Feeding ? - Pics Added

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CJB

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Apr 27, 2007
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333
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Ohio
Need to put some fat/bloom on a group of bred cows that will be for sale in about 60 days.  Cows range in age from 3 to 9.  Will be calving first of April.  Any ideas on some good rations?  How many #/day?  Cows are in great body condition if I was keeping them to calve out, but just do not look like they need to in order to sell them for a premium.

Thanks in advance for any and all replies.

Thought I would add a few pics of these also.  Pics taken last week with calves still on cows.
 

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Beach Limousin

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I don't know what part of the country your in, but I have found a source for brewers grain off a beer brewer. You haft to supply really good mineral and all the hay they want, and we have seen great results on conditioning young heifers to breed, and bred heifers to sell. Seems to put loads of spring in them, and is pretty cheap if you can find it close. Other than that we have had some luck with using soybean mill to increase there protein level then keeping LOADS of good forage in front of them.
 

chambero

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Feb 12, 2007
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Texas
We have to do this for the heifer pairs we sell at Fort Worth every year.  We've messed with it a couple of ways and probabably screwed it up a couple of ways in the past.  Here is what we've finally settled on.

Number one problem here is cost.  You can quickly spend more feeding them than you get back in return, especially if they've got calves still on them which is always our challenge.  If they don't have calves on, it will work a little easier.

Our feed mill makes a bull ration that's pretty cheap.  Couldn't tell you right off what the % protein, etc is.  We use it because its not so hot it will cause the baby calves to scour.  We had them add a fat supplement to it to get it up around 3.5-5% fat.  If you are willing to put some money into them, we can get them pretty fat turning them loose on a bulk feeder for about 30 days. 

Last year we had a good set and we wanted to win the show part of our sale at Fort Worth.  We put 20 pairs on a bulk feeder for 65 days.  When we figured it up at the end, they ate right at 40 lbs per pair per day and we put $300.82 per pair of feed into them.  So, that's the upper end what they'll eat if you just let them go at it.  It got them plenty fat, they all bred back, and they brought real good money -  it was probably a wash financially.  You can help yourself a lot by makign sure you keep plenty of round bales out to keep them full to reduce feed intake.

This year with feed prices so high, we are going to only let them into the bulk feeder a couple of hours each day.  If you can feed sack feed, you can control what they eat a lot easier.  A lot of that 40 lbs per day was probably wasted.  Half that would probably help a bunch.  You can get a cow nursing a calf pretty fat in 30 days, slick fat (not show heifer fat) in 60.
 

CJB

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333
Location
Ohio
Thanks for the info so far.  (thumbsup)  Just a note, the calves are weaned on these cows, so at least I've got that many fewer mouths to feed.  Price is a concern of mine also, as I want to add this bloom for an economical price. 
 

CAB

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Mar 5, 2007
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Corning,Iowa
 I was thinking that 15 to 20 lbs of a high fat,(oil) feed plus all of the really good quality hay would work. The high fat/oil content will give their hair alot of bloom. I think also that if it's been awhile since you've poured them, that this would be a good idea for looks. Good Luck. Brent
 

rtmcc

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Oct 11, 2008
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Peterson, MN
With the price of corn coming down,  ground shelled corn with dried distillers grains or gluten pellets may be an option.  Mix in a good mineral at the suggested rate per head per day according to how much you are feeding.  Fifteen pounds a day along with a lot of good quality hay will go a long way.  If you are not in an area with ethanol co-products available, check into what is available ... soybean meal, linseed meal etc..  I'm sure you have wormed them if they are sale cattle but its surprising how many people don't think cows need to be wormed and then can't figure out why they don't convert their feed and gain weight.

just don't forget a high quality mineral.  It's the root of all things that go on in an animal.
<cowboy>  Ron
 

ZNT

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Apr 25, 2007
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Rhome, TX
We always had good luck feeding ground alfalfa, corn silage, a little extra corn, and good mineral.  Some alternative ingredients to this ration can include wet beet pulp or DDG's.  I would not be too concerned feeding some of these wet feeds since you are just feeding bred cows, and not pairs.  The cow's stool may get a little loose, but not concerning.  I would be careful to not start them on too much corn(energy) too fast or you will get some hot feet pretty fast.  Make sure an adaquite amount of protein is provided in the diet.

Some rations:
10# ground alfalfa, 30-40# corn silage, 2-5# corn, and a good mineral package
20-30# ground alfalfa, 10# wet beet pulp, 5-10# corn, and a good mineral package
30# alfalfa, 8-15# corn, and free choice salt and mineral (when no feed truck available)
30-35# coastal hay, 5-10# 20% corn cubes, and free choice salt and mineral(when no feed truck available)

Good luck and sell them high.  Just remember, cutting corners feeding will hurt you more than the cost of feed on sale day.
 

MYT Farms

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Oct 28, 2008
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Peyton CO
CJB said:
Thanks for the info so far.   (thumbsup)  Just a note, the calves are weaned on these cows, so at least I've got that many fewer mouths to feed.  Price is a concern of mine also, as I want to add this bloom for an economical price. 

I've got some sloppy fat ones that are eating............... GRASS. Not green, alfalfa, clover mix stuff either. Brown, dry native grass. Of course, it would be hard to be working on their hair everyday, but it makes my feed bill easy on my pocketbook. Pasture rent, protein supplement through the winter, and that's it.
 

CJB

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Apr 27, 2007
Messages
333
Location
Ohio
I am located in Ohio, if that makes any difference on potential feedstuffs.  Thanks again for all the responses.  I have called about both wet and dry distillers @ our nearest ethanol plant, and they are out for the time being. 

Also, any opinions on the pics?
 

CJB

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Joined
Apr 27, 2007
Messages
333
Location
Ohio
Worked with the feed salesman @ our local mill and came up with this for a ration

1575  Rolled corn
170    Soybean Meal
255    High Fat Product  16% Protein  18% Fat  http://www.admani.com/alliancedairy/TechBulletins/HFP%20Dairy.htm
70      Liquid Molasses
10      Salt
20      2:1 Mineral

Hopefully this will work out as a good bloom ration for these cows.  We have figured this to be about a 12.02% Protein,  4.5% Fat ration.  Feeding 10#/head/day.

rtmcc said:
I'm sure you have wormed them if they are sale cattle but its surprising how many people don't think cows need to be wormed and then can't figure out why they don't convert their feed and gain weight.

just don't forget a high quality mineral.  It's the root of all things that go on in an animal.
<cowboy>  Ron


Cows have been wormed, and we utilize LandoLakes mineral products for free choice minerals.

Also, they are being fed all the orchard grass hay, and timothy hay they can eat right now.  I guess now it is time for the waiting game...

Thanks for all the advice and the PMs.

If anyone else has any tips, I would still love to hear them.  Thanks again.
 
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