dkt99
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I wanted to get some opinions on grains and supllements that some of you feed. I want to make sure that I'm giving the right stuff.
calve feed
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When we're weaning we feed a mixture of roughly 1/3 corn gluten pellet, 1/3 cracked corn, 1/3 soy hull pellet. If we feed any grain other than at weaning we use the same stuff. If we were feeding bottle calves we would use a 16% commercial mixture
Angus Cowman
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I feed the feed dun uses when feeding some freezer beef
but when I wean I use 700lb corn 500 gluten pellets , 500lbs soy hull pellets and 300lb Cottonseed meal per ton raises the protein to a little over 15%
but I probably wean earlier than Dun does
but when I wean I use 700lb corn 500 gluten pellets , 500lbs soy hull pellets and 300lb Cottonseed meal per ton raises the protein to a little over 15%
but I probably wean earlier than Dun does
dkt99":2seygegl said:
What kind of calf - bottle or weaning? Bottle calves got COB (a mixture of corn, oats, and barley mixed with molasses - also called 3 way mix in some stores), and weaning calves got a couple of pounds/calf of cracked/ground corn mixed in their ground hay and beet pulp. Weaning calves also got AS70 top dressed on their feed for a few weeks to a month following weaning, and I used it to entice bottle calves that were reluctant to eat grain transitioned to eating grain.
dkt99
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What is beet pulp and where can I get it?
chippie
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dkt99":c6fapz9x said:
You can buy it at most feed stores. I get ours at Tractor Supply Co.
TexasBred
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Beet pulp is a very high quality roughage source but usually used mostly by people feeding show calves. Usually too expensive to feed to calves on the farm. Look for a good textured feed with a protein pellet, corn, oats, molasses and cottonseed hulls.....in my area it's often referred to as a bull and heifer feed. It will usually be around 11% protein.dkt99":3970wpox said:
chippie
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chippie":ay8zhrl9 said:
ETA: I just noticed that you are in Waller. We buy our feed at Producer's Cooperative Assoc. in Bryan. They carry beet pulp and we buy our horse and cattle feed there.
dkt99
Active member
Thank all of you for all your info. It has been a great help.
tripil7z
Active member
As much whole/cracked corn as they want. I'm raising Holstiens though ( they need to be grained as soon as possible to get the rumen going).I buy corn in bulk and sell calves in fall.I then reload my bottle calves at the end of fall early winter and bottle feed hospital milk through winter (NOT milk replacer) again with as much corn as they want. I also make grass/alfalfa available( since the little buggers are so small they don't eat much ) this makes for a small grass/alfalfa feed bill.When spring rolls around it's pasture time and corn,corn,corn.I then reload on calves again to replace my late fall early winter calves. I also give them as much milk as I can without scouring them ( a fine art).To sum it up: good pasture ,corn,milk,some grass/alfalfa.I 
on my way to the bank twice a year. I :lol2: at those on here that crack on dairy steers.
PS. If you can't get them to eat the cracked/whole corn just put some in the milk,before you know it they will be turning corn into manure,it works everytime. :tiphat:
Tripil7z
on my way to the bank twice a year. I :lol2: at those on here that crack on dairy steers.PS. If you can't get them to eat the cracked/whole corn just put some in the milk,before you know it they will be turning corn into manure,it works everytime. :tiphat:
Tripil7z
TexasBred
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Add some protein to all that corn and you'll get better results.
tripil7z
Active member
Thank you for looking out for me TexasBred.Milk everyday twice a day.The second best source of protien. Eggs are number 1. When my hens start to lay I'll throw some of those in there too. ;-)TexasBred":3iv1zyk6 said:
TexasBred
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tripil7z":3n09xnu1 said:
Absolutely until he's weaned. But he's got to start eating something that will furnish more than 8% protein eventually and hopefully.
novaman
Well-known member
I'm with TB on this one. The protein in the milk is being diluted out by the corn. Your protein levels overall are too low and you are giving up some gain there.
tripil7z
Active member
I sell at weaning.What else should I be feeding my Holstiens in the first 205 days ? How do you get 8% ? Milk alone is 288 grams of protien.Thank youTexasBred":1qg2rcud said:
Tripil7z
TexasBred
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Corn is 8% protein..I was referring to that....whole milk from holsteins is typically about 3.1 to 3.3% protein "as fed" ...20% on a dry matter basis. You feed milk for 205 days?? Most folks try to get bottle or bucket fed calves on solid feeds as quickly as possible to develop the rumen, increase growth and get them ready to wean much earlier..a good balanced ration formulated for calves at around 18% protein. Thank you
hillsdown
Well-known member
Triple z7 how much milk a day are those calves getting when you get them up to optimal amounts ?
tripil7z
Active member
hillsdown":1pbcg2h2 said:
My largest steer I have right now is 285lbs @ 77 days old and he gets 16 pints a day.He also eats as much cracked corn as he wants. Someone told me that corn takes away the milk protien. They forgot to tell him that because hes a thick steer(not pot bellied).The cost for the calf at 2 days old,corn,milk,shots,wormer,etc... puts me right below 100.00 per calf, right now grain fed Holstiens in my area go for 1.01 per pound in the 300-500 lb range.Once they get to 500-700 the price per pound drops to .85 per lb.Don't ask me why but it does.This does'nt bother me because I have a small place and keeping multiple calves over 500 lbs is'nt feasable.Also I max my profit by selling at highest per lb then reloading on bottle calves.Also my contact that buys my steers wants them at 400-500 lbs.So it works out for me perfect.Everyones situation is different,everyone has different set ups,contacts,prices, and circumstances.This is why I :lol2: when peeps say,you cant put that many steers on that amout of acres or you need to be doing this or feeding that. Really? I put a post up and asked how much money could a person make selling beef steers after all expenses were paid and the answer I got was about 275,well I clear about 400 per head on a dairy by product.Simple fact is my costs are low,I don't have to keep hefiers,I don't have to keep bulls,I keep track of EVERYTHING, and I manage well. Now would I love to have 100 acres,john deere tractors,beef cattle everywhere,and mounds of hay ? Yes I would, but you have to start somewhere and this is what I have to work with.
Tripil7z
longtimelurker
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This is how my brother and I started out as well when we were young boys. It was the only way we could get a start in the cattle business. Over the long run run the black whites have been more profitable by a landslide. Sure there are years when those beef breeds whip the black and whites badly, however that usually doesn't last long. I have an equal amounts of both for comparison.tripil7z":sjqcd037 said:
