Custom Fed Cows

[Junebug]

For those of you who had your cows custom fed this year, were you happy with the results? I know of several who are very unhappy with the condition in which the cows returned. Both parties have a cow down, which they feel is due to poor nutrition.
We also had a bad experienced a couple of years ago, not to be repeated.

[ab-oldtimer]

Put 120 cows in the feedlot this winter for the first time. Just got the cows back home and are very happy with the end result as good or better than the ones we keep home. The feedlot owner put our cows in a pen where they had access to a field for exercise and he fed them for less than 2.00 per day. Don't have final bill but the 2.00 should cover the trucking or very close to it. It would have cost us that to haul the feed in plus we would have had to feed it. We have used this lot before to background calves so were confident he would do the job. Would hesitate to use a feedlot were we didn't know the operator unless he guaranteed no weight loss by weigh in and out. We also had a bid of no more than 2.00 per day and he come under that. Would feed this way again if feed costs or shortage of feed arises again.

[smcgrath76]

Interesting topic as there are several producers who fed cattle away from home this winter. Typically we only hear the stories where there were problems.
We fed a potload of cows in SE SK for the winter and were extremely pleased with the results. We brought our cows home for calving last week and they were in super shape. The feeder even trimmed the feet on a few cows and went out of their way to make sure they were well looked after. The price we paid is probably less than we can do it ourselves at home, even in a good year.
I think the biggest key to our success, was being aware of our situation early on and not planning for it to rain later in the growing season (it didn't). We started sourcing feed and someone to feed our cows early on and were comfortable with their references, interest, etc. before our cows ever went South. Not sure it would turn out so well again with a different feeder, or if it was planned at the last minute, but we have nothing but praise for the people who fed our cattle this winter.

[Junebug]

I'm glad to hear there are some who successfully got their cows through the winter and ended up in good shape.
Where we sent our cows a couple of years ago, it was a case of the feeder not taking time to look at the herd. They were fed with 800 and a big cows held their own but the younger and smaller cows did not do while at all. It has taken a long time and money to get them back into the condition we expect.