300+ / ton before corn went up.

Gerard, where do you live, around Blanchard? Who mixes there?  I know a guy in Noble looking for a mill to mix his feed.

I am outside of Morris but my friend got some mixed at LNC they have a mill at Blanchard.

 

[Sammy]

I am curious why no one has recommended just a 50/50 mix of gluten and soybean hull pellets for what is apparently just a calf?  The price for that has ranged from $125 a ton delivered and now is up to 175 a ton delivered.  Works well enough for calves of all sizes on a commercial basis.  We use it for creep feed and backgrounding on pasture.  To me for just growing out a steer that is not going to be shown until next summer, as in a county fair steer, why not feed him this way and then a few months before the show perhaps put him on the high dollar ration.  I would seriously doubt that the end result would be one bit different as opposed to feeding the $300 a ton stuff all the way. 

 

[bobwire]

We are currently feeding a 3-3-3 mix: 1/3 each corn gluten, chopped corn, and soyhull pellets to all our goats and both heifers.  The Shorthorn heifer, who turned a year in September, has been on this ration since we finished showing her in late July and has absolutely florished on it.  We consulted with our VitaFerm rep on a ration for the 4/1/10 Balancer heifer we purchased a few weeks ago and he was comfortable leaving her on this ration top dressed with Vitaferm Sure Champ pellets until closer to show season. We are adding cottonseed hulls and beet pulp to her feed also.  She seems to be growing well so far - we will make adjustment later if needed. 
We took the show does off the "high $$" show goat feed after State Fair in August and switched to this ration - they are all still growing well and maintaining their body condition, as are the bred does and the fall kidders with babies.  The goats all have access to VitaFerm Goat Mineral at all times.
This feed is currently costing $11.40/hundred bagged; the cost took a few big jumps about a month ago, but has stayed the same the last 3 weeks.
I guess this would qualify as a "basic cheap feed".....

 

[TJ]

I am curious why no one has recommended just a 50/50 mix of gluten and soybean hull pellets for what is apparently just a calf?  The price for that has ranged from $125 a ton delivered and now is up to 175 a ton delivered.  Works well enough for calves of all sizes on a commercial basis.  We use it for creep feed and backgrounding on pasture.  To me for just growing out a steer that is not going to be shown until next summer, as in a county fair steer, why not feed him this way and then a few months before the show perhaps put him on the high dollar ration.  I would seriously doubt that the end result would be one bit different as opposed to feeding the $300 a ton stuff all the way. 

Re-read my post & you will see that I mentioned using "by products"... and Corn Gluten Feed & Soy Hulls specifically.   

Too much CGF can potentially cause some trouble with sulphur levels... 50% may not cause problems, but I'd rather play it safe.  My dad has had success with 1/3 CGF & 2/3 S.H. with mineral, yeast & rumensin added.  They call that mix "calf creep feed" & bigger frame cattle will gain over 3.5 per day on it.  Not sure what it costs bulk, but 50 lb. bags are $9.20 or so right now.  As they get older, you can have them add hominy to it to make the calf fatter.  Due to cheaper costs & the convenience factor, my dad finished a couple of his steers on (I think) 60% Hominy with CGF & S.H mixed.  Or you could add corn instead of the hominy... the mill here only deals with by products, so they wont add corn, but you could do it yourself, especially if you are hand feeding.  Bobwire's 3-3-3 mix would work too, but you probably will still have to add more energy (hominy or corn) to turn it into a finisher.       

It takes common sense to make it work, but again, it's hard to beat plain shell corn & good grass hay or mostly grass hay, IMHO.  Usually, it's as cheap as anything & it will fatten them nicely.  $5-$6 or so per 50 lbs. of corn & $3-$3.50 for 75 lbs. of hay.  You just can't beat that price when trying to add typically more expensive ingredients like oats, cotton seed hulls, substituting cracked corn, etc.  Research has shown that younger calves typically gain more weight on whole shell corn over cracked or ground.  With older cattle, it's just the opposite, but we've had good success finishing cattle on shell corn.  Again, more grass hay & less corn= grower.  More corn & less hay = finisher.  You could add a little protein supplement too, especially in the grower stage, but if the hay is pretty good and/or if it has a little clover mixed in, you may not have to.  It's really that simple & it's really easy to transition from grower to finisher.  Obviously, they need salt, mineral & water too.  You could add roughage from other sources (beet pulp, cotton seed hulls, etc.), but hay @ $3-$3.50 per 75 lbs. is usually quite a bit cheaper than 40-50 lb. bags of beet pulp or cotton seed hulls.  Besides hay, there are other cheap roughage sources, but you better know what you are doing, so I wont go there on a public message board, although a good nutritionist could give you some ideas.  Anyway, this obviously isn't a show calf, so why not go the cheapest route & what is cheaper than shell corn & hay?       

 

[firesweepranch]

Probably about as inexpensive a Complete Finishing ration you can mix.  Just need to add a quality Mineral.
1200 lbs. cracked corn
400 lbs. cotton seed hulls
200 lbs. whole oats
100 lbs. soy bean meal
100 lbs. molasses

AAOK - the ration you sent me said steamed rolled oats, which are more expensive than whole oats. Can either be used? I was quoted my ration with the steamed rolled oats, might be cheaper if I can use the whole oats, just more waist?
Thanks

OK, so we picked this up at our mill, bagged, and it cost $242/ton. I did use the whole oats instead of the steamed rolled oats (AAOK - your original recipe called for the SRO). There is a pellet in it, which I think is the cotton seed hulls (need to look closer, did not have time tonight). I know the cattle ate it up! Those that feed vitaferm, which kind should I top dress with? They have so many to chose from. Our rep suggested the vitaferm with concept aid, what do you think? The cattle seem to like it! The steer jumped from 5 pounds per feeding to 10 pounds (we fed him his usual and he consumed it in 10 minutes, then moo'd for more!). He is only 580 pounds and we need him 1200 by June. The heifers did the same thing. We will see how it works!
Thanks AAOK!

 

[AAOK]

As to the mineral, listen to your Rep.  I always used Moormans Range mineral w/Aeuromycin.  Remember, be consistent with all you do.  Good Luck!