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| Searching the archives about feeding out holsteins. Read several people saying using a self feeder was a good way to go broke. So you guys bunk feeding don't keep them on full feed? Or is the major benefit of bunk feeding over a self feeder is you can feed wet by products? Just trying to figure out an efficient way to feed a few head (20-40)...Wouldn't beable to feed wet byproducts on that few head unless I'd buy from larger feedlot. Guess I don't see a more efficient way of feeding out a small group then a self feeder...Perhaps I'm missing something?
Jake |
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n.c.iowa | we feed some on self feeders,we do allright,alot of self feeders in your area |
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Croswell, Michigan | We fed alot of $2 corn to Holsteins through self feeders. Worked good for us because we were only set up for dry shelled corn not silage. You really want to push those holsteins and get them out the door. I don't know how guys make out feeding them to 17-1800 lbs. |
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| Kinda what I've noticed. See several made of old hog feeders with flaps removed set up on blocks. That's why I asked. Do you feed just corn/pellets or add other products to cheapen ration? If feeding whole corn how do you mix other ingredients in without cracking corn? Load corn through protien hopper on mill to bypass hammers?
Jake |
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N IL | Old phrase... A holstein will eat you out of house and home. fed them for years, until it was hard to find crossbreds. A wise nutritionist explained it this way... The genetic selection process to produce milk has created a turbo enhanced 8 cyl engine. All is well for the female needs and wants. But, for the steer, we only need a 6 cyl econo model to lay down muscle. No one has figured out how to limit the growth of the guts (engine) for the lowered demands. So if you put it in front of them they will eat it. And if you don't they'll eat the wood off the barn or fences. If you give hay in bunk free-choice and corn in self-feeder then beware the bloaters. They fill up on one or the other, and disregard eating a balanced diet. Tmr much safer method, and implant, and control feed to make $. IMHO. |
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n.c.iowa | first get wth a local guy that knows how to feed holsteins,we use smidely steer stuffers,kinda spendy for new ones,i used to build them.i have seen the hog feeder up on blocks looks like it works,we think we get better conversion with cracked corn,have to pay attention so you don't run into acidosis issues,we run some soyhull pellets or oat screenings to bulk the ration up,or oats,whatever is cheaper.right now we are running,300 lbs ddgs,200 lbs soyhull pellets,100lbs balancer,and the rest corn per ton.have in the past used reject cereal product,koolaid mix,etc.anything dry it will work in a self feeder as long as it is balanced |
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God's Country (N.C. Ia) | Jake_NEIA - 1/27/2013 13:37
Kinda what I've noticed. See several made of old hog feeders with flaps removed set up on blocks. That's why I asked. Do you feed just corn/pellets or add other products to cheapen ration? If feeding whole corn how do you mix other ingredients in without cracking corn? Load corn through protien hopper on mill to bypass hammers?
Jake
Using self-feeders here too! One thing to help cheapen up ration is to add a distillers pellet to the mix. Helps replace some of the corn. If I had time, I'd think about going tmr in bunks and feeding wet byproducts with ground cornstalks, but for 20-40 hd, I doubt it'd be worth the investment. On a group like that you could try pail feeding in bunks if you're worried about the waste associated with self-feeders. I also give free choice corn stalk bales in a bale feeder, but if the steins don't get their roughage that way, they'll usually get it from the bedding, and if not from that, then good bye anything wooden including the self-feeders!
As far as the ration goes, I'm on the U.S. Feeds Linebacker program. Have had really good luck with that feed! |
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n.c.iowa | i'd agree with what orderd beef says to a point,it comes down to management style,if you think you are going to fill the feeder once every two weeks,and check on them then,just as well hand feed or tmr,they need to be looked at everyday,no matter what,we don't feed hay free choice,takes too long to finish them,we were at a half lb a day,have since went to 1 1/2 lbs,less stomach problems,fed in a bunk,also gives a chance for you to see them come to the bunk,and work on any problem ones. |
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North Central Iowa | I have used stuffers in the past and a ration of cracked corn, dry distillers, balancer pellet and a round bale of soybean straw in the ring and bed with corn stalk bales. In the new barn we will use a TMR ration and buck feed basically to give us more options for the ration and plan on using some earlage in the ration. |
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Camp Douglas Wi. 40miles nw of wi. dells | We been feeding holstein steers for 35 years on self feeders, back when we started, it was just the bull calfs that we got from our milk cows after we sold the cows in 1997 we converted the old dairy barn to feed steers then added a new barn in 2002, we run 170 head a year, bye them at 450-500 lbs feed to 1450-1500 lbs, we bye all the feeders in feb-mar sell from nov-feb, they are here on feed about 330 days feed 100 bu of corn & pellets, round bale 5'x6' corn stalks & some old grass hay down in river bottom fields about 400 bales a year for bedding. The trick is to not give them good hay as they take longer to finest, eat to much corn. We start hauling the fats out in nov when the first ones are fat wt about 1300 but they got to look like pigs, we haul 10 a week ontill all are sold as they get fat, some holsteins finesh at 1300 but most are 1450 to 1500. |
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Croswell, Michigan | I disconnected the hammers on my grinder mixer. Put the corn in first and only ran the mixer long enough to get the pellets in and while unloading. You don't want to turn the pellets to dust. Bedded every other day and always had a round bale of straw for them to pick at. |
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n.c.iowa | he-mann are you running with a hoop barn or some other design
Edited by johnny skeptical 1/27/2013 20:26
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| Learn something every day. I didn't know you could make a fat Holstein! |
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| we have been feeding holstiens for long time. tried colored cattle but came back to holsteins. Started with stuffers and have transitioned to tmr. We have not seen a great difference in finish weights feeding on stuffers or a tmr built around corn silage. Today we are feeding up to 25lbs of silage aday thru the grower stage and at 1100 pouring the corn and earlage to them and getting a finished wieght of 1450. Sent semi load to Plainwell monday and had 5 head get discounted as they were to fat being yield grade 5's. The load average was 1450. Never use to think they could get to fat however since feeding TMR having more trouble not getting them to fat esspecially when the packers are stalling taking contract cattle in. |
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nw oh | Bakertown, you having trouble getting contracts out also. Luckily we do not have any ready until March, but our broker said the soonest they might talk on those is the middle of the month. We have a pot load ready now. Makes it a little tough to organize a zilmax program.
Yes I agree with TMR rations we can get them fat especially if they are calf feds. But, you can still get the ugly lanky ones. We call them geeks on our farm.
We have been like most others were shelled corn, 1/2 lb protein pellet in steer stuffer. Now all bunk fed and running 7 ingredients. We have done some stuffer rations in a rented barn, 1000 lbs cracked corn, 300 lbs DDGS, 300 lbs soy hulls, 300 gluten pellet, 50 lbs balancer and 50 lbs molasses per ton. These worked pretty well also. Works better to keep corn stalks in front of them.
Since we went to bunk feed have had no trouble with bloat and very little trouble with acidosis. I do not know if we limit feed. We hope to have just a few kernels left every morning, feed once a day and a full bunk. |
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sullivan il. | Barkertown how did those 1450lbers yield better than 61% ? |
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SE VA | I use steer stuffers on weaned holsteins to 400-600lbs when I sell them. I feed cracked corn and a protein pellet I would eventually like to feed them out but I don't currently have the facilities. On a side note, how would you reccomend adding soyhull pellets to this ration? |
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North Central Iowa | I am going with a mono slope. Approx 400 hd |
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n.c.iowa | had buddy just call me, sent a potload of contract steins out last sunday got the sheet back probably fri.34 head,had 10 do prime at 2.18 the rest choice at 2.08,wieght 1659.pretty good load.tmr rations.they have been taking his contract cattle, no delay.been having problem getting a live bid price though. |
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n.c.iowa | wherabouts you located,all steins? |
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North Central Iowa | Osage, yes steins, I emptied everything this winter sold most of the corn (silo full of silage) and have the site ready to build new in the spring. Well I kept 4 stragglers back on a stuffer for the winter. There are several mono slopes in this area with steins in them. |
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SE WISCONSIN | used to feed out with old hog feeders and then went to stuffers nothing wrong with them especialy if its under 100 hd, time consrates with work etc. but getting over 100 hd the economics of a tmr really kicks in( imop.) now get them in at 450#-700# feed them 30 days on a 50% corn silage and 45% corn maybe .5# of hay work them up or another30-40 days and be at 85% corn 15% corn silage hay protein till 1450# also revlor xs at 750# |
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n.c.iowa | osage area big for fat steins,when i worked at martings(smidely)built alot of stuffers for your way. |
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Feeding holstein steers
