changing feed??

[kathy]

I had 4 heifers brought in on the 5th of Oct.well since that time I've been feeding for show. Slowly of course. Questions would be that the all-stock mineral tub that I have they them on they are going thru it like crazy, well I have them on grass (orchard 3rd cut) hay, corn/oats mix, supplemented with a show beef, slow transition over. Obviously they must be lacking something, but what? This can't go on.....I have a good quality 2nd Alf for the steer. Thinking about just weaning off grain completely and going with just the alf, :) :( ??

 

[Dee]

What do you think they are lacking that switching them to alfalfa will cure? Higher protein? Calcium? ? Is the tub just minerals, or is it also a protein supplement? Maybe try a loose mineral. Is is possible they were not on a mineral program before you got them?

 

[kathy]

I don't know whether or not they were on a mineral, they are just going thru the tub way too fast. The guy at the feed store said then we needed to look at the hay and whether or not they were lacking protien. I just know that graining them with the grass hay doesn't seem to be working. How long does it take them to settle in after a move? Should I just hang on for a while. 2 were supposed to go to show but if I can't get them regulated I don't see that happening.

 

[milkmaid]

I'd guess they're missing some minerals of some sort. You said it's a mineral tub they're going through so fast, so that's what they want. When they finally DO get enough of whatever they are lacking, then their consumption rate of that mineral tub will decrease.

How much grain are they getting? I usually do about 2% of their body weight + free choice hay. How old/heavy are they? If they're young heifers they might need 16% protein in their diet...corn runs around 8-10%, oats about 13%, show feed is usually around 10-14%. My second cutting hay is around 14% protein or a little less.

The only thing I've seen with calves not getting the amount of protein for ideal growth is that...they don't grow like they should. I don't see a connection between high mineral consumption and a low-protein feed ration, but I could be wrong.

 

[kathy]

So just leave them on the tub, and continue the way I've been doing? What about the orchard grass how much protein? So how do you not go broke with the grain? They're about 18 or so months old. I think that I could increase the grain, since I haven't been feeding 2% of their weight.

 

[Scotty]

I would say if they are going through it like crazy, maybe the quality is low. Feed a loose minral from Nutrena or Moormans. I say like a 1/2 an oz. per 100 would be more than enough. If you are feeding quality alfalfa hay at 12-15 % it should be OK. just because they are eating some thing like crazy does not mean they are lacking.



Scotty

 

[kathy]

But I've been feeding orchard grass and grain, thinking that maybe they're lacking cuz of intake of the mineral/everything tub. I surely don't want to continue grain with the alf. at all do i? I think what's throwing me is trying to get them fit for show and feeding others at the same time. Then thinking that they're lacking.

 

[milkmaid]

Well, I'll tell you what I've been doing. My young, growing calves, 400-700lbs, are on free choice 3rd cutting alfalfa + a corn/barley/cottonseed mix at almost 2% of their body weight. When I finished my 4H steer this past summer, he was on 2% of his body weight in grain (around 25lbs/day), plus free choice grass hay. However, at that point he wasn't eating much of the hay; maybe 2 flakes or 5-10lbs a day.

Usually - when I feed a primarily grass hay - I use it as filler only. I consider it as so little nutritional value it's not worth taking into the equation (equivalent to straw), and the only reason I'm feeding it is so they have something to chew on and don't gorge themselves when I put the grain out. Now, my grass hay IS low quality. Yours may not be. I know some grass hays aren't that low in nutritional value, and I'm not familiar with "orchard grass".

I feed grain with the alfalfa because I am trying to get a high ADG and this is what it takes. The alfalfa is a "filler", but it's putting on the pounds at the same time. I don't recall the total % of body weight a calf needs to be eating on a daily basis, but I'm going to guess with grain and hay it's around 3% as young stock, and then goes to about 2-2.5% as they become "finished". Which would sound right, as I'm feeding about 1700lbs of animals (LOL) 26lbs of grain + approx 15-25lbs alfalfa hay/day. That comes out to about 40-50lbs of feed per day, or 2.4-2.9% of animal weight.

And that fills them up, there's still a little hay in the feeders at the next feeding, and they don't act overly hungry or bawl.

Do you have the heifers you're trying to finish for show in a pen by themselves, or are they mixed with others that don't need a finishing ration?

Remember to increase the grain slowly - you've only had them a month, and I wouldn't increase more than 2lbs or so per week to avoid upsetting their system.

If you're feeding four 18 month old heifers (which have to be 1000lbs+) grain at 2% of their body weight...well, I can see where you're worried about going broke! LOL. Most folks who feed that much grain buy it in bulk. As in have a truck/semi deliver 10-20 tons+ to their home. If you get it bagged...well, barley from the local feed store in bags is $18/100lbs. (And no, I do NOT buy my grain there! LOL.) So obviously if you're feeding a lot of grain you do have to find a cheaper source. My boss gets 25 tons delivered at $6.65/cwt. So a third the price of getting it bagged.

Hope that helps.

 

[Scotty]

How high protein do you think you need. I remeber show calves eating 10 to 16 % tops depending on the stage they are in.



Scotty

 

[kathy]

Well I guess my concern was that with the alfalfa that they are receiving too much protien if I'm graining too. But my orchard grass is 3rd cut and it may be that if I wasn't graining enough.