Feeding calves for weaning/ holding

[Brute 23]

We are 12 days in and our rates are a little higher than planned. We are running about #12 per head per day. As a plus, the calves look great, but I'm afraid they are going to be too fleshy vs just letting them put size and some weight on.

A larger trap has been opened up to them for about a week buy seem to just go back and forth between the feed and hayeven though the winter grass is coming on strong.

We are talking right now about adding salt to bring the consumption down to #8-10. We are going to try #75 salt added per ton and see if that gets us where we want.

 

[StrojanHerefords]

How does weaning a five or six month old calf relate to a calf that is eight or nine months old? It seems if you are going to put some more weight on the calves, it would make sense to just leave them on the cow until they are naturally weaned.

 

[gcreekrch]

How does weaning a five or six month old calf relate to a calf that is eight or nine months old? It seems if you are going to put some more weight on the calves, it would make sense to just leave them on the cow until they are naturally weaned.

In our area, it makes little sense to leave spring calves on the cow past Nov. 10. Cows get pulled down and calves just grow hair. Every day a calf does not gain weight costs you money.
I do ask Brute if 12 lbs of feed a day is cost effective and maybe half that and add hay to the diet might be a better alternative.

 

[Brute 23]

How does weaning a five or six month old calf relate to a calf that is eight or nine months old? It seems if you are going to put some more weight on the calves, it would make sense to just leave them on the cow until they are naturally weaned.

This was done because we had very bad drought conditions and ended up with a small group of calves born at a bad time. They were pulling the cows down and were not putting on the weight like they should. We chose to wean early, feed the calves, and rest the cows. In a normal year they would have stayed on the cows. This is not some thing I hope we have to do on a regular basis.

So far it has been in our favor because we did get some timely rains. The cows are bouncing back and calf prices continue to rise.

 

[Brute 23]

In our area, it makes little sense to leave spring calves on the cow past Nov. 10. Cows get pulled down and calves just grow hair. Every day a calf does not gain weight costs you money.
I do ask Brute if 12 lbs of feed a day is cost effective and maybe half that and add hay to the diet might be a better alternative.

I'm behind on my updates. We have been busy the last week. I have yet to be home for a full 24hrs in the last 7 days... but it's been fun.





So I had more feed delivered last Wednesday. Yes, the calves did #12 per head per day on the first load. We added #75 per ton of salt to the mix. It has slowed their consumption down already and the calves have shifted more to getting out on the green winter grass vs just hanging on the feeder. In a week or so I will have a better idea of the current rate.

The #12 was over-doing it, imo.

 

[Brute 23]

We did get by to check on them Sunday. Some were laid up in the trees and some were out grazing. When we came down the road the grazing group came running up and it made us laugh so I grabbed the phone.

 

[farmerjan]

They look pretty good....

 

[gcreekrch]

That one has quite a cough and a down ear.

 

[Brute 23]

That one has quite a cough and a down ear.

I'll be by tomorrow to check on them again.

That little heifer was the youngest in the group and out of a heifer. Not sure about her mommas fate just yet.

 

[greybeard]

Green grass under the tree but so many of them out on the drier looking grass?

Looks like an oak tree...
You have any trouble with acorns down there?

 

[Brute 23]

I made it by to check the calves yesterday, all was good. They were actually a little frisky and came running when I rode through on the mule.

The salt has limited the feed some but my guess is we will still be up around #10. We will know in another week.

Green grass under the tree but so many of them out on the drier looking grass?

Looks like an oak tree...
You have any trouble with acorns down there?

There is green mixed in out there in the dryer grass. I'm guessing they are nipping around out there on that.

We have tons of oak trees. Big live oaks and oaks motts, etc. Certain years there are tons of acorns. The cows eat the leaves off all the trees as far as they can reach too. We have never had an issues with them nor have I really heard about issues around here. CT was the first place I heard about them being poisonous. I think I remember reading some thing about Brahman cattle not being effected as much? It's either that or just being around them so much the cattle are use to it.

 

[Brute 23]

Well we did not get the drop in consumption we had hoped for with the #75 per ton. They still did #12 phpd. Going to get another load and go to #150 per ton.

The winter grass is coming on with clover and rye. They are out on the grass more despite the rates still being up. Our warm season grasses are starting to green up also. We have a little fence patching to do this weekend and we will open up a different adjoining trap. That looks a lot better. It has not had any cattle in 3 or 4 months. Hopefully that will help if the salt does not.

 

[SDgrampa]

what are your overall thoughts on the self feeder? Has it worked as you hoped for? How do the calves look?

 

[Brute 23]

what are your overall thoughts on the self feeder? Has it worked as you hoped for? How do the calves look?

I have been very happy with the feeder especially since we didn't have to purchase it. Feeding daily is not an option for me. I can clearly see results in the calves.

Right now I am fighting an efficiency game, imo. My high target was #10 and I'm running #12. It's not a killer in this certain instance due to volume and the market being in our favor so I got lucky in that sense.

If I can't get the feed number where I want with salt I will be disappointed. The other option was accuration. If I can't control their intake then the feeder may not have been a good choice. LoL

I'm interested in those timed feeders with the sirens. All your feed has to be in pellets though but I could definitely see the benefits if they are reliable. Being able to dial in the rates and not having to be there is the best of both worlds, imo.

 

[Brute 23]

Before I started this I made a spreadsheet and put how many calves, their value, estimated all the costs, and the projected value at the time of sale. In the costs I shot the amount of feed phpd which gives you the frequency of refills. I had a sale date of like May 9th. Let's say the feeder gets refilled every 16 days on the projection and now it getting filled every 14, over the 3-4 months or what ever time fram that is, there is 6-8 refills.

The question will be, of the rates continue, do you sell early and stick to your budget or stick to you date an add an extra refill? Maybe I should do a poll on here.

On the spreadsheet, any thing that is a projected number is a certain color and any thing this is done, and spent, is a different color. With the formulas, the estimated profit adjusts right before your eyes as you type numbers in for actual costs over the estimates. You get to feel the loss of that extra feed or expenses every time you type them in. I like that... but I don't like it... at the same time.

 

[gcreekrch]

Before I started this I made a spreadsheet and put how many calves, their value, estimated all the costs, and the projected value at the time of sale. In the costs I shot the amount of feed phpd which gives you the frequency of refills. I had a sale date of like May 9th. Let's say the feeder gets refilled every 16 days on the projection and now it getting filled every 14, over the 3-4 months or what ever time fram that is, there is 6-8 refills.

The question will be, of the rates continue, do you sell early and stick to your budget or stick to you date an add an extra refill? Maybe I should do a poll on here.

On the spreadsheet, any thing that is a projected number is a certain color and any thing this is done, and spent, is a different color. With the formulas, the estimated profit adjusts right before your eyes as you type numbers in for actual costs over the estimates. You get to feel the loss of that extra feed or expenses every time you type them in. I like that... but I don't like it... at the same time.

Feed cost? Projected gain? Projected value at sale?

 

[Brute 23]

Feed cost? Projected gain? Projected value at sale?

Feed costs
Total projected cost is around $250 per head. Around 90% of that is feed so $225 ph.

Projected gain
That's keeping them from 2/2/24 to 5/2/24, basically 90 days. If I use the #2phpd, that's #180. If my avg was #350, maybe #400, that puts me right in the target of #500-600 at sale.

Value at sale
For easy numbers, my proj value at sale is $1500, basis is $1000. $500 spread ph, hoping to put $250 ph in them.

Sound reasonable or am I dreaming?

I will say not having a scale is very tough and drives my ocd nuts.

 

[gcreekrch]

Feed costs
Total projected cost is around $250 per head. Around 90% of that is feed so $225 ph.

Projected gain
That's keeping them from 2/2/24 to 5/2/24, basically 90 days. If I use the #2phpd, that's #180. If my avg was #350, maybe #400, that puts me right in the target of #500-600 at sale.

Value at sale
For easy numbers, my proj value at sale is $1500, basis is $1000. $500 spread ph, hoping to put $250 ph in them.

Sound reasonable or am I dreaming?

I will say not having a scale is very tough and drives my ocd nuts.

Reasonable as long as market stays.

 

[Texas G@l]

Brute,

What would your sale date be if you stuck to original amount of feed and what do you think they would weigh at that time?? Maybe sell at that point if they've gained well and prices are right.... that way you're not out the additional 6 - 8 loads of calf crack.

 

[Brute 23]

Brute,

What would your sale date be if you stuck to original amount of feed and what do you think they would weigh at that time?? Maybe sell at that point if they've gained well and prices are right.... that way you're not out the additional 6 - 8 loads of calf crack.

Ya I'm thinking I'll make the call when we get to that point depending ding or prices and how they look. Not sure if it will be the case at that time but here you don't really want to bust your target and go much over 600. There is a pretty big dip in the price per pound some times.

The difference in the #12 vs the #10 pound represents on more feeding basically. Instead of 6 refills, it would be 7. Dollars wise, it's $33 per head for every 2 weeks you keep them.

If a person had a scale, I could weigh them and know their gains for sure, especially in that last 30 days, and decide if the pounds of gain is worth more than $33. There is a scale about 15 miles away, I would just have to load a few and haul them if I really wanted to.