Range cube price

[TexasBred]

Or you could feed em a few lbs of cotton seed cubes/day and limit feed em the hay.

In any scenario, $1.50 worth of csc goes farther than a $1.50 of hay.

10% hay is a nickel a pound...the cubes are $.30 a lb. Wanna put one of your fancy heifers on 5 lbs. a day of 40% cubes and nothing else and see what happens as apposed to 30 lb. of 10% hay. :dunce:

I'd give you that one for sure. We don't know if Nap's cattle have any access to forage and even if they did, we still don't know what type of protein in range cubes he's talking about. Some forms of protein enhance digestibility but almost all that I know of will stimulate foraging or a need for available roughage (hay). I would take high quality hay any day, over range cubes. Now days, it's difficult to get tested hay. I don't mention loose mineral availability because it's a no brainer; they should always be made available. If no hay is available and no pasture, then all you have is a feedyard.

My response was to the $1.50 of cubes going farther than $1.50 of hay "In any scenario" as he said.
Nap is in a drought. Sure cattle can hustle up a bit of roughage if it's there...same for hay. Protein doesn't enhance the digestibility of hay or grazing. Only compliments the hay. Hay with a 50% TDN still has that TDN regardless of what you feed with it. Some cubes are so full of filler the TDN is probably less than that of the hay. All they get is a bit more protein.

 

[Caustic Burno]

A lot of us were running a feedlot last year it will dang sure make you back up and analyze your feed real close.
More protien is not alway's better as James T said especially if it is urea. That build's a fire in their belly and you had better hay or forage of some kind.

 

[James T]

Caustic, I use range cubes as a supplement, maybe a pound each per day, only because the quality of my pasture and hay are crap. Currently working on getting bermuda established. In the winter I would use liquid feed and junk hay (plus the loose minerals). Does Mix 30 have a limiter? I can't remember. Purina uses urea but it has a limiter. Many of the liquid feeds available are ok but it really depends on what's offered in your area.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Caustic, I use range cubes as a supplement, maybe a pound each per day, only because the quality of my pasture and hay are crap. Currently working on getting bermuda established. In the winter I would use liquid feed and junk hay (plus the loose minerals). Does Mix 30 have a limiter? I can't remember. Purina uses urea but it has a limiter. Many of the liquid feeds available are ok but it really depends on what's offered in your area.

Mix 30 doesn't have a limiter but they will back off it, and being it is a corn by product it might be higher than a cat's back. Our local distrubtour is in Lufkin. I haven't priced any this year. I like to use CLS but they sold out to someone and we lost our local guy. CLS has urea and will make them clean up some sorry hay but you had better have plenty of it. I have seen a few Cattle-Lac tank's showing up in pasture's, I haven't investigated them yet.

 

[TexasBred]

What is a 50 lb bag of 20% range cubes going for in your area. Here in Arkansas, where the drought is reaching epic proportions, cubes are up to 8.75 a bag. I am looking for other supplements but with a shortage of hay I am not sure how to make this pencil out. We went through this last year as well and at the time I said another year like this would drive me out of the business. Maybe it will.

Yaw's in a drought down there here in Northeast Arkansas were doing fine. Hay is as cheap as its ever been.. Granted we dont run alot of cattle farms around here but still... Range cubes is that the same thing as cake ? Nevermind on drought just read that AR in the South, West and parts of the North are in Extreame Drought and Heat We have got raind about 3 of the past 7 days here in Northeast.

A lot of folks call cubes "cake". Back years ago some oil mill made big slabs of pure cottonseed meal. You could just throw a slab into a trough and let the cattle nibble on it. Most times now I still think of cake as a 40% cottonseed meal cube rather than the 20% range cubes. Heck I don't know wehre you could find the old "cake" anymore. Some folks use to use it for fish bait too.

 

[backhoeboogie]

TB - Sexton Feed Mill in Glen Rose had 40% cake a few years back (recent years). They usually carry a few sacks in stock.

Bobbie's (also in Glen Rose) had some 38% but then couldn't get it for a while.

 

[TexasBred]

TB - Sexton Feed Mill in Glen Rose had 40% cake a few years back (recent years). They usually carry a few sacks in stock.

Bobbie's (also in Glen Rose) had some 38% but then couldn't get it for a while.

Boogie I've seen the 38 and 40% cubes....can't remember the last time I saw one of those big slabs of cottonseed meal tho. Lone Star over in Nacogdoches use to sell it but don't know if they do now or not. Red Chain has a 38% too I think.

 

[nap]

Range cubes went up to 8.75 a bag (20%, 50 lbs.) with more price increases expected. I appreciate all the thoughtful responses to the thread. I live in the western part of Arkansas. The drought hit us hard last year but is much worse this year. I still have limited pasture but have been supplementing with range cubes for about 3 weeks. I have early weaned calves and sold some girls I wanted to keep. It is just pretty darn frustrating right now. I plan on putting out rye grass seed soon and hope for rain. I used this strategy last year and it worked pretty well.
nap

 

[ousoonerfan22]

Since the 20% cubes are $9.50 now I bought some vitalix 22% all natural tubs and put out the first bale of hay yesterday.I drove up today and that bale of hay is almost gone,about 12" left in the feeder.In that pasture I have 33 cows and 12 400-500 lb calves.I don't know whether to sell the calves now or keep them and hope the prices go back up in the next month or two.
I'm also feeding a salt,mineral and auromycin mix that I try to keep in the trough year around but they're eating the heck out of it right now.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Since the 20% cubes are $9.50 now I bought some vitalix 22% all natural tubs and put out the first bale of hay yesterday.I drove up today and that bale of hay is almost gone,about 12" left in the feeder.In that pasture I have 33 cows and 12 400-500 lb calves.I don't know whether to sell the calves now or keep them and hope the prices go back up in the next month or two.
I'm also feeding a salt,mineral and auromycin mix that I try to keep in the trough year around but they're eating the heck out of it right now.

I hate to break this to you. You can't feed yourself out of a drought.
Those wet cow's feed requirement's are going up everyday with those leaches hanging on them.
For two of those 500 pound calf's they are consuming a day's worth of cow feed every day plus pulling on the cow.
Those calves are worth 750 buck's apiece right now might be a lot less before this is over.
You are destroying pasture everyday that will take years to recover.
I had 37 at the start of the drough and culled down to 11. My pasture's are recovering nicely some neighbor's not so well.
Trying to hang on in a drought is pay me now and pay me later.
Pulling the trigger to cull way down can only be made by the man with welfare cattle.
I figured I could 800 dollars in a cow in break even in buying a replacement.
Now comes the tricky part how far are you willing to go on the pasture.
I learned a long time ago I am a grass farmer not a cattleman.

 

[ousoonerfan22]

I hear you CB....... I'm having a hard time thinking about selling any of my cows,all 33 of them are good young cows.I was wanting to have 50 good momma cows then maybe grow from there but two years of drought has killed that goal.
I know I need to haul the calves off.

 

[Caustic Burno]

I hear you CB....... I'm having a hard time thinking about selling any of my cows,all 33 of them are good young cows.I was wanting to have 50 good momma cows then maybe grow from there but two years of drought has killed that goal.
I know I need to haul the calves off.

I know, I sold a lot of mighty fine girl's.

 

[Dave]

I hear you CB....... I'm having a hard time thinking about selling any of my cows,all 33 of them are good young cows.I was wanting to have 50 good momma cows then maybe grow from there but two years of drought has killed that goal.
I know I need to haul the calves off.

I know, I sold a lot of mighty fine girl's.

I have never had to face a drought where I live. But if I were I think I would think hard about selling all the cows and steers. Keep the light heifers (400 pounds) and buy light heifers from people with top quality cows. Hopefully by the time the drought breaks those heifers will have grown out to be good cows. In the mean time 50 of those light heifers eat one heck of a lot less than 33 cows. Just my idea. I don't know if anyone has tried this but I would think it would work.

 

[backhoeboogie]

I have never had to face a drought where I live. But if I were I think I would think hard about selling all the cows and steers. Keep the light heifers (400 pounds) and buy light heifers from people with top quality cows. Hopefully by the time the drought breaks those heifers will have grown out to be good cows. In the mean time 50 of those light heifers eat one heck of a lot less than 33 cows. Just my idea. I don't know if anyone has tried this but I would think it would work.

I can go either way. I picked up 20 light heifers a few years back and wish I had taken 100. On the other hand - I have been burned a few times. The heifers can be made into cows. That takes you off of a one way street. If you have hay, you have options.

 

[Dave]

I have never had to face a drought where I live. But if I were I think I would think hard about selling all the cows and steers. Keep the light heifers (400 pounds) and buy light heifers from people with top quality cows. Hopefully by the time the drought breaks those heifers will have grown out to be good cows. In the mean time 50 of those light heifers eat one heck of a lot less than 33 cows. Just my idea. I don't know if anyone has tried this but I would think it would work.

I can go either way. I picked up 20 light heifers a few years back and wish I had taken 100. On the other hand - I have been burned a few times. The heifers can be made into cows. That takes you off of a one way street. If you have hay, you have options.

My thought was that 50 light heifers eat right about half of what 33 cows eat. That in itself will stretch out the feed that is available. And a couple pounds a day of range cubes doesn't make a big huge in the amount of feed a cow eats but it is a pretty good portion of a heifers diet.

 

[Caustic Burno]

This is not about feeding through a drought this is about saving the bank account and pasture to play another day.
Holding cow's to feed through a drought heifer's or cow's is a loosing proposition.
You have to set down and do the math if kill price's are a 1000 dollar's and replacement's 1500.
You can put 500 dollar's in a cow and break even, once you go over that you are losing your ass.
Now how you assign lower stocking rates for year's after due to damage to pasture's I haven't figured that one out.
All it takes to restock tomorrow is a checkbook, it takes years to rebuild improved pasture's.

 

[Dave]

I do understand that it is about surviving and making the best of a bad situation. And I really understand having a negative impact on pastures. If the grass isn't growing and you are having to feed the cows shouldn't be on the pasture because they are damaging it, period. That holds true for winters here as much as drought in your part of the world. Grazing it into the ground will always have a negative affect no matter what the climate.

What I am saying is if you think you might have enough feed to see 33 cows through. Well that is double the feed needed to see 50 light heifers through the same time period. That gives a person a lot more cushion. And if cows are worth $1000 then 33 cows are $33,000. 50 heifers at 400 pounds at $1.65 is $33,000.

The real question is how much feed do you have. What is the best class of animal to feed it to. And of course one option to look at is selling all the cows and any hay you have. Put the money in the bank and wait for rain.

 

[Massey135]

Those 33 cows will wean a calf next year. Those 50, 400lb heifers won't.

 

[chippie]

Since the 20% cubes are $9.50 now I bought some vitalix 22% all natural tubs and put out the first bale of hay yesterday.I drove up today and that bale of hay is almost gone,about 12" left in the feeder.In that pasture I have 33 cows and 12 400-500 lb calves.I don't know whether to sell the calves now or keep them and hope the prices go back up in the next month or two.
I'm also feeding a salt,mineral and auromycin mix that I try to keep in the trough year around but they're eating the heck out of it right now.

I would sell the calves now and work on getting the cows into good shape for the winter.

Every day you are feeding the calves is costing money. Feed prices are going up and there is no guarantee that the cattle prices will go up to cover the money that you are putting in them now.

Right now the cow eats more to feed her calf and maintain herself and the calf is eating it too. If you haul the calves, it won't take as much supplements to get the cow back into shape.

JMHO

 

[nap]

Range cube prices jumped from $8.75 to $11.25 around here today.