Best way to feed calf,new to this

[rizacres]

HELLO, I JUST GOT MY FIRST CALF FROM MY FATHER IN LAW, I AM WONDERING HOW I SHOULD FEED, THE BEST FOR BEST TASTE, DO I WAIT TO GRAIN OR CORN UNTIL LATER??? ALSO, CAN YOU TELL BY COLOR WHAT BREED OF COW? HE WASN'T SURE WHAT KIND IT IS, BUT WE WANTED TO RAISE OUR OWN MEAT. THANKS FOR ANY HELP!! MICHELLE

 

[bigbull338]

id put the calf on a 14% grain mix an hay.if the calf hasnr been eating grain start him out slow say a pound of feed 2x a day.plus all the hay he wants.an increase his feed slowly to the amount you want him eating in a day.

 

[msscamp]

HELLO, I JUST GOT MY FIRST CALF FROM MY FATHER IN LAW, I AM WONDERING HOW I SHOULD FEED, THE BEST FOR BEST TASTE, DO I WAIT TO GRAIN OR CORN UNTIL LATER??? ALSO, CAN YOU TELL BY COLOR WHAT BREED OF COW? HE WASN'T SURE WHAT KIND IT IS, BUT WE WANTED TO RAISE OUR OWN MEAT. THANKS FOR ANY HELP!! MICHELLE

First off - take your cap lock off, unless you have some type of disability that makes it easier for you to type that way. Typing in all capital letters is considered shouting on forums, and is rude.

Now, about the calf - how old is this calf? What does he weigh? When are you planning on butchering him? The general rule of thumb is 1-2% of their body weight for grain (be it COB, corn, rolled wheat, barley, or whatever), and a good quality grass hay free choice. Depending on its quality, alfalfa generally provides more protein (therefore better gain), but it needs to be introduced slowly so as to prevent bloat. As far as taste is concerned, it is a matter of personal preference. Corn produces some very good freezer beef, but - depending on the breed, straight grass can too. If you would be kind enough to answer some of the previous questions, the board could give you some more specific pointers on feeding out an animal. Thanks!

 

[rizacres]

msscamp,

I came here for advice, not critisism. Way to show people they are welcome here. At least next time try constructive critisism. As for being rude, yes, you were. Thanks, but no thanks.

 

[moocow]

I don't believe msscamp was being rude, just looking for information to help you. Spend some time in the feed board searching for questions you have and you'll find enough information to get yourself going in the right direction. If you could supply some of the info msscamp was asking for, folks can help you out.

 

[hayray]

HELLO, I JUST GOT MY FIRST CALF FROM MY FATHER IN LAW, I AM WONDERING HOW I SHOULD FEED, THE BEST FOR BEST TASTE, DO I WAIT TO GRAIN OR CORN UNTIL LATER??? ALSO, CAN YOU TELL BY COLOR WHAT BREED OF COW? HE WASN'T SURE WHAT KIND IT IS, BUT WE WANTED TO RAISE OUR OWN MEAT. THANKS FOR ANY HELP!! MICHELLE

Since the calf is weaned and you want to raise beef for high quality best tasting, all the research indicates that you should put the calf on feed right away. In beef speak" putting on feed would be a high energy ration with a protein supplement, working them up to a free choice - add lib. feed ration. In Michigan this is usually corn as the main diet with soybean meal or some preformed protein pellet, and then making sure there is always hay in front of them. With this diet you start out with very small portions until the animal acclimates to a grain diet and then work up to feeding the calf as much as it will eat, you can finish a calf out to 1000 lb. steer in 12 - 14 months from birth to finish.

Raising them on more of what is called a backgrounding diet which is less feed so that they grow more in frame before you fatten them will probably produce a higher meat producing animal at a latter age but on the average may not grade as high as the animal put on feed earlier.

As for color, it is generally considered that Angus genetics produce a black high grading animal. Reddish animals alot of time are Limousine, which are a larger framed animal, but there are black Limousine and Black Simmentals also, so may be difficult to discern. Sorry you had problems on this forum, I have seen that too often.

 

[msscamp]

msscamp,

I came here for advice, not critisism. Way to show people they are welcome here. At least next time try constructive critisism. As for being rude, yes, you were. Thanks, but no thanks.

Well, you better develop a considerbly thicker skin if that is what you consider criticism, and if you hope to last for any time of these boards. I wasn't critisizing - simply making a statement of how all cap's are perceived on a message forum. Whether you realize it or not, there are rules of etiquitte (sp?) everywhere one goes - even on the internet. The next time you venture into new territory, you might consider doing a little research about what is acceptable, and what isn't. As far as my being rude - whatever you think.

 

[shorty]

Bigbull gave you good advice on what to feed, you might want want to get him a buddy if he's alone ,they do better when they're not alone.

 

[Susie David]

You did not mention your facilities/acrage, it is important that the animal has room to move about and has a constant source of clean water.
Cows are herding animals and need company to thrive...get another calf to keep him company.

Tip:...you will get more responses it you provide all the information that you can, i.e. age, weight, describe your facilities and let us know why you are raising the animal...4-H,
freezer beef, bovine buddy etc.

Gald you picked up on the CAPS thing...
Dave Mc

 

[TNfamilyfarm]

How old is the calf? Keep hay down, and high quality grain(as described by others) as well as salt block and fresh water. If calf hasnt beedn weaned then it needs high quality milk replacer in bottles twice a day. post a pic or describe calf and we'll give you guesses on breed.

 

[rizacres]

Thank you to everyone with advice. I am raising only for freezer beef, first time, maybe last time, we will see how it goes. He is in by himself, but I am looking into finding him a friend. We have a pony also (14.2 hh) and I was wondering if I should try them together?? She is new here too and she is used to many pasture buddies, so maybe it would be good for both of them?

I have been giving the calf 12% sweet-cracked corn/minerals/molasses/soy mix. That is what I was giving this little mare. Sounds like the calf doesn't need all of that stuff.

Thanks again, I really do appreciate all advice.

Oh, and it is a smaller area, just for the winter then he will be put out to pasture, as of now there is no shelter out there and next summer there will be. So he's up by the barn with the lean to.

I don't know his weight, but he is 3-5 months old, with more investigating I could be exact. Do the weight tapes you can use for horses work for cattle as well?

Thank you.

 

[Limomike]

tsk tsk... girls arguing...

 

[hayray]

Thank you to everyone with advice. I am raising only for freezer beef, first time, maybe last time, we will see how it goes. He is in by himself, but I am looking into finding him a friend. We have a pony also (14.2 hh) and I was wondering if I should try them together?? She is new here too and she is used to many pasture buddies, so maybe it would be good for both of them?

I have been giving the calf 12% sweet-cracked corn/minerals/molasses/soy mix. That is what I was giving this little mare. Sounds like the calf doesn't need all of that stuff.

Thanks again, I really do appreciate all advice.

Oh, and it is a smaller area, just for the winter then he will be put out to pasture, as of now there is no shelter out there and next summer there will be. So he's up by the barn with the lean to.

I don't know his weight, but he is 3-5 months old, with more investigating I could be exact. Do the weight tapes you can use for horses work for cattle as well?

Thank you.

No way on feeding that pony that stuff, ponys are real prone to founder especially on high carbohydrate diets. Plus, to get the calf to finish out properly it needs way more grain than the pony, it should be worked up to a full feed diet.

 

[dcara]

Since your only feeding the one calf and this is the first time you've done it, it may be safer for your "investment" (i.e. the calf) if you used a store bought premixed feed that also contains all the mineral supplements the calf will need. The are many high quality mixes used for show calves. These premixed feeds will be a little more expensive but will not be as expensive as a trip to the vet for assidosis due to you getting the mix wrong or the calf not eating enough hay at the right time, or doing poorly because its not getting the vitamins and minerals it needs, etc, etc, etc..

Even with the premixed feeds you will have to bring the calf up to full feed slowly(full feed is can be free choice or about 2% BW/day) . Start when the calf is about 11 months old with say 1lb in the morning and 1lb in the evening. Increase the feed at the rate of about 1/4 lb/day until full feed is reached. There are many other ways to feed out a calf but this way is reasonably safe for a beginner.

 

[dcara]

I should have mentioned that while bring up the calf on feed it will also need either free access to hay or pasture and water. AND DON'T let the pony get to the feed you are using for the calf.

 

[hayray]

BW/day) . Start when the calf is about 11 months old with say 1lb in the morning and 1lb in the evening. Increase the feed at the rate of about 1/4 lb/day until full feed is reached. There are many other ways to feed out a calf but this way is reasonably safe for a beginner.

When my calves are 11 months old they are one to two months away from being completely finished out. Since they are raising this for freezer beef there is no market advantage or anything like that to back ground the animal that long, at least I would not think so?

 

[dcara]

When my calves are 11 months old they are one to two months away from being completely finished out. Since they are raising this for freezer beef there is no market advantage or anything like that to back ground the animal that long, at least I would not think so?

I guess it depends on what you want your grade/yield tradeoff to be. I feedout Angus which are among the earliest maturing breeds. That is, they marble at an earlier age than many other breeds allowing for harvest at an earlier age which also supports better tenderness than latter harvest. Although tenderness can also be greatly affected by other calf management techniques. Still they don't start putting on fat at higher rates untill they are around 1000lbs. But they are also on the smaller size of the breeds. So it becomes a trade-off between grade and cutability/yield and tenderness. For my calves the trade off I prefer occurs at an age of around 15 months. I feed them out for 120 days on a 60/40 corn mix, free choice hay, and with enough CSM to bring the total daily ration to about 68% TDN and 13% CP. With feed prices this mix is actually not much less expensive than a premix.

 

[hayray]

When my calves are 11 months old they are one to two months away from being completely finished out. Since they are raising this for freezer beef there is no market advantage or anything like that to back ground the animal that long, at least I would not think so?

I guess it depends on what you want your grade/yield tradeoff to be. I feedout Angus which are among the earliest maturing breeds. That is, they marble at an earlier age than many other breeds allowing for harvest at an earlier age which also supports better tenderness than latter harvest. Although tenderness can also be greatly affected by other calf management techniques. Still they don't start putting on fat at higher rates untill they are around 1000lbs. But they are also on the smaller size of the breeds. So it becomes a trade-off between grade and cutability/yield and tenderness. For my calves the trade off I prefer occurs at an age of around 15 months. I feed them out for 120 days on a 60/40 corn mix, free choice hay, and with enough CSM to bring the total daily ration to about 68% TDN and 13% CP. With feed prices this mix is actually not much less expensive than a premix.

Thanks for explaining that. So is it at around 11 months when you put them on full feed? Do you still get choice quality grade and at what quatity grade or yield percentage do you get? Just wondering since this is important info. for me since I finish Angus and Herefords out for freezer beef, so I am definitley interested in high grade but have had fat heifers really produce low yields, steers doing right at around that 60-62%.

 

[dcara]

Yes, I am now starting them at 11 months and I only feed out steers. I keep all my girls. Last year was the first year that I waited until 15 months to slaughter a couple. Previous to that I was finishing them earlier but was having trouble making a Choice grade consistently. Last year I got Choice Plus and still nice and tender. Although I don't actually do a sheer force test for tenderness. Anyway, I background them for a month on a few lbs of feed first. Then it takes about 2 weeks for me to get them up to full feed when the feedout starts. So they're really on full feed for 3.5 months. The hanging weight is similar to your numbers (60-62%). I think the low 60's is common for a well feedout bovine regardless of the size. The difference is 60% of 1000lbs vs. 60% of 1200 lbs. Next year I plan to try a Semi-Angus cross in hopes to that I can add at least 200lbs by the the 15 month slaughter date.

 

[GMN]

HELLO, I JUST GOT MY FIRST CALF FROM MY FATHER IN LAW, I AM WONDERING HOW I SHOULD FEED, THE BEST FOR BEST TASTE, DO I WAIT TO GRAIN OR CORN UNTIL LATER??? ALSO, CAN YOU TELL BY COLOR WHAT BREED OF COW? HE WASN'T SURE WHAT KIND IT IS, BUT WE WANTED TO RAISE OUR OWN MEAT. THANKS FOR ANY HELP!! MICHELLE

First off - take your cap lock off, unless you have some type of disability that makes it easier for you to type that way. Typing in all capital letters is considered shouting on forums, and is rude.

Now, about the calf - how old is this calf? What does he weigh? When are you planning on butchering him? The general rule of thumb is 1-2% of their body weight for grain (be it COB, corn, rolled wheat, barley, or whatever), and a good quality grass hay free choice. Depending on its quality, alfalfa generally provides more protein (therefore better gain), but it needs to be introduced slowly so as to prevent bloat. As far as taste is concerned, it is a matter of personal preference. Corn produces some very good freezer beef, but - depending on the breed, straight grass can too. If you would be kind enough to answer some of the previous questions, the board could give you some more specific pointers on feeding out an animal. Thanks!

I agree I think she was rude, big deal if she types in capitals!

GMN