Feed grinding question

notjustair · Jan 10, 2015

I do some custom grinding for a neighbor when she needs it. Last I ground for her was corn with a little mineral that she's using for cattle and creep feeding the calves. I do the same for creep feeding but give them free choice of brome and they do well. Hers all have poopy butts - too much protein without enough roughage. She got about 10 bushels of oats that she wants to add to her next batch as roughage and probably grind in a bale or two. Question is this - the oats don't need to be dust. I usually do everything on the second screen (1/2 inch I think) and vary throttle to change the grind. Should I run the oats through with it just above idle or take out the screen all together? I've never in all of my years put oats through to use as the roughage source. I have just ground it same as the corn or wheat more as a filler. It is a JD 400 grinder if that makes a difference.

JD Seller · Jan 10, 2015

I always just run them in through the mineral box. I wanted them whole not ground for lighter weight cattle.

She is having scours because she is giving them too much ground feed and not enough hay. They need more fiber not more protein.

I like grinding DRY alfalfa hay into these type of rations as well. 3-4 bales in a full grinder seems about right.

jon f mn · Jan 10, 2015

Just run it through the same screen. We ground oats in every load of feed on the farm and ran it all through the same. The oats will be more coarse than the corn because of the fibre in it.

LAA · Jan 10, 2015

Calves don't need the oats ground, they will masticate the oats just fine. Actually, the whole point of adding bulky feed stuffs to a heavy grain ration is to slow the calves down at the trough or creep and prevent over eating of too rich of a ration that may cause digestive disturbances, or worse. Calves need at leat 30% hay for proper rumen development.

Kickinbull · Jan 11, 2015

Always fed oats whole.

caterpillar guy · Jan 11, 2015

we always ground through the same screen. The oats came through courser than the corn.As JD said they need more roughage. Hay or oats. If she is going to feed that much corn she could feed course chopped straw. Just looking for filler.

BANDITFARMER · Jan 11, 2015

Why not add the oats in ware you add the supplement, This way you don't grind them at all. When I still had cattle I would add oats or course splets in the mix while I was grinding the corn. Never had any problems doing this and the cows liked them this way. Bandit

Mike in Mn. · Jan 11, 2015

I always run it through the 1/2 inch screen, same as corn.

tim s · Jan 11, 2015

We have a 750 Deere mill with a Hay mill on it,, with the 400 be sure to grind the corn first then add the hay they will bridge bad in the cone,, on the 750 with the flat bottom we don't have that problem. When we start cattle on the stuffers we grind a lot of common mixed hay in with just a little corn and do this for a couple weeks till they get full and started then back the hay off a little at a time.

Nebraska Cowman · Jan 11, 2015

You can add the oats whole but it sounds like your neighbor needs to get a better handle on what her calves are eating. You can't expect them to just regulate themselves.

GeneMO · Jan 11, 2015

I would run it in whole also. Put it in the mineral auger.

Too bad she can't come up with some ear corn. Best calf feed made, ground ear corn.

Gene

Feed grinding question

notjustair

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JD Seller

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jon f mn

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LAA

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Kickinbull

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caterpillar guy

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BANDITFARMER

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Mike in Mn.

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tim s

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Nebraska Cowman

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GeneMO

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