Viewing a thread - Free choice grain?

Forums | Classifieds (5) | Skins | Language

You are logged in as a guest. ( logon | register )

Free choice grain? Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page]	View previous thread :: View next thread
Forums List -> Stock Talk	Message format

Ford 401

Posted 1/19/2018 08:32 (#6516402)
Subject: Free choice grain?

Northeast Pennsylvania

I've seen a number of you guys use a finish feeder for beef. I'm interested in the idea to help my Holstein heifers this winter but I feel like they won't be smart enough to quit eating without dropping over with acidosis.
There's probably a reason I don't see these feeders in dairy country but I'm curious to know how they're utilized by the guys that use them.

How do you limit intake?
How do you keep from bridging/freezing?
What analysis of feed do you use?

(20180119_093430.jpg)

Attachments
----------------

20180119_093430.jpg (27KB - 72 downloads)

JD_Cattle

Posted 1/19/2018 08:51 (#6516473 - in reply to #6516402)
Subject: RE: Free choice grain?

Wright County, MN

Replacement heifers or feedlot heifers. You don't want replacements on full corn. As far as cattle in general on steer stuffers, I'd guess at least 90% of them are holstein steers.

How do you limit intake? You don't. They eat as much as they want. Work them up to full feed over a few weeks and they'll be fine

How do you keep from bridging/freezing? Never had feed bridge. Chisel frozen crap from opening as needed.

What analysis of feed do you use? None. Corn is corn. Mix in pellets per directions on label. Find a pellet you like and run with it.

Just to repeat myself, replacement heifers on full corn is a really bad idea.

MiradaAcres

Posted 1/19/2018 09:04 (#6516505 - in reply to #6516402)
Subject: RE: Free choice grain?

scmn

Background: we feed dairy steers and replacement dairy heifers (mostly Holsteins and Ayrshires).

Our dairy steers are offered free choice calf starter from day one as bottle calves.
Around 8 weeks when they are consuming a minimum of 2#/day the calves are weaned and grouped together is groups of 6-12 hd and continue on calf starter for another 2-3 weeks.
At this point we introduce hay at 2-3#/hd/day and offer free choice grain (about 250#). After a week or two we begin transition from starter to a grower ration (15% protein) and up hay to 4#/hd/day of hay. At 700# they are transitioned to a finisher ration and continue 4#/hd/day of hay. Steers are fed with self feeders and are on full feed.

Our dairy heifers follow the same routine until 400# at which point they are consuming 5-7# of grain per day. At this point we begin limiting grain to 6#/hd/day and offer free choice hay. Heifers will be given extra grain during breeding and cold spells. Heifers are fed grain 2x daily in a bunk, hay in a hay feeder.

On the rare occasion that we purchase steers, we start them at 2#/hd/day of grain and 4#/hd/day of hay and up the grain by 1# every 2 days (working them up to full feed). For heifers that do no settle by 18 months, we slowly introduce more grain (1# every 2 days) with 15-20#/hd/day of hay. After they up their grain intake, they begin leaving some of the hay, at which point we begin reducing the amount of hay to 5#/hd/day (usually takes 10-14 days). Once on full feed they are induced to self feeder with steers. Heifers will remain with steers until sold for slaughter in 4-6 weeks. This is how we work our non-replacement up to feed. Free martins are treated as steers from day one, we only due this with those that were intended for replacements but did not work out.

We would NEVER put replacement heifers on a self feeder past 400# as it does not properly develop the heifer.
The reason dairy steers are on stuffers is because there is no need to background a dairy steer like there is for beef steers and thus no need to limit energy.

Essentially, for replacement heifers you limit grain and free choice hay and with dairy steers you do the exact opposite and limit hay and offer free choice grain. Since they are free choice grain there is not a need to limit grain (unless they are newly purchased and need to be worked up to full feed at which point we use a bunk to limit grain).

Edit to add:
Occasionally we will place purchased steers on full feed self feeders when, and ONLY WHEN we know they are already on full feed.

Edited by MiradaAcres 1/19/2018 09:07

Ford 401

Posted 1/19/2018 09:43 (#6516621 - in reply to #6516505)
Subject: Thanks for the replies

Northeast Pennsylvania

Now I know why I've never seen a feeder in action around here.

The reason I brought it up is that the 22 bred heifers in my pasture are having trouble with the swings in weather. They have a wind break in the woods but this freezing rain and 50 degree swing really took it out of them last week.

Just looking for a way to make it easier on these sissy holsteins this winter.

Thanks for the replies guys.

MiradaAcres

Posted 1/19/2018 09:58 (#6516663 - in reply to #6516621)
Subject: RE: Thanks for the replies

scmn

Up the energy. It was -20F here last week, heifers got an extra 10-20% grain til it warmed up.

Ford 401

Posted 1/19/2018 10:31 (#6516757 - in reply to #6516663)
Subject: RE: Thanks for the replies

Northeast Pennsylvania

For sure. I fed a lot of extra silage last week.

MiradaAcres

Posted 1/19/2018 11:05 (#6516808 - in reply to #6516757)
Subject: RE: Thanks for the replies

scmn

Perhaps consider adding grain. A ton of silage contains approx 8 bu of grain. Thus you will need approx 5# of silage to increase grain in ration 1#. The issue with silage is they fill up before the energy needs are met. IMO a 5 gallon bucket of shell corn or DDG (25-30#) morning and night would have been more beneficial than the extra silage. If they lost weight they were not able to consume enough volume to satisfy their energy needs.

Here is an article from UNL. Granted it is for beef cows, the situation is similar to bred heifers.
https://beef.unl.edu/energy-requirements-change-in-cold-weather

Jump to page : 1
Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page]

Search this forum
Printer friendly version
E-mail a link to this thread

(Delete cookies)