do you use AAOK feed ration? I'd so, please read.

[5PCC]

We are going to give this a try, but a couple questions first...
1-We typically use 46% protein soybean meal. Will that work for this recipe?
2-I realize that the idea behind the CS hulls is to add fiber and bulk, but my husband thinks that is a whole lotta CS hulls and will make it too bulky. Any comments on that?
3- I'm wanting to give Sure Champ a try. Is there any reason that I can't use that instead of the ADM medicated mineral?
4- I assume that the molasses in this is wet?
Thanks!

 

[obie105]

We feed something very close to his ration. The CS hulls are fine and we put beet pulp in ours too. The molasses in ours is wet and may require a little tweaking in the winter. This winter our feed mill complained they couldn't get it out of the mixer very well. We use a mineral pack made by kent in ours and add sure champ. Sure champ is made to be fed as a top dress. I have fed our ration like this for ten years and always get along fairly well with it.

 

[AAOK]

I'm not sure that guy with this ration knows the difference in soy beans and pork n beans, but I've heard he has several hundred who have called to say how well it's workin'

Lots of tweaks due to access/lack of ingredients. But, don't skimp on the mineral!

 

[TxAdmin]

One of the top keywords for steerplanet when people search google is aaok feed ration.  A ton of people have had success with that ration.

 

[CAB]

I love the ration. A couple of the things that I like best are the fact that I can tweak it for individuals if I think that I need to and a person can really teach your kids how to make a ration themselves and the kids will know exactly what is going into the ration. We mix it daily here. A simple break down for a single small batch is:
12 lbs corn
4 lbs CSH
2 lbs whole oats
1 lb SBM
1 lb molasses mix
your choice of a good mineral
We are adding 1 lb of Sure Champ to it
If we are mixing for breeding heifers we may bump up the oats a tic and add some shredded beet pulp if they act like they will eat it.
We are feeding 2 breeding heifers right now and I would say they average weighing (900/950) and they run me over to eat 32 lbs per head per day right now. April borns, started feeding the ration shortly after the 1st of the year. Weaned the 15th of Dec. / no creep.
The last time I figured up the cost on this ration, it was $6.88 / 50 lbs.

 

[faycopa]

I love the ration. A couple of the things that I like best are the fact that I can tweak it for individuals if I think that I need to and a person can really teach your kids how to make a ration themselves and the kids will know exactly what is going into the ration. We mix it daily here. A simple break down for a single small batch is:
12 lbs corn
4 lbs CSH
2 lbs whole oats
1 lb SBM
1 lb molasses mix
your choice of a good mineral
We are adding 1 lb of Sure Champ to it
If we are mixing for breeding heifers we may bump up the oats a tic and add some shredded beet pulp if they act like they will eat it.
We are feeding 2 breeding heifers right now and I would say they average weighing (900/950) and they run me over to eat 32 lbs per head per day right now. April borns, started feeding the ration shortly after the 1st of the year. Weaned the 15th of Dec. / no creep.
The last time I figured up the cost on this ration, it was $6.88 / 50 lbs.

CAB - the whole oats - not steamed or rolled ?

 

[creativecattle]

Sure Champ isn't medicated however you are going to get a really high quality mineral plus Amaferm with Sure Champ. (Amaferm improves digestive health, allows the animals to utilize feed more efficiently, and promotes overall health.)

You can top dress 1 lb. per, head per day or mix directly into the ration. If you need a nutritionist to take a look at the overall ration our Sure Champ nutritionists would love to help. Just email [email protected].

 

[CAB]

I personally like the whole oats. In days long past, PPL used whole oats as their creep feed. If you could get lucky enough to get heavy test weight oats here in Iowa, they would make excellent feed. Went you get farther north where it doesn't get so hot and humid the oats quality is usually better as with most of the small grains. The problem too far north is the length of the growing season. The pointed ends of the whole oats also helps with keeping the rumen clean and healthy. Any of the options that you mentioned will work though IMO.

 

[RyanChandler]

I personally like the whole oats. In days long past, PPL used whole oats as their creep feed. If you could get lucky enough to get heavy test weight oats here in Iowa, they would make excellent feed. Went you get farther north where it doesn't get so hot and humid the oats quality is usually better as with most of the small grains. The problem too far north is the length of the growing season. The pointed ends of the whole oats also helps with keeping the rumen clean and healthy. Any of the options that you mentioned will work though IMO.

Best looking calves I've ever seen were Hereford / Brangus F1s that had been on whole oats in a creep feeder.  5-6 month old calves- unbelievable how slick and shiny they were. 

 

[RankeCattleCo]

Whole oats do wonders as a calf starter/creep feed. When we first start to feed calves, we mix 50/50 oats to our creep feed for a week then go 25/75 after that until weaning and it works great.

 

[Spittler farms]

I have trouble getting cotton seed hulls around here. do you guys have any other ideas?

 

[RankeCattleCo]

Not sure if it can be replaced pound for pound but beet pulp is the same idea, just more expensive.

 

[kanshow]

Our ration is not aaok's but very similar.  One thing we do is use soybean oil in ours..      Also feed surechamp plus a good free choice chelated mineral.

 

[AAOK]

I really should set the record straight. The AAOK ration wasn't my invention. My younger daughter(who happened to be one of the best showman EVER) wore down Kirk Stierwalt to tell her the ingredients of his mix. But, he told her she would have to identify the quantities of each. She had a terrible Ag teacher who only taught welding, and girls were not allowed in the shop. She researched everything imaginable while the guys were welding, and came up with the only feed we used for the remainder of our Show Calf days. We won a bunch of shows with that cheap, home made ration!

 

[CAB]

I don't know for sure, but I would think feed less of the beet pulp shreds B/C I think that they will actually expand when getting wet in the stomach while I don't believe that just CSH will as much. SBH, CSH pellets on the other hand will expand. Another good product that you can use in this ration for a substitute rumen stretcher would be Purina Receiving Chow. Some are using it up to 1/3 of their ration. Once we have calves eating the mix, we take hay away. They will be getting plenty of scratch from the mix.