What happened to the price of feed?????

[saladin]

Quote:
Perhaps if the federal goverment stopped paying conglomerate farms to NOT farm land there would be a glut of grains

If you're referring to the "set-aside" programs of the past those are pretty much non-existant and haven't been around for many years.

If you're referring to the CRP program...that is for acres that were marginal for farming in the first place and probably should never been broken out of native grass to farm.

I sure wish there was a program to pay us not to farm....would be a lot easier than busting our butts for next to no money and ungrateful consumers.

Katy,
I generally agree with you, but have to part company with you on your remarks concerning CRP.

In the South (this ain't Kansas) most of our CRP is under the Northern Bobwhite Initiative. Many of our farms never looked like yours in Kanas to start with. That doesn't mean they were 'marginal' in the least.

Instead, of the 'marginal' comment (which I resent by the way; in case you can't tell) you should have explained that CRP land IS FARMED, only differently. It is done in strips and the different grains are cut but not harvested to feed wildlife. We don't just let our land lie fallow. It is still worked. And our soil may not be as rich as yours but farm it we did and still do.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
If you're referring to the "set-aside" programs of the past those are pretty much non-existant and haven't been around for many years.

If you're referring to the CRP program...that is for acres that were marginal for farming in the first place and probably should never been broken out of native grass to farm.

I sure wish there was a program to pay us not to farm....would be a lot easier than busting our butts for next to no money and ungrateful consumers.

Katy,
I generally agree with you, but have to part company with you on your remarks concerning CRP.

In the South (this ain't Kansas) most of our CRP is under the Northern Bobwhite Initiative. Many of our farms never looked like yours in Kanas to start with. That doesn't mean they were 'marginal' in the least.

Instead, of the 'marginal' comment (which I resent by the way; in case you can't tell) you should have explained that CRP land IS FARMED, only differently. It is done in strips and the different grains are cut but not harvested to feed wildlife. We don't just let our land lie fallow. It is still worked. And our soil may not be as rich as yours but farm it we did and still do.

Here it is only marginal farmland that qualifies.

It is not farmed but planted to grass which the farmer must maintain by mowing or burning but can not harvest for hay or graze livestock on.

It is not done in strips nor can you grow any grains on it.

 

[saladin]

Quote:
Katy,
I generally agree with you, but have to part company with you on your remarks concerning CRP.

In the South (this ain't Kansas) most of our CRP is under the Northern Bobwhite Initiative. Many of our farms never looked like yours in Kanas to start with. That doesn't mean they were 'marginal' in the least.

Instead, of the 'marginal' comment (which I resent by the way; in case you can't tell) you should have explained that CRP land IS FARMED, only differently. It is done in strips and the different grains are cut but not harvested to feed wildlife. We don't just let our land lie fallow. It is still worked. And our soil may not be as rich as yours but farm it we did and still do.

Here it is only marginal farmland that qualifies.

It is not farmed but planted to grass which the farmer must maintain by mowing or burning but can not harvest for hay or graze livestock on.

It is not done in strips nor can you grow any grains on it.

Northern Bobwhite Initiative requires us to plant things such as corn, sorghum, beans, etc. NO GRASSES.

We have to pay money for the seed, fertilizer, tractor fuel, etc. It's alot of work and requires a rather large expense to get a small return.

That's fine if y'alls is done differently than ours. I just didn't like the general reference that lumps everyone together. It don't work that way here.

 

[ranit]

When I mow I also sweep up my grass clippings and throw in the runs. The birds love the clippings and it helps reduce feed costs.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Here it is only marginal farmland that qualifies.

It is not farmed but planted to grass which the farmer must maintain by mowing or burning but can not harvest for hay or graze livestock on.

It is not done in strips nor can you grow any grains on it.

Northern Bobwhite Initiative requires us to plant things such as corn, sorghum, beans, etc. NO GRASSES.

We have to pay money for the seed, fertilizer, tractor fuel, etc. It's alot of work and requires a rather large expense to get a small return.

That's fine if y'alls is done differently than ours. I just didn't like the general reference that lumps everyone together. It don't work that way here.

I agree it's a lot of hard work and a lot of expense with very little return. No matter what the specifics of any CRP program, a piece of ground is in the program because by it being farmed it took away from some other resource. In your case quail habitat.

 

[jamband]

Quote:
One of my best friends is the feed buyer for all our local turkey barns and hog barns (a LARGE outfit in the Carolinas).

Their feed comes from all over, but mostly from the Carolinas. Don't know where you rec'd your information from on the sources of feed for the commercial fellows and it may be true for some (can't imagine that it is), but it's not for those around my neck of the woods.

When I said commercial I meant any feed you buy in a store. perhaps your friend sources local corn etc...... But since the pork industry far outproduces the corn industry in the carolinas I wonder........

According to the USDA from 1998 to 07 the amt spent on imported grain products rose from 2.5 billion to 5.5 billion and from that study

While most of the bulk grain imports into the United States were grains, such
as wheat, corn (almost all from NAFTA countries), and rice

http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/fau/2009/08aug/fau125/fau125.pdf

 

[seminolewind]

Fred's Hens :

Our genuine, old fashioned feed/mill elevators are not exactly next door either. There are 3 or 4 of them, but you guessed it, each an hour's drive north, south, east or west.

With the price of gas, it isn't feasible to go and just buy feed. We try very hard to write down our shopping list (the mind's a horrible thing to waste) for groceries, Big Box stores, Home Centers, and anything else we want/need to shop. This is becoming standard practice for us now. We even haul the utility trailer along, for large items. Genuine shopping for us, not even Wal-Mart is next door.

The feed/seed business we patronize is not dirt cheap, but has been in business for almost 100 years, providing good customer service. Price of layer mash is far, far below Purina/DuMor at TSC, which is also in those locations. Since I won't be back for a month, I get a few hundred pounds. If I had to buy feed at Purina prices, I'd be done in the egg business. I enjoy it, but cannot/would not do it at a loss.

Did Purina really affect your egg production? Because mine are laying lousy, but I just changed away from Purina​

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Dont have a local feed mill around here...
So then what do you do?

Have you checked with your county extension agent? They should have access to that type of information if there is one around.

Thanks i will check!! A few towns away is known all over for its corn...
So.. like Saladin said, there has to be a mill somewhere around.
Although, the corn is sweet eating corn...
Anyways, i'll try to give them a call. Thanks!

 

[Fred's Hens]

Quote:
Did Purina really affect your egg production? Because mine are laying lousy, but I just changed away from Purina

Perhaps I didn't state it properly. Purina Feed did not effect the laying production, when we used it, either in DuMor formula or Purina formula. Laying was fine. What isn't fine is the price. DuMor is now 13.95 a bag and Purina Layena 14.95. These are our local prices. YMMV. I pay $11.50 a bag (50 lbs) from a "local" feed/seed elevator and I find the production to be just fine. At $15 a 50# bag, I'd be all done selling eggs. Our local economy/culture will only support $2.50/dozen. There simply isn't enough margin in egg sales to justify paying $15 a bag for feed. I enjoy this aspect of our lifestyle and the chickens are an important link in the market gardening we do, BUT... I'd not be keeping 40 hens and selling eggs. I'd keep 6 hens for our household use and that would be the end of it. Hope that clears it up. It's simple economics.

 

[FrenchToast]

I agree, try to find a local feed mill that will custom make your feed. I actually save more by having them make mine with a different recipe then their regular mix. I first started just ordering it the same recipe but they didn't grind it as fine. I had to order a min of 200lbs. When I wanted a higher protien level they gladly did it. I have changed it several times. The last batch was a 21% protien and was $10.00 for 50lb bag. I just had them change it to lower the protien a bit and they added a product called showmaster sheen I believe. It is similar to Calf Manna. With high protien and alot of vitamins. That changed the cost to $10.50 for 50lbs.
Before I did this they were adding 30% more vitamins since being a grain I was afraid they were not getting as much as they needed since the finer grains and vitamin powder settled to the bottom. By doing the Showmaster which is a red pellet which they grind they are for sure getting their vitamins.

When I find my reciept I'll post it here if anyone wants to compare theirs to it. I would also like to see other's mixes. My feed guy will do anything I ask and will offer advice as well. He is very informed about all of the products nutritions values that he sells.
So the bottom line by mixing it custom it is cheaper then buying it off the shelf from him. I order between 800-1000 lbs at a time just because they are 30 miles away (as is everthing else) so each bag is not weighed out. The total is bagged in approx 50lb bags.