Calves won't eat starter?

[tom4018]

We have a couple beef calves that we bought at sale that came off slaughter cows. Have never had one that would not eat calf starter feed but these won't. We still give them milk but we usually wean dairy calves when they would eat a souple pounds of starter regularly. These will eat a mix of soyhulls, corn and distillers grain that we were feeding to some steers and we do try to mix in some starter but if I go with too much they won't eat. Any ideas to help? When would you wean ones off milk eating something like this mix? Thanks.

 

[Larry Sansom]

We have a couple beef calves that we bought at sale that came off slaughter cows. Have never had one that would not eat calf starter feed but these won't. We still give them milk but we usually wean dairy calves when they would eat a souple pounds of starter regularly. These will eat a mix of soyhulls, corn and distillers grain that we were feeding to some steers and we do try to mix in some starter but if I go with too much they won't eat. Any ideas to help? When would you wean ones off milk eating something like this mix? Thanks.

How old are these calves? Soyhulls are very palatable - never had a calf not eat them. Would probably just keep them on the hulls & mix a small amount of your starter feed with them until you use it up. Milk replacer is only used on dairy calves up to 2 months old, then they eat starter only. If the calves are getting milk - their desire for feed is a lot less than if on feed only.

 

[tom4018]

Larry,

They are about 1 and 2 months. We started giving them milk when we got them and trying to make sure they were eating good. We have raised bottle dairy calves but this is the first time we ever raised beef ones. Today I mixed the starter 1/3 with the soyhull/dist. grain/corn mix 2/3. They seem to eat it pretty good. Just never had one much less two that would not eat the sweet starter feed. Oh by the way we are not far from you, we are in Butler County. Thanks for the help.

 

[ollie]

Have you tried a different batch of feed? Any mice in the feed ?

 

[tom4018]

Its good clean feed. They are eating better now been playing with mixing it more with the creep ration I have been using and starting to cut back on milk some too. It seems to help time will tell.