Faubert Feeds has several tips for purchasing livestock feed supply. Feed is one of those things that is essential to raising livestock, but never gets the attention it deserves. That’s why we want to help all potential Livestock Feed suppliers with tips to improve their feed buying.

Faubert Feeds’ 10 Tips for Purchasing Livestock Feed Supply

1) Know what your animals needs in their feed. Your wallet and livestock stays healthy when you know the exact requirements needed. Breeding animals have needs that are different than animal babies. No farmer is going to have the exact same feed needs. While some dairy farms have dozens of calves to maintain, a rancher might only deal with older horses.

There have been many great guidelines about how best to feed various animals on your farm. While Faubert would recommend checking in with a variety of sources from 4H to your local Ag Board and beyond, nothing beats talking to your local feed vendor.

2) When you plan ahead with your feed, you save money. Life is unpredictable, but feed follows a set schedule. If your pigs eat x amount of food in spring vs. the summer, you can build around that fixed quantity. If you add more livestock, plan for that number. This is basic math that leads into our next tip.

3) Keep accurate and detailed records regarding your feed. While we hate to nickel and dime our animal friends, it helps to keep track of special needs that occur in our livestock friends. You might have a cow that can’t graze a certain way, while your pigs could live with anything.

There are also nearly annual reports of horses getting sick from eating certain kinds of hay. Even the most well-mannered person can accidentally cause livestock mayhem without being aware. So, what can you do to keep every animal happy and healthy on the farm?

Healthy livestock can decrease your costs

4) When the livestock herd is healthy, your expenses decrease. Healthy animals don’t overeat or rush feeding supplies to get more material. The chances of a cow, horse or otherwise catching themselves on metal feeding appliances will decrease.

Maintaining proper balance on your farm is hard work. So, why put all of the weight on controlling feed and its relation to health? Well, because outside of illness, environmental concerns and economic strain…feed is the one thing that every farmer has the power to control.

5) Monitor your feed quality. Depending on whether you keep your feed in silos or elsewhere, the chances for rot increase. Heat and moisture can ruin feed and degrade vitamins in the material. If your feed has fats in it, they can rot in the wrong storage configuration. Between mold growth, rancid fat and no vitamins, your feed could become hazardous to your livestock’s health.

How do I know if my feed is still of high quality?

  • Check for signs of mold.

Mold in grain and other feed shows a few prominent visual indicators. When your growing season is cold and wet, it can cause toxins and molds to grow rapidly. The most prominent of these dangers being fusarium, mycotoxin and your garden variety mold.

Fusarium toxins tend to hit in the cool and wet conditions that hit in the early Spring and late Fall. If you delay harvests to beat the moisture levels, you then cause mycotoxin to form. Yet, that’s not the most common area for mold growth. That would be in feed storage. So many farmers are busy and are quick to store their feed in the same silos they’ve had for 30 years.

What once was great can now be exposed to weather damage, structural aging and so much moisture causing this cycle to begin again. The only thing a farmer can do is stay on guard.

  • Make sure that the feed hasn’t become moist.

As snow and rain falls, tension rises in feed supply maintenance. We discussed above that feed is susceptible to moisture. In order to beat the moisture concerns, efforts must be made to keep all feed dry. To keep feed dry you must keep it off the ground, away from roof leaks and keep all storage containers free of leaks and holes.

  • Have any rodents gotten into the grain?

Rodents in corn and other grain has been a problem since man first began to farm. Waterproof containers can help fight moisture and also create a tight seal to stop rodent entry. But, if a pest want into the grain…it’s getting into your feed.

That’s why you should’ve overthink using mouse and rat traps. Everything from a glue trap to the traditional design. If you feel inclined to use pest control poisons, contact your local supplier for recommendations on how now to contaminate your feed. On the DYI level, we’ve heard of dryer sheets and other household objects being used as pest deterrents.

  • How long do I have before my feed goes bad?

Fresh whole grain can last for quite some time. But, how do you know if your grain is built to last? This is a constant sticking point among farmers and will inspire great debates. However, the general consensus tends to be around 3 to 6 months.

Oilseeds and high fatty grains such as oats, flax and sunflower can lose their shelf-life when cracked and processed. If flax lasted for 4 months before being processed, that number can be cut in half after processing. When barley and related oats get dry rolled, you’re staring down a solid 6 months of feeding your livestock.

Additives and commercial processing are the main factors that speed up feed expiration. Contact Faubert Feeds to learn more!

Livestock make a mess of their feed

6) It is super easy and very common for animals to make a mess of their feed. Ask any working farmer and they’ll tell you how half of their feed ends up on the floor. What is a working man or woman to do, so that they don’t go broke keeping up with all of the feed mess?

As you begin to address your feed needs, a working farmer must identify and structure their livestock situation like a business.

7) Do not feed animals on the ground. What was once common place decades ago creates a multitude of messes. Some ranchers might even still feed horses and open range animals near stream. But, even that spillage creates mud and trapped mess in pastures and other areas.

A messy farm is an environment for accidents and illness that no one needs. By caring for how your animals are fed, it shows that you care for your farm’s livelihood.

Make sure that you don’t waste feed

8) Keep an eye on all wasted feed! Wasted feed is covered in animal saliva and cast aside. The feed rots and attracts mice, rats and other pests that can be detrimental to your livestock’s health. You wouldn’t want to live with rats and mice in your cupboards, so keep them out of your animals’ kitchen.

While there are feed systems that exist to help control this waste, being mindful of it starts with the initial feed selection.

9) Stock up on grain! Whole grain, corn and related materials will keep for a long time. Whole grain is important, as it is structured not to be prone to molds and other hazards like processed grain. But, what is whole grain feed?

Thankfully, Faubert Feeds has some options for you.

10) Finally, feed with economical thought. Too many farmers get stuck in old patterns or they buy on the recommendations of others. Stop and think about the livestock you need to address. If you have been following the tips mentioned above, this won’t be an issue.

If you found these tips to be helpful, we’ll return at various points in the year to highlight areas of feed concern. At Faubert, we are asked a ton of questions and share our experience in feeding the livestock of Canada and the United States.

When is the best time to purchase Livestock Feed?

Livestock Feed supply is a constant concern. However, most people will purchase livestock feed at fixed intervals. One of our tips at Faubert Feeds is to keep accurate records of your feed and the needs you experience as your livestock changes. This doesn’t mean you’re ordering supplies every other week like groceries.

What it means is that you have a predetermined idea of what is required and how to best service those needs. Due to the bulk and cost of these feed demands, you have a friend at hand with Faubert Feeds.

So, there really isn’t a best time to purchase Livestock Feed? The question is more about are you keeping an accurate count of your on-hand supply and what you need to run a successful farm?

Farming and all forms of agriculture is the business of hard work, sweat and soil. For all the effort that goes into planting, it’s easy to forget about the extra tenderness required of our animal friends. Veteran farmers know this to be true, but as with all things…we answer these questions to best help the generations coming into farming.

Stick with Faubert Feeds, as we continue to share our knowledge about livestock, livestock feed and our collected offerings.

What Livestock Feed is available for my farm and livestock?

Below you will find some of our best product offerings at Faubert Feeds. Now every animal and livestock herd on your farm isn’t going to want to eat the same thing. So, we’ve decided to group together the most popular livestock feeds for easy reading.

Corn at Faubert Feeds

Non GMO Whole Corn

Corn Meal

  • The corn meal bought at the grocery for humans comes from dent corn. What Faubert Feeds uses for livestock is a little different.

Non GMO Gluten Feed

Organic Whole Corn

Soybeans at Faubert Feeds

Organic Soybeans

Non GMO soybean meal

Soyplus

Oats at Faubert Feeds

Oats are organic at Faubert.

Rolled Oats

Organic Grain options

Organic Mixed Grains

Extra Non GMO options

Barley

Canola Meal

We also have a wide variety of in-house poultry and dairy feed options. Faubert Feeds is the exclusive home for select options for your cattle and chickens at every stage of their development.

As you browse the selections above, we ask that you reach out to Faubert Feeds with any questions. While some options might look at old favorites, it’s better to have a helping hand curate and develop a feed schedule with you to make sure that everyone’s farm stays happy and well-fed.

The team at Faubert Feeds is ready and waiting to help you put these Livestock Feed supply tips into action!

There is one final thing that Faubert Feeds wants to address with all interested livestock feed consumers. We’re going to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about feed not covered in the 10 tips. Even still, there might be a degree of overlap. It’s understandable due to the nature of livestock feed.

Frequently Asked Questions about Livestock Feed

What is the most important Livestock Feed?

Traditional sources will answer barley. It’s cheap, effective and commonly used on most farms in the world.

What do most livestock naturally eat?

Grass and leaves. It’s assumed that as many as 46% of natural grazing and third world livestock feeds on grass and leaves.

What is the best feed for my farm?

Feed needs change based on your livestock. Everything from the quantity to the kinds of animals have different demands that require different feed.

Why do some farmers not feed grain to Cattle?

Well, it’s because grain can often accumulate in a cow’s stomach. The sheer volume of grain that can set and accumulate in a wet place can create mold and various bacteria.

I have even more questions about Livestock Feed!

Well, thankfully our pals at Research Gate have more answers than we can provide in one session. Find out more here!

Faubert Feeds is here to help!

Contact the Faubert Feeds team and learn more about what Faubert can do for you.

Check out the full line of Faubert Feeds livestock feed products.