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Stage 1

 

 

Birth to 3 days old

Colostrum

 

3 days to 38 days

Tend-R-Leen® milk replacer

25 pounds

 

Free choice Tend-R-Leen®  calf starter

50 pounds

 

Both heifer and bull calves can be raised together until 2 months of age

 

Stage 2

 

 

39 days to 120 days old

Tend-R-Leen® Grower Formula:  2 lbs./hd/day

180 pounds

 

Free choice dry whole shell corn

 

 

At 120 days the steer will weigh approximately 350 lbs.

 

Stage 3

 

 

120 days to finish

Tend-R-Leen® Ultra Finisher

1 1/2 lbs./hd/day

457 pounds

 

Free choice dry whole shell corn

 

 

Free choice trace mineral salt

 

Stage 1

 

 

Birth to 3 days old

Colostrum

 

3 days to 38 days

Tend-R-Leen® milk replacer

25 pounds

 

Free choice Tend-R-Leen®  calf starter

50 pounds

 

Both heifer and bull calves can be raised together until 2 months of age

 

Stage 2

 

 

39 days to 120 days old

Tend-R-Leen® Grower Formula:  2 lbs./hd/day

180 pounds

 

Free choice dry whole shell corn

 

 

At 120 days the steer will weigh approximately 350 lbs.

 

Stage 3

 

 

120 days to finish

Tend-R-Leen® Ultra Finisher

1 1/2 lbs./hd/day

457 pounds

 

Free choice dry whole shell corn

 

 

Free choice trace mineral salt

 

Stage 1

 

 

Birth to 3 days old

Colostrum

 

3 days to 38 days

Tend-R-Leen® milk replacer

25 pounds

 

Free choice Tend-R-Leen®  calf starter

50 pounds

 

Both heifer and bull calves can be raised together until 2 months of age

 

Stage 2

 

 

39 days to 120 days old

Tend-R-Leen® Grower Formula:  2 lbs./hd/day

180 pounds

 

Free choice dry whole shell corn

 

 

At 120 days the steer will weigh approximately 350 lbs.

 

Stage 3

 

 

120 days to finish

Tend-R-Leen® Ultra Finisher

1 1/2 lbs./hd/day

457 pounds

 

Free choice dry whole shell corn

 

 

Free choice trace mineral salt

 

 

Tend-R-Leen® Tech Report

July 2011

Strategies for High Corn & Feed Prices

 

Recent record high corn and grain prices present challenges for all livestock producers.  As dairy beef producers, we must work even harder to be efficient and maximize our feed efficiency and gains.  Following are some common myths, concerns, and strategies for dealing with higher feed prices.

 

Myth:  If I purchase less feed off farm and feed silage or hay, my feed costs will be lower.

While it may seem like you are saving money by having a smaller off farm feed bill, you could well be sacrificing profit, due to increased amount of feed required to finish a steer, decreased feed efficiency, increased days on feed, and reduced average daily gains.  In addition, roughage fed cattle may grade lower than steers fed on a no-roughage diet, thereby reducing your income at the time of sale. 

 

Producer Strategy:  Compare the numbers for performance and profit of steers on a roughage ration versus Tend-R-Leen fed steers.  These projections are based on cattle fed from 350 lbs. to 1227 lbs.

 

Tend-R-Leen ration                                                        Shelled corn, haylage, protein ration

Shelled corn:  $7.00/bu.                                                    Shelled corn: $7.00/bu.

Tend-R-Leen Finisher $686/ton                                          Haylage:  $55/ton

                                                                                      40% protein:  $520/ton

ADG = 3.22 pounds                                                        ADG = 2.5 pounds

Days on feed =  272 days (9.06 months)                            Days on feed = 352 days (11.73 months)

Market weight in 13 months                                              Market weight in 15.73 months

 

Feed cost                                                                        Feed cost

78.21 bu. corn = $547.47                                                   84.2 bu. corn = $589.40

408.48 # TRL = $140.11                                                    4000 # haylage = $110.00

                                                                                       352# 40% pro. = $91.52

Total Feed Cost = $687.58                                              Total = $790.92

Feed cost/pound of gain = $0.78                                        Feed cost/pound of gain = $0.90

Yield = 61%                                                                     Yield = 58.5%

 

That’s a difference of $0.12 in cost per pound of gain.  Feeding cattle from 350 lbs. to 1227 lbs. (877 lbs. of gain) would cost $103.34 less on the Tend-R-Leen program versus the roughage program!  

 

Myth:  I can purchase a competitor’s concentrate cheaper.  Why should I buy Tend-R-Leen?

Is saving $50 or more per ton of concentrate worth it?   The feeding rate of the lesser expensive product needs to be considered to determine the actual cost.  Also, was the product researched and designed for the type of feeding you are doing?  Or is it cheaper on face value but costs more in the end with increased feed per pound of gain, lowered average daily gain, health and digestive problems, and poor quality finished steers resulting in lower profit because of added costs? 

 

We’ve been asked the question -"Why does Tend-R-Leen® cost more than your competitors?"   Tend-R-Leen is the lowest cost per pound of gain no roughage beef feeding program researched and proven over 50 years of no roughage cattle feeding.  The addition of Sodium Diacetate along with the amino acid balanced nutrition supplies the acetic acid normally produced from digestion of roughage.  This serves as a buffer, assuring more consistent intake and a healthier digestive tract.  Sodium Diacetate also increases feed efficiency, requiring less corn to bring an animal to market.  Sodium diacetate saves you about 6 bushels per steer and one ton of TRL feeds about 4 steers.  That is 24 bushels per ton of Tend-R-Leen or $168.  Another reason that Tend-R-Leen may cost more than other proteins is because it also contains yeast and B vitamins.  With Tend-R-Leen, protein and mineral supplementation is designed for the shift in digestion to the intestine and the higher rates of gain on less feed.

 

Because Tend-R-Leen has done the research on feeding no-roughage steers, we have accurate data documenting the performance of our program.  Can competitive programs give you accurate numbers or any at all?   

Tend-R-Leen® products contain more natural protein than the competitors no-roughage program products.  Currently Domain, Inc. utilizes only plant and vegetable protein sources to manufacture Tend-R-Leen® products.  Excluding the use of animal protein sources in our Tend-R-Leen® products increases the cost but allows you, the producer, to certify your animals have not been fed any ruminant animal protein products with confidence.

                                


Producer Strategy:  Compare the numbers.           

If Tend-R-Leen® costs $50/ton more than the competitor’s product with the same feeding rate, it only takes less than one additional ounce of gain to breakeven.

                                

$50/ton feeds 4 steers/ton = $12.50/steer.  If fed for 330 days that breaks down to 3.8 cents/day and, at $1.05/lb. fat cattle price, .03 lbs more ADG will make up the difference. This is less than an ounce per day to have the satisfaction of knowing that you are feeding your steers the BEST and the original No-Roughage Program.

                                

If a competitive product has a 2 pound feeding rate and is boasting a $100/ton savings over Tend-R-Leen®, you may need to look at the numbers more closely.  At 2 lbs./hd/day, only 3 steers can be fed per ton versus Tend-R-Leen®'s 4 steers per ton. When you break this down, the price ends up the same.  But with Tend-R-Leen®, you have the satisfaction of knowing your steers are getting the same high quality nutrition every time you feed.

 

The next time a competitor boasts of a price savings over Tend-R-Leen®, you may want to compare all the facts such as: feeding recommendations, economic projections, rate of gain, feed efficiency or closeouts that are for operations that are similar to your own.                                 

 

If you have access to the Internet, you can go to tendrleen.com and download our economic projection worksheet so you can determine your economic situation at any stage of raising steers. 

 

Question:  What else can I do to combat high corn prices?

Look closely at all aspects of your operation.  Even small changes in your management practices can make a difference to your bottom line.  Several key management practices include steer comfort, implants, vaccination and water.  These all can affect performance and profitability in large ways. 

 

Producer Strategy:

  • Improve steer comfort by keeping the animals clean, out of severe weather conditions, and having easy access to feed and water.

  • Walk through pens or lots on a daily basis to monitor all cattle for injury or the start of illness. Make sure that all steers get up and move around the lot.

  • Keep feed bunk or self feeders clean and free of fines.

  • The proper implant given at the right time can result in an extra 99 pounds of gain and can improve feed efficiency. 

  • A solid and thorough vaccination program helps to reduce disease incidence and keep cattle healthy.  A Texas A & M study found that cattle on a thorough vaccination program resulted in $117 greater profit per head due to decreased medicine costs, better feed efficiency, and improved performance.    One big vaccination that is over looked is Clostridal (7-Way) with many times a proper booster not being administered.  The results can be bloating, reduced feed efficiency, or worse, sudden deaths.  Death loss is exactly that - a loss - something that will never be regained.  A good vaccination program will cost around $7 to $15 per steer.  It only has to save one steer out of 50 head to pay for it self. 

  • Water is a key element to feeding cattle, do they have plenty and what is the quality?  Location of water can be overlooked.  How close and easy is it for your steers to eat and drink?  The water source should be located close to the feed source to encourage consumption.  If it is inconvenient for steers to walk across the lot to get a drink then back across the lot to eat again, they may eat & drink less. 

 

Conclusion

To make a profit when feed prices are high you must learn to closely observe all parts of your operation.

  1. Know purchase price limits before purchases are made.

  2. Feed a ration that is proven to give the lowest cost per pound of gain and not the cheapest per ton.

  3. Manage the cattle to get the most out of them.

If you want assistance in figuring out if you are doing the most to get your maximum profitability, contact your local Tend-R-Leen dealer or sales representative, or call 1-800-328-8752. 

 

 

 

Read Past Tech Reports:

 

July 2010

Dealing with the Heat

 

December 2009

Concerned About Moldy Corn?

 

September 2009

Closeouts & the Importance of Records

 

June 2009

Reducing Shrink

 

March 2009

Pneumonia Prevention

 

October  08

Feeding High Moisture Corn

 

July 08

Tend-R-Leen Celebrates 45th Anniversary

Mixing Accuracy Can Affect Your Bottom Line

 

April 08

The Economics of Selling Cattle at 

     Lighter Weights

 

January 2008

Winter Bedding Management

Can I Still Make Money with $4.00 Corn?

 

September 2007

Feeding Drought Stressed Corn

 

June 2007

Dealing with the Heat

 

March 2007

Handling Higher Feed Prices

 

December 2006

Successful Feedlot Management Practices

 

September 2006

Bovine Respiratory Syncytial Virus (BRSV) and Parainfluenza-3

 

June 2006

Feedlot Environmental Compliance

 

March 2006

Bovine Respiratory Disease (BRD))

 

December 2005

Bovine Viral Diarrhea Update (BVD)

 

September 2005

Bovine Tuberculosis

 

June 2005

Cattle Handling

Working Facilities

 

March 2005

Receiving Cattle Guidelines

 

September 2004

Considerations for Starting Up or Expanding Your Steer Operation

 

June 2004

Higher feed prices are here, what do we do?

Current Economic Projections

 

February 2004

U.S. Animal Identification Plan

Current Economic Projections

 

October 2003

Vaccination Update

Vaccination Advantages

Arrival vaccination schedule for unweaned calves

Management tips for young calves

 

February 2003

The History of Tend-R-Leen

 

November 2002

Farm Record Keeping

Farm Record Keeping Software

 

August 2002

Enterprise Comparison

  -Raise Tend-R-Leen steers

  -Raise steers on a conventional (roughage) ration

  -Raise dairy replacement heifers

  -Milk more cows

 

 

 

 

We reserve the right to change product specifications at any time.  The information contained here is reasonably accurate at the time of posting, however  we rely on the warranty and product specifications on the products themselves, not the information on the site.   Tend-R-Leen® is a trademark of Domain, Inc. registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.  Copyright ©  2010 Tend-R-Leen®.  All rights reserved.