After the heifer thread I did a search for developing bull calves from weaning till turn out. Didn’t find much. Interested how others develop theirs. Our goal is reasonable growth but not over fat. We tend to change each year depending on forage available. So far this year we are feeding around 8 lbs of a 14% pellet with Bovatec and free choice wheat hay. Will start giving them some alfalfa hay. We also keep out Vita Ferm feed tubs and stress tubs. Will increase the amount of pellets as they grow. Interested in how others do theirs.
Developing Weaning bulls
- Thread starter elkwc
- Start date
Ky hills
Well-known member
I always tried to strike a balance between pushing for some growth and not over conditioning. A big complaint that you hear from people is that they bought bulls and they turn them out and they melt.
There’s sometimes reasons for that like they turn young bulls out with too many cows, or there is not enough pasture for them to get adequate nutrition during the breeding time while they are still growing.
The flip side is, that if you don’t kind of push them along, people will say oh those bulls aren’t big enough or they aren’t as good as so and do that has them nice and fat.
I fed them along according to how the available forage was. I also didn’t fed any fancy hay. They just got grass hay the same that everybody else has around here. We did have a small alfalfa field for a while and I’d feed that while they were up after weaning.
I’d feed them a few pounds apiece of the same ration I fed every thing else.
Today if I were doing that still I’d be be doing it the about same way, but tweak the ration a little to be more tailored for growing bulls, and would have more emphasis on mineral quality than I did back then.
There’s sometimes reasons for that like they turn young bulls out with too many cows, or there is not enough pasture for them to get adequate nutrition during the breeding time while they are still growing.
The flip side is, that if you don’t kind of push them along, people will say oh those bulls aren’t big enough or they aren’t as good as so and do that has them nice and fat.
I fed them along according to how the available forage was. I also didn’t fed any fancy hay. They just got grass hay the same that everybody else has around here. We did have a small alfalfa field for a while and I’d feed that while they were up after weaning.
I’d feed them a few pounds apiece of the same ration I fed every thing else.
Today if I were doing that still I’d be be doing it the about same way, but tweak the ration a little to be more tailored for growing bulls, and would have more emphasis on mineral quality than I did back then.
wbvs58
Well-known member
I only do a couple each year now for my own use and sell them after I've used them either for breeding or meat, I'm starting to lean more to selling for meat as I'm getting a bit tired of dealing with people.
I wean at the end of summer, late Feb or early March at around 350-420 Kg just off grass and mothers milk. They stay on grass all winter and get a grain mix that is 16 % protein at about .5-1% body weight daily. I aim to have them 6-700kg by October to use them. I weigh them every couple of weeks and I have my records from previous years so can adjust the feed up or down. I don't have any trouble getting them to my target weight of 600kg so I don't have to push them hard. When I use them myself I have never seen them "melt"
Ken
I wean at the end of summer, late Feb or early March at around 350-420 Kg just off grass and mothers milk. They stay on grass all winter and get a grain mix that is 16 % protein at about .5-1% body weight daily. I aim to have them 6-700kg by October to use them. I weigh them every couple of weeks and I have my records from previous years so can adjust the feed up or down. I don't have any trouble getting them to my target weight of 600kg so I don't have to push them hard. When I use them myself I have never seen them "melt"
Ken
I have 2 bulls that are around 11mo old right now. Im hoping to use them in April. One is from my cows and is like 1/8 Brahman 7/8 Angus and I bought another "red" bull from a friend. I'm just winging it. I have no clue what I'm doing. 
We have a little place in town where we had been keeping a couple heifers. The neighbor on the back was always making comments about it because his bull got in a couple times over the years. The other day we were at a restaurant in town and he stopped by the table to say hello. I told him.. well, no heifers this year. You could see the excitement on his face. Then I said... 2 bulls.
He couldn't decide if I was messing with him or not. I guarantee the next morning he was peeking over the fence.
We have a little place in town where we had been keeping a couple heifers. The neighbor on the back was always making comments about it because his bull got in a couple times over the years. The other day we were at a restaurant in town and he stopped by the table to say hello. I told him.. well, no heifers this year. You could see the excitement on his face. Then I said... 2 bulls.
He couldn't decide if I was messing with him or not. I guarantee the next morning he was peeking over the fence.
Travlr
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 10, 2022
- Messages
- 8,979
- City & State/Province
- NW Arkansas, W South Dakota, retired in Utah
Just like heifers, I choose mine by looking at them first. If they aren't impressive to look at, I don't want them. After that visual selection I may look at EPDs on their parentage to see what I might expect and I keep that in mind as they grow, and as I choose what to breed them with.
I don't feed them anything unusual. They get what the rest of the herd is getting, which is good grass, decent alfalfa hay, and only enough grain to keep them coming when I call them.
I don't want massive weights or excessive fat due to giving them grain. If they perform above average on grass and hay it's a given they, or their progeny, will perform in a feedlot.
I've never sold bulls as a producer, but I've had people offer to buy them. I did sell one for breeding and the people were happy, but I preferred to sell replacement heifers. I just raised bulls for my own use about as often as I bought bulls.
I don't feed them anything unusual. They get what the rest of the herd is getting, which is good grass, decent alfalfa hay, and only enough grain to keep them coming when I call them.
I don't want massive weights or excessive fat due to giving them grain. If they perform above average on grass and hay it's a given they, or their progeny, will perform in a feedlot.
I've never sold bulls as a producer, but I've had people offer to buy them. I did sell one for breeding and the people were happy, but I preferred to sell replacement heifers. I just raised bulls for my own use about as often as I bought bulls.
mwj
Well-known member
It is a funny old world when selling bulls. Every buyer on the planet wants to buy a bull in there ''working clothes''. The fact is that those ''big fat'' bulls are what sells.
When the buyer starts paying better for those non fed bulls they will be in the bull sales.
When the buyer starts paying better for those non fed bulls they will be in the bull sales.
