Today I paid $10.35 for a 50# bag of deer corn!

[RobJ]

I'm speechless and typeless.

 

[TYMinColton]

You should see what happens when you want that corn to be organic . Doubled in price over last year. A source tells me that it has to do with "biofuels", but I can't believe that . Keep a close eye on anything that require grain feed to produce (e.g. eggs, meats, beer! etc.). They're all going up in price big-time. Way more scary than gas prices IMHO.
Pete

 

[Podunkadunk]

The prices are crazy. It's like ammo...gone through the roof. Just last year, I could get a 50 lb bag for $6.00 and some change not including tax. Not going to be much deer feeding going on this year around my place, that's for sure. I may plant a food plot of winter peas and rye, but I figure I'll just set up along their trails to a neighbors peanut field which borders my property.

Professional farmers are getting their fuel and fertilizer costs back, or at least attempting to

Podunk

 

[TYMinColton]

Professional farmers are getting their fuel and fertilizer costs back, or at least attempting to

Podunk

No we know why even McCain wasn't in favor of subsides for Iowa farmers growing corn. For years America has "chipped-in" making sure they could continue to grow corn and other grain crops. Now the tides have turned, and they're turning a profit. Have a peek around some of the other threads on this site and you'll find that the general consensus is that large Ag tractor Manf are doing pretty darned well right now - despite the economy. Farmers actually have cash for a change!

Funny how cyclic things tend to be . . .

 

[RichZ]

Don't lump all farmers together. Crop farmers who grow corn may be doing all right, but livestock farmers are taking a huge beating to the increase in corn and fuel prices. All animal feed is based on corn. I'm a goat dairy farmer, and my goat feed has gone from $125/ton to over $400/ton in less than 2 years.

The reason for the corn increase is ethanol. Ethanol can be made from any organic source, including garbage. Making ethanol from a food source defeats the whole purpose of using it as an alternative fuel source.

 

[jinman]

I'm speechless and typeless.

I was hopeful when I saw a bag of corn at TSC for $8.79. Then, I noticed it was only a 40 lb bag. My 50 lb bag of Super Corn was near the same price as you paid. You can bet I have my squirrel shocker working on my feeder. If I didn't have that on, the squirrels would empty my feeder in two weeks or less. With the shocker on, the 50 lb of corn lasts over a month.

BTW: We buy and feed sunflower seeds to our birds. I started buying 50 lb bags at TSC because they were only a little over $12 per bag. Now, they are selling for over $25 per bag. It ain't just corn that has doubled in price.

 

[RickB]

I'm speechless and typeless.

As if buying corn to feed deer is a necessity in anyone's life. If you do it for pleasure, do it and be happy. If you can't do it and be happy, don't do it. Any self-respecting deer won't really care.

 

[jinman]

As if buying corn to feed deer is a necessity in anyone's life. If you do it for pleasure, do it and be happy. If you can't do it and be happy, don't do it. Any self-respecting deer won't really care.

Nice attitude, Rick. Would you say that to a customer if your were selling corn instead of fixing tractors? If all the non-necessity buyers quit buying corn because they weren't happy and took your advice, what impact would that have on your farm equipment sales? We have cut back on our "pleasure" feeding and our necessity corn feeding for our animals. What's the difference? Corn has shot up in price and I think the root causes are bigger demands for corn in the manufacturing of alternative fuels and the obvious benefit to farmers who grow corn to keep the market price high. The positive impact on the market price of corn can swing the other direction too. When it does, can I tell the farmers that if farming doesn't make them happy, don't do it? I don't think I'd ever do that.

 

[radman1]

As if buying corn to feed deer is a necessity in anyone's life. If you do it for pleasure, do it and be happy. If you can't do it and be happy, don't do it. Any self-respecting deer won't really care.

Couldn't have said it better. Other than to attract the deer to hunt or purely for pleasure, why feed them. Deer populations continue to climb higher than ever. In my state, I can now hunt 4-5 deer/year and the DNR continues to change the rules to make it easier to hunt, especially does. (I did get 2 "free deer" in the past 4 years with my truck!) If you want to see them eat corn, come out to my farm and I will let you watch for free.

Also ask why the bag cost $6.00 back when corn was $1.80 per bushel (about 56#/bushel). Over triple the cost of what the farmer received.

By the way, I really hate the price of golf balls. How can 6-12 balls cost so much? I guess I don't have much of a choice.

 

[chh]

As for deer feeding, look at rice bran. Squirrels can't raid it like corn. I have friends using it and they really like it.
I can't even get a quote on bulk cattle feed for this winter. Corn did take somewhat of a dip the last couple of weeks so that may help me some. It is about time row crop farmers where able to get above break even though. Corn is really not the best choice for ethanol. There is quite a bit of work and some plants being built using other products though. The sooner they open up offshore and the Artic for drilling the better it will be though. IMO