Corn Prices and Alternatives

[OKRuss]

For you guys buying corn in bulk. What method are you using to get the corn into the feeder drum? Portable 12v/PTO auger, 5 gallon buckets or.........? trying to figure out if I should look at buying bulk or paying a extra and backing my truck up to the feeder drum and standing on the bed rails to dump bags.

Use a 3lb feed scoop out of 55 gallon barrels into 40 lb bags. Load 3 or 4 on atv, dump, repeat. Not that much effort if only doing a few hundred pounds each time. If bulk isn't easily accessible, you could wipe out the cash saved. $60/55 gallon barrel/350 lbs.

 

[retrieverman]

For you guys buying corn in bulk. What method are you using to get the corn into the feeder drum? Portable 12v/PTO auger, 5 gallon buckets or.........? trying to figure out if I should look at buying bulk or paying a extra and backing my truck up to the feeder drum and standing on the bed rails to dump bags.

Like Dennis, I would love to have a bulk hopper trailer, but for what they cost, I can buy A BUNCH of sacked corn. I’ve thought about doing the 55 gallon drums and may eventually, but for right now, I’m willing to pay the price for bagged.

 

[cowadle]

bulk bags are cheap. i have a little valve that attaches to the spout in the bottom so i can regulate the flow. or just scoop out of the top? swing by sometime and i will give you a couple. some guys cut a hole in the center of a pallet and set the bag over the hole so they can lift it to fill feeders and stuff. or just use the straps

 

[undeg01]

Like Dennis, I would love to have a bulk hopper trailer, but for what they cost, I can buy A BUNCH of sacked corn. I’ve thought about doing the 55 gallon drums and may eventually, but for right now, I’m willing to pay the price for bagged.

I have several poly totes that I use. Load 3 on my 16’ flatbed and fill them up. One holds right at a ton and the other 2 hold about 1400# each. I unload the smaller ones with my tractor and store them in a shipping container, then fill my feeders for the first time with the bigger tote.

 

[cowadle]

I have several poly totes that I use. Load 3 on my 16’ flatbed and fill them up. One holds right at a ton and the other 2 hold about 1400# each. I unload the smaller ones with my tractor and store them in a shipping container, then fill my feeders for the first time with the bigger tote.

i really like the poly totes that have the unloader valve in the bottom. i don't have any but the local coop uses them now instead of bags.

 

[Reedman]

Due to Bidenomics corn prices in my area and I’m sure everywhere are at $10 for 40 pounds I’m looking for alternatives other than the usual places like Wally World and tractor supply or just other feed alternatives. Do y’all have any advice?

Having just driven back from MT, the corn fields in Kansas and Nebraska look dead.

 

[gunnut918]

Call nearest feed mill. Just bought from Arhberg in Cushing. 50# is $11.00. Tried rice bran once. Poured in piles on the ground and nothing touched it. Six months of weather and rain finally got it gone. A deer did step in one pile.

 

[Two Gun Warrior]

Deer basically don't need a water hole for the most part. Woody browse is 45% water. Their systems have developed where they can extract that. During the big drought in the 2010 years I think it was, we used molasses tubs everywhere to create watering stations. The deer never used them, but made great hot tubs for the coons that did! LOL.
I'm talking off the cuff now and don't know if this is true, but during that three year drought we saw tons of fawn skulls in the following spring. Speculation is that does with fawns need more water to make milk for the fawns.
There are people out there that know more about that issue than I do, so I hope they contribute.

Deer do go to the water and drink. I have kill a good many at the waterholes.

 

[Two Gun Warrior]

I accidently ran across a company outa texas making some sort of deer watering system.

My thinking is a nice clean pond with the wildlife and moo moos fenced out, but with a windmill pumping water to a stock tank (or old metal bath tub) and a overflow diverting the excess back to the pond! Fresh!

They will still drink from the pond.

 

[Two Gun Warrior]

Any change in feed that is not native will take some time for the deer to start eating it. I put out some alfalfa hay this last year know deer love it, the deer here took nearly 2 months to start on it. I use some cotton seed and again it took time for them to start eating it. My deer numbers are way down, I blame it on the poacher.