Feed Prices???

[Beth C]

So how long do you store feed and still plan on it holding its food value?
Sounds like it would be a good time to stock up.  But here our heat and humidity is hard on feed.  It will mold quickly if not careful. 

Michael, I've fed pumpkins in the fall, usually as a treat.  You can often buy them cheaply after Nov 1.  Often they will ignore them unless there are used to a variety of food scrapes during the year.  But you must have to supplement it with high protein food to balance their ration?

We can buy ground roasted soybeans that are close to 30% protein, but the literature cautions against using too much at a time.  I understand that they are dangerous to poultry unless they are roasted.  Anyone have experience using this as a supplement?

Mine will pick a large pumpkin clean before the horses are finished their grain! I have no luck growing them here, although I raised lots back home. But I know someone who has deals with several churches that sell them - she picks up all the damaged ones, since they don't have any place to put them and they'll rot quickly. They don't have to deal with decaying pumpkins and she gets free feed - win/win! And if you make the rounds to several lots it doesn't take long to get a truck load. May talk to some places in my neck of the woods this year...

Never thought about the soy beans but everyone around me grows them. Did it say how much is too much? At 30% protein, if I'm doing the math right, cut half & half w/cheap stock feed (10%) should give 20% protein, and 3/4 stock feed to 1/4 soy would be 15%.

[greeneggsandham]

Round bales of nothing special hay are running $95.00 a bale here in Central Missouri. I need to so some stocking up on feed before everything gets crazy.

If you haven't planted summer squash, pumpkins, winter squash, cabbage, etc. there is still time. They all make good winter feed.

Michael

Drought conditions expected to continue through October.  I spent plenty of money on water for the summer garden and don't think I can continue to do so for a fall garden.  Also, the extreme heat just won't let anything grow despite the watering.

[Mike Gilbert]

We had 1.4 inches of rain in the last 24 hours here, so the drought is broken, at least for now.  It's too late to help the corn, except the silage/forage corn.  Temps will cool down to highs in the upper eighties this coming week, so I will be cutting third crop hay.  Second crop wasn't much, so we do need it.  Finally getting tomatoes, cukes, and a few string beans out of the garden.
Pumpkin, melon, and squash all looking pretty good so far.

[Beth C]

Mike, glad you're able to get a third cutting. I have a feeling hay is going to be as precious as gold this winter. I usually buy alfalfa, which doesn't grow here and has to be shipped in, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to make do with coastal this year.

[Don]

Hay in our area is selling for $3.75-$5 and 40-$50 square and round bales respectively depending on the type of pasture.   Three cuttings this year will work as long as we get some consistent rain during this next month or so.

Attached are a few websites that discuss feed mixtures with several options depending on cost/availability.  Others may have information that they feel is more correct.  Most seem to agree that Soybeans should be limited.  I did not realize that there were so many soy options which can change the protein content as well as the cost.  All seem to agree that they must be roasted, but there are a lot of websites that call into question the use of soy for animals or humans. 

A few websites discuss that the high husk grains like oats and barley should be limited as well.  The husked versions of oats are grown/available in our area.  You might buy the "triple cleaned oats" or "Canadian oats" In the northern areas which is a different grain and probably easier on the digestion.   Horse folks use this in our area, but are 3-4 times the price.   Oats sprout well for winter use as a semi-green feed too. 
The websites seem to disagree about the protein content of several of the grains as well.   

http://www.lionsgrip.com/protein.html

http://www.thepoultrysite.com/articles/94/feeding-chickens-for-best-health-and-performance

http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/poultry/bba01s20.html

[Birdcrazy]

I went to the local coop today, last week 50# Purina Flock raiser was 16.99 - today it was 18.40. 18% egglayer went from 15.50 to 16.96. I culled 27 birds last week, looks like more will go. i'm afraid this is just a start of what prices will be this winter and spring.

[Mike Gilbert]

I purchased 20% protein  chick grower about a week ago for $12.25 a 50 lb bag.  Prince brand.  Amish low overhead dealer.   I'm still supplementing with hard red winter wheat I purchased from my renter last fall.
That said, I just sold 5 large fowl pullets last night that were marginal to clear up space and reduce costs.