3 Calves 1 steer, what to feed??

[TXCattleMama]

Hello, we have a one-year-old steer. He is on a finisher feed, doing great. But we also have 3 bottle calves that are almost ready to wean. I'm worried that the finisher would not be good for the calves to get, but I also want the steer to be growing good too. Is there something for all life stages I can give? Currently, the calves are separated, but it won't be long till they will be with the steer. We love simple feeding, my dad said when he was a kid they just fed everyone corn?? We are in the Texas Panhandle, so we have good feed stores and tractor supply. Thanks for any help.

 

[SBMF 2015]

If the finisher you are feeding doesn't have Rumensin in it then it should be ok to feed the little calves.
I guess my biggest concern would be that the str should be eating 15 + lbs of grain a day and the calves probably only need 1/2lb a day.
I would make a creep pen to feed the calves in and raise the str's bunk so the little calves can't reach. They can still share a pen and water. Just need different levels of feed.

 

[darcelina4]

First off weaned bottle calves should have about 6 pounds of 16% grain a day. The steer should have 3% of his body weight in a higher fat/energy 10% ration if you are feeding him out to butcher soon. So they shoukd be fed grain separate. The bottle calves need protein to grow and develop frame, the steer needs to get fat so they have different needs.

 

[CG1]

I feed everyone together and feed everyone standard beef text. My bottle calves well on a bottle get calf starter but once they are out with the herd they are out with the herd. I've never had an issue. Chances are if you are feeding everyone together that steer is going to push those calves out of the way and naturally get more. But, that's me. I don't get scientific with feed.

 

[greggy]

You will find the main difference is the protein, initially the protein is higher, as weaning age of over 6 months it is a lower %

It is more related to the age and stage of growth for the calf, the lower protein feed will not hurt them, but it wont help them grow as much, if they still get milk once a day, I would not worry as long as it is 12-16% protein.

It wont hurt the steer to have the calf pellets, you just pay more for the higher protein content & often it is medicated, so if it were me, I would just feed them all the better calf pellet, just give less to the steer dependent on age and size.

Keep in mind I am working off local products.