Drought plans............

[Blaithin]

You talking straight molasses or one of the mixes like promolas or anipro?

Not really answering your question I know but I've put molasses on ground barley to keep the dust down plus add some calories but not huge amounts, bought in 5gal pails from the feed mill. Have also put the molasses mixes on straw bales, injected once and just poured on the bale once.(set on end, let sit a couple days then flip and do it again) Some guys just use a lick tub but I think it takes a bit to get started. I know you said you didnt want to do the bales but it does work, not cheap either though.

Sundre Soil services and Eagle hill co-op both have both sold it in the past if you want to compare pricing.

It’s a mix. The ones I’ve talked to all seem to either use Mol Mix or be Mol Mix dealers. 28% and 32%

One farmer also said he just pours them on the end of the bale. That I can manage!

I do like to offer a supplement just because I can’t afford higher quality good stuff a lot of the time so supplements help. Lick tubs they do tend to go through fast though. Also I usually have one or two calves out of whack so have to stay away from the urea ones for a bit which puts me in the higher price range of them. Also included in this is having to listen to my mom 😂 she’s a big supporter of molasses, just apparently not in lick tubs. A lick wheel could be a compromise.

Depending on what I can gather up for winter feed I may just need a supplement boost in which case a lick wheel should be fine? Or if I have to push straw at them then I’m thinking have some to pour on the bale ends to help intake. Not that I usually have trouble with them eating straw.

Last year I did have a source for rolled barley, I’m just unsure what they’ll have this year so was looking at other stuff. Molasses hasn’t gone up in price (yet) and seems flexible if I want to do bales/free choice to bump up with or without barley.

[woodland]

It’s a mix. The ones I’ve talked to all seem to either use Mol Mix or be Mol Mix dealers. 28% and 32%

One farmer also said he just pours them on the end of the bale. That I can manage!

I do like to offer a supplement just because I can’t afford higher quality good stuff a lot of the time so supplements help. Lick tubs they do tend to go through fast though. Also I usually have one or two calves out of whack so have to stay away from the urea ones for a bit which puts me in the higher price range of them. Also included in this is having to listen to my mom 😂 she’s a big supporter of molasses, just apparently not in lick tubs. A lick wheel could be a compromise.

Depending on what I can gather up for winter feed I may just need a supplement boost in which case a lick wheel should be fine? Or if I have to push straw at them then I’m thinking have some to pour on the bale ends to help intake. Not that I usually have trouble with them eating straw.

Last year I did have a source for rolled barley, I’m just unsure what they’ll have this year so was looking at other stuff. Molasses hasn’t gone up in price (yet) and seems flexible if I want to do bales/free choice to bump up with or without barley.

Just curious what molasses is worth?

Didn’t really think about it but might be cost effective with $8+ barley. Still have a lick tank in the shed from 20 some years ago. Not sure who carries it up this way anymore but will have to look into it. Definitely need some extra energy for the calves and bred heifers this winter and the barley is looking poorer by the day.

The fun continues…….

[Blaithin]

Just curious what molasses is worth?

Didn’t really think about it but might be cost effective with $8+ barley. Still have a lick tank in the shed from 20 some years ago. Not sure who carries it up this way anymore but will have to look into it. Definitely need some extra energy for the calves and bred heifers this winter and the barley is looking poorer by the day.

The fun continues…….

I was quoted $3 a gallon if I picked it up. 13 lbs in a gallon so 23 cents a pound. Intake should be 1-2 lbs a day and a lb is equivalent to 3/4 lb of barley. Or so I’ve been told.

Definitely thinking of doing more pricing and getting the order in sooner than later if I go for it. The way everything is going up on price I’m sure it’s only a matter of time for this too. Although hopefully not so much!

Out of curiosity I asked a pal what cost of silage would be out of pit. Price of barley is making that the most expensive stinky water out there.

[shtferbrains]

Grain screenings pellets might be something to keep an eye on this winter as there has got to be a lot of oats and barley that have to be run through the cleaners to supply bulk of the demand for export and stuff like milling oats and malt. Even milling wheat.
Light oats were cheaper than hay in 2002.
Do they routinely clean that stuff at most handling facililites?
Legume screenings make great feed if you have silage to mix them in or troughs. I fed heavy clover screens one year.
Mostly cracked clover seed but energy like corn.
Have to have a tolerance for weed seeds if they arn't pelleted. You can kill the germ by augering them with ammonia in the auger. Also makes it more digestable but you pretty much need your own tank.
I used liquid feed in all different ways and have one of those 20 yr old twin wheel licks.
Realy came down to the only use was pouring it on crappy bales or straw to get them to consume more.
Necessity is the mother of invention.

[Blaithin]

We clean everything at work but that doesn’t necessarily gain many screenings. Canola overs mostly. Cracked wheat and mixed grain gets blended back in. Unless it’s just that light this year that there’s more than is blendable. Same with canola fines. Blended back in over time.

Some companies have moved most cleaning to port to use the screenings there. If the cost increases out here they would keep the cleaning east of the mountains but that would need a price increase.

Never cleaned oats but barley doesn’t usually have much for screenings. Wheat is what produces the cracks.

Heard some people say ergot is high this year which would be another thing to watch for.

If you’re on good terms with local elevators it can’t hurt to ask. Seed cleaning plants would probably be a better bet. Or go to the mills like Trouw and buy them a step farther up the ladder. Would be a bit more quality control in that method I’d think.

My understanding is the feed mills use grain they purchase to blend with the dust and canola overs they get from terminals to make the pellets. Pretty much you’re buying grain dust with something added to give it protein. Dust should always be cheap at least 😆

[shtferbrains]

https://extension.okstate.edu/fact-sheets/cowculator-v2-0-beef-cow-nutrition-evaluation-software.html

I used to use this shareware program to see how the feed i had avaiable could be expected to fill the requirements of bred cows at different points in the gestation cycle and seasonal variations due to cold weather.
It gives you an idea of daily and term weight loss or gain to expect from what you are feeding
I used to have a lot of variable quality grass seed straw etc.
You can use your own numbers as the ones the provide are from Oklahoma and don't seem to compair in some cases.
Alberta ag had a good feed ingredient list I used.
I'm sure most have a system they use already but this was an open and simple way to see what to expect for reults from what you are feeding at the time and what might happen when you get along in the gestation cycle.

[woodland]

Finally decided to put wheels under the steers and they should at a feedlot by Brooks before dark. Sold them Friday and didn’t do too bad considering the price of barley these days. Ironically it was actually a bit muddy in the corral after getting 1.25 inches which was nice instead of choking on dust. That’s the wettest it’s been in a year here.


My wife was playing with the drone while we were loading out and it’s becoming a pretty nifty tool for finding cows in the bush and muskeg.

Got another mile of fence built on some new pasture and moved a bunch of pairs in. They’ll be happy for a while now.

Now back figuring out water for a few more fields so we can graze them. That has been the most time consuming part of the summer here.

How’s everyone else making out? Been crazy busy here considering we only made a few bales and there’s still lots to do. More work grazing this year than feeding in the winter………… 🍀