Feed sources. What would y'all do?

[jedstivers]

Ok if y'all can fallow my rambling. This is just toughts for next year. We are grazing stockers on wheat, cotton stalks an corn stalks. They are on rate of gain so not much room to spend much. I know I could feed more if I owned them but right now I prefer to let someone else risk the money, I risk enough all summer I hate to do it in the winter too.
Feed an price:
Gin trash (very cheep)
Corn stalk bales baled on the farm
Oat baleage on farm ( prol plant rye next year)
Might have some wheat straw bales
Whole cotton seed 200-250 ton
Rice bran 140-160 ton
DDG 180-200 ton
Soy hulls 170-180 ton
Corn gluten pellets 180-200 ton
Anyway thinking about all this an either buying a grinder to handle it an make some kind of mix or even something as simple as just rolling hay off the front end of the tractor an have a bin on the back where I could drop piles of one of those feeds right on the hay. Therefore no bunks to buy an clean. Another thing is they love the corn stalks but leave a lot of the big stalks so maybe just a hay grinder an mix the baleage an cornstalks togather but not have the expense of the tub grinder/mixer.
Almost forgot, they have plenty of ptotein with the wheat an left over cotton.

 

[Northern Rancher]

The problem with processing low value feedstuffs to increase consumption or feed value is that you don't overspend. It boils down to its cost per pound when it hits the cows mouth. For instance if you are grinding and adding to an ingrediant to being it up to medium quality hay standards it has to cost you less than med quality hay costs to buy. It might be worth your while to sit down with a nutritionist and play around with the feed tests to see what he comes up with for a least cost ration. It looks like you have alot of different alternatives available.

 

[Faster horses]

I agree with NR. Have a ration run and see where you are.
Also, don't forget mineral. That can have a lot to do with
how well the cattle do on the forage. Stimulates the rumen
and the cattle can get more out of what they ingest. Plus the
health benefits from feeding a good mineral.

 

[jedstivers]

I just wanted to throw this out for thought, I like to get real world responses before I talk to the experts. I have a supplier in Texas doing a custom mix on the minerals now an will give them the info if we change from what were doing. Thanks y'all