Buying Calves

[pricefarm]

Iam getting ready to start buying some calves 4-5 weights. Plan to buy steers but there may be a few bull calves bought as well. These will be coming from the market. Here is what I plan to give them when they are unloaded at my farm

Inforce3, Presponse, Alpha 7 , Dectomax, and Ralgro

Is there anything else or any other brand of vacation that you would recommend over what I plan to use?
Also on the bull calves I plan to just knife cut them , would you do it the first day or wait a few weeks ?

 

[CG1]

I band my bull calves when they are 6-8 weeks old. Why knife cut?

I am in Canada so brands don't carry over but I use Inforce3 and Covexin 8. Or any 8 way. I give vitamin A&D and selenium to my sickly ones.

 

[jschoolcraft86]

Having banded some and knife cut others I think the knife cut leaves them in discomfort for a shorter period of time. I've also never had an issue with one that I cut but I had two get some kind of infection after banding with a callicrate (and to compound things I've cut a significant number more than I've banded). I'm sure the infections were probably a result of user error but the knife has always seemed simpler to me.

Edit: Also, if you band you don't have the option to make calf fries...don't cheat yourself.

To answer the original question about when to do it, I would let them settle in for a week or two so there's not additional stress potentially complicating things.

I like Cattlemaster Gold and I think that would replace the Inforce3 and cover more, but that may just be personal preference or a result of me not doing enough reading before posting.

 

[Buck Randall]

The only thing you're missing from that vaccine protocol is BVD protection. If you're getting calves from a sale barn or mixing cattle from multiple farms, you'll need that. I would substitute One Shot BVD for Presponse to fill that gap. I'd wait around 3 weeks before cutting them to give them time to develop some immunity from the vaccines and reduce their stress levels.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

The only thing you're missing from that vaccine protocol is BVD protection. If you're getting calves from a sale barn or mixing cattle from multiple farms, you'll need that. I would substitute One Shot BVD for Presponse to fill that gap. I'd wait around 3 weeks before cutting them to give them time to develop some immunity from the vaccines and reduce their stress levels.

Thank you Buck.

 

[kenny thomas]

I have a bunch on feed that size that have already been worked. Give me .10 over market and save the trouble. Lol

 

[greggy]

re banding, I do not think it bothers them at all....did one this am, he only held his tail down when being touched & that is cause he is not used to contact...

I have done them while drinking milk before, banding, nor needles have them stop on the teat for even a second, needles bother them more IMO.

If you want to see bother, watch a lamb after tail banded.

 

[pricefarm]

re banding, I do not think it bothers them at all....did one this am, he only held his tail down when being touched & that is cause he is not used to contact...

I have done them while drinking milk before, banding, nor needles have them stop on the teat for even a second, needles bother them more IMO.

If you want to see bother, watch a lamb after tail banded.

I agree banding a calf a few days old they don't really pay no attention to it but banding a 500 pound calf is alittle different.

 

[greggy]

The one I did today was about 250....not done 500....would be too big then...for my bands !

 

[snoopdog]

I have a bunch on feed that size that have already been worked. Give me .10 over market and save the trouble. Lol

If I was buying, I'd give you that .10, over avg market price.

 

[kenny thomas]

I have a bunch on feed that size that have already been worked. Give me .10 over market and save the trouble. Lol

If I was buying, I'd give you that .10, over avg market price.

I buy the thin calves in the fall and add some of my own off of cows I buy. Get the cows looking better and sell most of them and feed the calves. Got 50 on feed now. Hand feeding so I pay attention to them better. Plus free choice hay.

 

[snoopdog]

That's a good plan, I think. Especially the way this market is, of course depending on cost. I like buying them with the frame, in my opinion that's the money on grass calves.

 

[kenny thomas]

That's a good plan, I think. Especially the way this market is, of course depending on cost. I like buying them with the frame, in my opinion that's the money on grass calves.

I should add. Most of the bought calves cost 20-70 cents in the fall. A few cost 1.00 weighing less than 300lb.
I could sell now with a big weight gain and a lot higher price. Gonna hold till March I think

 

[kenny thomas]

Everyone laughs as I buy and I laugh all the way to the bank when I sell.
Earlier this fall I bought an Angus/Jersey cross steer weighing 740 for 60. No other bids. 4 weeks later sold him private sale weighing 820 for 1.00. I knew the calf had been in the barn for a week so I got lots of weight gain really quick.
That's $380 profit in a month with maybe $40 in expense.

 

[pricefarm]

That's a good plan, I think. Especially the way this market is, of course depending on cost. I like buying them with the frame, in my opinion that's the money on grass calves.

I should add. Most of the bought calves cost 20-70 cents in the fall. A few cost 1.00 weighing less than 300lb.
I could sell now with a big weight gain and a lot higher price. Gonna hold till March I think

How does the small 300 lb calves do? A man has 16 calves around 300 lbs pounds all black for 300$ each. He said they where pull off cull cows a few days ago. Will they grow ? What kind of feed do you feed yours ?

 

[kenny thomas]

I don't usually buy the young 300lb calves. I buy the thin ones. I feed distillers, cracked corn and wheat mids mixed to a 16%. I do well with them because I not only add weight but add to the grade.

 

[pricefarm]

Went today and look at the calves that man had for sale. I passed they where rough.

 

[snoopdog]

That's a good plan, I think. Especially the way this market is, of course depending on cost. I like buying them with the frame, in my opinion that's the money on grass calves.

I should add. Most of the bought calves cost 20-70 cents in the fall. A few cost 1.00 weighing less than 300lb.
I could sell now with a big weight gain and a lot higher price. Gonna hold till March I think

You bought em right, and that's the name of the game in that business.

 

[pricefarm]

I bought some calves today from the market. All of them are right at 400lbs. I vacc them with this and Cov8 . That's what the lady at the vets office recommended.

 

[kenny thomas]

Did you buy at Tri State Livestock? How was prices