4-H Hereford Steer not eating grain

[Anonymous]

I have a 800 pound steer that got 20 pounds of ground ear corn when he was eating. He also gets 2 flakes of alfalfa 1st cutting and an hour out in the grass pasture. He wont even eat 2 pounds of grain. He has been like this for a week. He does not have bloat. Any help would be great. THANKS

 

[Anonymous]

Hi there,

I have fed oodles of show calves and have worked very successfully with steers. Sounds like you over fed him protien, you need a more diversifief ration with more bulk, see if you can get whole cattonseed and add to current ration, must have white fluff still on it, also add beet pulp, soaked in water, cut back on the alfalfa hay and feed oat hay, or just force to graze grass only. First and foremost, hit him with Probiotics, Probios is what I use and have used for 15 years, works great, will get him back on feed in 24 hours, but start him off slow on new ration, 5 lb AM, 5 lb PM, let his reumen get used to the new ration slowly and build him up to 3 3-1/2 % of his body weight total feeding. Steam flaked corn is more digestable than ground corn but if you have yard birds living with him they will appreciate his stool, and eat all the corn that passes through him, if not you are waisting $$$$.

Good Luck with your calf, Michelle

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[Anonymous]

We grind 600 pounds of feed at a time. With his ear corn he also gets 25 pounds molasses and 25 pounds of SteakMaker Grower 55-25 (VP) B500. For Probios can I just use 25cc of plain yogurt? THANKS

 

[Anonymous]

> We grind 600 pounds of feed at a
> time. With his ear corn he also
> gets 25 pounds molasses and 25
> pounds of SteakMaker Grower 55-25
> (VP) B500. For Probios can I just
> use 25cc of plain yogurt? THANKS

I am not familiar with the feeds you are blending with your ground whole corn. Ground corn has a lot of fiber, but I believe you need to treat the calf more like a reumanent than a chicken or hog. I have never used yogurt, but the probios has the natural microflora that live in the reumen, the calf is not feeling well and I'll bet his gut flora is nearly dead, which is contributing to the poor appetite. Use a 1 lb coffee can to measure two scoops of dry beet pulp, soak with equal parts water, then add to feed ration, this will add bulk and fiber and the calf converts it into usable nutriens. You can go to my web site, under links you will find one to Sullivan's, they can send you the probios . Good Luck, let me know how he does, I still raise steers for home harvest, but I also used to do it for competition. Michelle

http://www.kemilimousin.com
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