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Kettle Moraine, WI | Why is it costing so much per ton? (bagged, small deliveries, lots of additives, expensive pellets, or expensive grains; floor stocked generic blend)
Why do you need to switch? (to save money per milk check, per pound of gain, per calf per day)
What can or will you be willing to do different? (Bulk vs bags, totes vs 50's, Larger deliveries of dry mix for longer storage life and blending mix with molasses daily via auger on cordless drill)
What are the risks? (lower performance, higher labor, disgruntled labor)
Daily mixing of base mix and molasses with allow you to save trucking via longer delivery intervals, avoid bridging in a bin, get a 10% molasses mix for high palatbility and up the freshness to increase intakes. Downfall is daily work. 200 cows so maybe you have 50 calves eating starter at average 1.5lb per head per day thus 75 lbs per day?? So three 5 gallon pails to blend with a cordless drill and auger. Haven't bought in last few years, but got molasses for $250 a ton FOB warehouse iirc. Savings on bulk mix delivery cost could drop $50 or maybe $150 per ton idk.
Whole oats (13-14% protein) and molasses could work on an unlimited whole milk ration. Add a pellet for minerals. Add corn if it is cheaper. Add roasted beans for a palatable, cheaper protein source. Fat can be a dust suppressant in limited amounts.
IMO fines are the downfall of a calf starter. Personal pet peeve is they prevent clean feed buckets attracting mold because they don't get washed daily. Mold is the last thing I want near young calves especially. Fines lower intake I beleive studies can back that up. Fines can cause bloat in older calves on just grain. I like a whole grain covered in molasses that sticks to the calf's nose forcing it to lick it off, and intake went up a couple grams because of that.
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Homemade calf starter
