western iowa,by Denison | J HL - 1/16/2024 14:44
Volume fed makes a huge difference. When we had 100 hd or less, we couldn’t do it cheaper than with a grinder/mixer, a heider wagon for mixed feed storage, buckets and wood bunks, and bale rings.
When we got big enough to use a feedwagon, silage, ground hay, and wet distillers then feed costs and labor per head dropped. Baleage and bags work on a certain scale too but I bet with his volume, he is 100% right that a bunker of haylage gets his delivered to the bunk cost lower than bags or wrapped bales. Bunkers of feed and a feed wagon beat bales or bags most of the time for us. If we were just cows, no feeders, that might not be the case.
Going from 700 head to 1600 was a change-My son all of a sudden is not 16 anymore and had to grow to afford 2 guys fulltime-we have been doing ok,i have to get more done in 1 day to stay ahead of having the luxury of having a son farming with me,we talk daily of what to change so that 1 day he can stay ahead of things that happen daily when I'm no longer here (retirement) or maybe just a few days off
My biggest cost is time!
Time is important but not billable!
Low cost producer tips-investment in people, "TIME-"Problem solving without having a closed mind! |
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