Feed Conversion

[Slugmar]

I know a lot of feed conversion has to do with genetics.

I was wondering what would you say the feed conversion would be on average.
I have 14 weathers I'm thinking of feeding out with grain or just feeding them on grass. The grass will be way cheaper for me since it cost me .50c for 80lbs vrs 2500lbs for $550 plus about .22c a lb, but grass will take me a while longer to get them to 100lbs.

what to do.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Article with info about Boer goat feed conversion.
http://www.boergoats.com/clean/articleads.php?art=887

If kids are finished on concentrates post weaning then it is possible to determine feed conversion rates (FCR). FCR= Total weight of feed/ (market weight-weaning weight). So a kid who was receiving 0.50 pounds of feed for 30 days and gained 10 pounds on feed would have an FCR= 1.5. Keeping the FCR of 1.5 in mind, one can then determine the cost per pound of gain for this particular kid. If feed costs are 0.10 per pound then it costs the producer 0.15 cents for each additional pound of gain postweaning.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Why is there any cost to feeding them grass?

[Heritagefarm]

Originally Posted by Alice In TX/MO

Why is there any cost to feeding them grass?

If a field is properly fertilized and managed, it will cost money, which could be figured on a per acre or even per pound basis by calculating the amount of forage produced. (A simple ruler is all it takes, and some math) From there you'd figure your stocking density, carrying capacity, and rough animal intake. From there you'll find out how much it will cost to raise X amount of animals with Y amount of inputs, i.e., fencing, fertilizers, etc. However I don't think the OP needs that, but I did not really understand the OP's question. I think the question needing answer was, which is more profitable:
Having a faster growing animal on a grain or a slower growing one of grass?
Well, that depends on many variables, but with good management it is possible to have meat produced extremely economically, and not necessarily slowly, on pasture alone.

[Slugmar]

I read that article earlier it just telling me how to figure the conversion I thought maybe I read it to fast ill have to take anther look.

It cost me .50c to make a bail of hay so every time I feed them one bail its .50c, In the summer I have them confined to about 8acres why I hay the rest, I just hayed there main area so they will go back into there and Wont have to feed them. Then after I'm done haying they have 40 acres to run around on but its to much even for all 80 of them but I'm going to be kidding here soon again, close to 40 does kidding here soon about 80% of them are 2nd or 3rd timers also. My last kidding of first timers If I remember right I averaged 1.7 kids per doe and lost 2. So its possible to be pushing over 100 goats here soon.

[Slugmar]

Ted,

I'm just wondering on a 16% grain all they can eat plus all the hay they could eat and fresh water. How many lbs of food will it take to make 1lb of weight on an average animal.

[Heritagefarm]

Originally Posted by Slugmar

Ted,

I'm just wondering on a 16% grain all they can eat plus all the hay they could eat and fresh water. How many lbs of food will it take to make 1lb of weight on an average animal.

I am never an advocate of large amounts of grain. Animals are a step-down, food production wise. The main point of foraging animals is for them to eat things not particularly nutritious to humans and turn it into something quite nutritious to humans. As opposed to feeding grain, which results in ultimately far less food that if the grain was eaten itself instead of fed to the animal. Now, in a feedlot it takes a cow approximately 3-4 pounds of grain to convert to 1 pound of meat. I do not know how much grain it takes a goat to convert into one pound of feed.

[Alice In TX/MO]

Supplementation of meat goats may not prove to be as economical as supplementation of other ruminant livestock. Supplementation, especially with protein, has been shown to increase a sheep's immune response to parasites (worms).

In some situations, grain and other supplements are a more economical source of nutrients than forage. For example, corn selling for $2.50 per bushel (~$4.50/cwt) is a more economical source of TDN (energy) than hay s elling for $60 a ton (~$1.20/bale) or more: 5 cents per lb. vs. 5.5 cents per lb. Energy is usually the most limiting nutrient in goat and sheep diets. Excess energy is stored as fat.

Soybean meal selling for $14 per cwt. ($280/ton) is a cheaper source of protein (CP) than alfalfa hay selling for $120 per ton (~$2.40/bale) or more. Protein is usually the most expensive nutrient in goat and sheep diets. There is a tendency to overfeed protein to livestock. Excess protein impairs performance, as energy is required for its removal.

http://www.sheepandgoat.com/articles/graintruth.html

[Slugmar]

Ted,
I agree with you completely, I’m not a big grain feeder this is the first time I have every though about feeding grain to my goats. Then again I have never had so many goats and working towards commercial I have talked to some buyers and they need more goats to meet the demand, matter of fact he called the other day asking if I would have any ready for the fourth of July offering $3.00 a lb live weight and he could see the market going higher for thanksgiving and x-mas sales.

I was thinking of trying to hit that market by grain if I could get a good conversion of the feed or I will just hold on to them and see how long on grass they take to get to 100lbs and try anther holiday.