Massive corn shortage expected in 2022. Tips for long term storage of feed?

[Cindy in PA]

Did I just hear that China didn't buy the amount they had promised, didn't meet their quota? How might that affect the price?

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Did I just hear that China didn't buy the amount they had promised, didn't meet their quota? How might that affect the price?

that's pretty routine, actually. China overpromising as part of trade commitments, then under purchasing. The actual agreements are pretty "squishy", and the enforcement is mostly non-existent. I wouldn't invest based on it - but again, this is NOT intended as investment advice - just saying I wouldn't (and haven't).

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Well, well, well...

 

[U_Stormcrow]

Well, well, well...

Wheat is on a tear right now - courtesy Russia's invasion of the Ukraine (primarily). Oil prices will drive fertilizer prices higher, too. ...and of course transportation costs.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

Wheat is on a tear right now - courtesy Russia's invasion of the Ukraine (primarily). Oil prices will drive fertilizer prices higher, too. ...and of course transportation costs.

We are livestock farmers not crop farmers, but when fuel costs go up... our hay is more expensive, the feed is more expensive. Certain feedstuffs are not available at all.
Europe will probably appeal to the US to send them corn/beans etc. because they won't have any from the Ukraine.
This administration will be happy to oblige, to our own detriment. Because we need to live with less and be happy about it.
You can't keep poking a bear and think it won't bite. Foresight.

 

[BirdsBeesTrees]

We are livestock farmers not crop farmers, but when fuel costs go up... our hay is more expensive, the feed is more expensive. Certain feedstuffs are not available at all.
Europe will probably appeal to the US to send them corn/beans etc. because they won't have any from the Ukraine.
This administration will be happy to oblige, to our own detriment. Because we need to live with less and be happy about it.
You can't keep poking a bear and think it won't bite. Foresight.

https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/nat...rge-amid-russias-invasion-of-ukraine/2774260/

 

[HomesteadNowhere]

Did my sheep feed run today. The past few months it went up about $15 for the 20 bags (1,000#) I buy at a time. All I can fit at once currently.
Chicken feed I buy more regularly, again due to storage space. At the moment I'm going through about 50#/week-ish.
With the state of things, plus the more developments... Got wheat seed too, it's seed from last year's stock and last year's price. Wheat and oats have skyrocketed here at the two mills I use. Used to be like $10 and $14 /50#. Now it's just shy of $20/50# and everyone is waiting on the deliveries and new pricing. The one mill has been out of grain oats for a while and has been replacing it in their mixes with an oat pellet. I don't until how you run out of the grain but have pellet sitting around still? And still good? I'd think it loses quality over time like any other feed.. But whatever..

I have grain rye to plant in the fall. Only wheat available today was winter types so that will be planted this fall too.

I already planned a huge garden. Planning to do lots of seed saving. I have lots of seed now but I'd like to order everything on my list, have it for the future. Most seed keeps for a few years.
Part of the garden is dedicated to 4 types of corn. I also have 4# of decorative corn that I was planning on just growing and letting the sheep graze, but now I'm trying to work out where to plant it, not in a field near the garden, just for grain corn to be able to store for animal feed.
Lots of root crops that store well. Mangel beets. Red beets. Purple top turnip. Carrot. Radish.

I also already had bought bulk pasture seed, a blend I had special mixed for me. Forage oats, forage pea, Daikon radish, purple top turnip, dwarf Essex rape, crimson clover. 50# of each because it was most economical for each that way. It doesn't make sense for planting #/acre suggestions but it doesn't matter because it's going to be hand broadcasted into existing pasture. I can strip graze the sheep on it and have the chickens follow utilizing the electric netting.

I asked at the mill about the concentrated pellet, I think it was 46% protein or something. But it's got copper in it, can't do that with the sheep. So I got a bag of soybean meal which is like 30-something % protein. I'm not a big fan of soy but if I can get it and use it to boost the protein to balance the rest.. then hey if it's gonna work, it works.. So one bag of that to test with the sheep and chickens.

Popcorn is not as nutritional as other types, so it's definitely an option if you can get and grow it just know that it's not as good/digestible. Don't recall the details. I wonder if feedipedia website has a different listing for popcorn and different types to show the difference..
Also peas are protein but for chickens the tannins in peas make it much less digestible. I don't remember where I got alot of this information anymore, I research alot haha.

 

[SeaCity]

Starting back in 2009 I have always kept 500 pounds of whole corn in barrels and rotated it. And I bought a small grinder that can make coarse corn meal. Just a cheap precaution for both the chickens and humans. Might get tired of cornbread if things turned South but at least I would have cornbread.

May I ask what grinder you hat? I'm looking for a good but not too expensive one. Thanks!

 

[lsonderling]

May I ask what grinder you hat? I'm looking for a good but not too expensive one. Thanks!

Mock Mill Grain Mill is great. I bought a Model 200 for my wife and she uses it for grinding all kinds of grain for baking. The grind is adjustable from coarse to fine. mockmill.us for info, available from many sellers including the manufacturer. Not cheap ($395) but well worth it. They also sell repair parts.

 

[glib]

That small grinder is small. I wonder what options are there for a larger one that is also manual. soaked grains are a lot less difficult to coarse grind and so I would go that way.