Fat calves? Bellies?

[fnfarms1]

So my calves have been weaned roughly 40days. They get 2lbs/day commodity ration and a protein tub, tub lasts 2wks give or take. They've got big bellies, but I know 2lbs/day isn't much really compared to what they should eat if id roll it to them at 7-10lbs(just can't afford that, especially since I got 10cents/lb less than neighbor with Ethiopian cattle last year when I fed 7-10lbs and calves looked top notch). So what causes the bellies? What's it mean?

 

[bird dog]

How old are your calves

 

[TCRanch]

How old are your calves

That, and what else are they eating? There's a lot of junk, dead grass with very little nutrition around here due to the extreme drought. And subsequently, a lot more pot bellies.

 

[faster horses]

They can't digest their feed, that's what the pot bellies are telling you.

 

[faster horses]

They can't digest their feed, that's what the pot bellies are telling you. How many calves are eating that amount of protein tub and how much protein in the tub? What is the protein source?

 

[MurraysMutts]

And how's their poop?

 

[kenny thomas]

Have they been wormed recently?

 

[fnfarms1]

Dewormed 2wks ago. Calves are 6-8mths old. Free choice round hay in pen, not super quality but just mixed decent cow hay. Poop seems normal. I don't think their pop bellied, I've seen that a lot in bottle calves etc, these just look really full but I'm not feeding enough for that I don't think. Just a couple I'd say their getting 2-3x their share of feed but it's 3/4 of them. Nothing sickly acting, don't think I've got health issues just not sure why their so full and fat looking on so little

 

[colbytm]

Dewormed 2wks ago. Calves are 6-8mths old. Free choice round hay in pen, not super quality but just mixed decent cow hay. Poop seems normal. I don't think their pop bellied, I've seen that a lot in bottle calves etc, these just look really full but I'm not feeding enough for that I don't think. Just a couple I'd say their getting 2-3x their share of feed but it's 3/4 of them. Nothing sickly acting, don't think I've got health issues just not sure why their so full and fat looking on so little

if your not 1-2% of their body weight on a commodity ration and sub par forage i would bet they are just behind nutritionally and you need to increase their caloric intake and they will quick stuffing themselves with forage that they are not getting much out of.

i prefer cubes over tubs, watch the turds... on dry forage if they stack they are deficit protien, if they are a runny splat your too hot.

might just change your feed to 5-7# cubes/day and lose the tubs and see if that doesn't shape them up or adjust your commodity ration and see what changes you get. ramp them up over a couple days and see how they change

 

[wbvs58]

Photos????

Ken

 

[Davemk]

Not enough protein is my guess without seeing the calves.

 

[CowboyRam]

I would have an analysist done on your hay.

 

[kenny thomas]

2 thoughts, if only wormed 2 weeks ago it may not have been long enough to change the looks.
Adding a protein tub will make them eat more even if it's low quality so it could be just a full stomach.

 

[Travlr]

So my calves have been weaned roughly 40days. They get 2lbs/day commodity ration and a protein tub, tub lasts 2wks give or take. They've got big bellies, but I know 2lbs/day isn't much really compared to what they should eat if id roll it to them at 7-10lbs(just can't afford that, especially since I got 10cents/lb less than neighbor with Ethiopian cattle last year when I fed 7-10lbs and calves looked top notch). So what causes the bellies? What's it mean?

So they were weaned early and are on dry hay and a supplemental feed? No green pasture?

 

[fnfarms1]

So they were weaned early and are on dry hay and a supplemental feed? No green pasture?

Correct

 

[MurraysMutts]

Sounds like they simply filling up on hay.
A little more feed and they may slow down on the hay a bit. Get rid of the tubs and take that money and put it towards feed

Without seeing them and the "normal" poop, we are guessing. The hay analysis is a great idea

There's a couple pics in here....

Pop bellied calves

Hi, I have 3 calves 2 beef 1 brown swiss, they're all in the 5 month old age I gave them cows milk for the first 4 months of their lives. They were fine until I went on vacation. While we were gone the drought hit hard, we were gone for 2 weeks. The guy who was taking care of them didn't up...

www.cattletoday.com

 

[faster horses]

Calves have an immature rumen, so they need the best hay you can find in order to digest it well.

 

[Hereford2]

Sounds like they simply filling up on hay.
A little more feed and they may slow down on the hay a bit. Get rid of the tubs and take that money and put it towards feed

Without seeing them and the "normal" poop, we are guessing. The hay analysis is a great idea

There's a couple pics in here....

Pop bellied calves

Hi, I have 3 calves 2 beef 1 brown swiss, they're all in the 5 month old age I gave them cows milk for the first 4 months of their lives. They were fine until I went on vacation. While we were gone the drought hit hard, we were gone for 2 weeks. The guy who was taking care of them didn't up...

www.cattletoday.com

I posted the above post originally, I found out that not giving the calves enough protein and not giving them 1&1/2% to 2% percent of their body weight in grain a day causes them to stuff themselves with hay and not put on weight very well.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I would have an analysist done on your hay.

and then have someone come up with a ration that meets your gain goal.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I found out that not giving the calves enough protein and not giving them 1&1/2% to 2% percent of their body weight in grain a day causes them to stuff themselves with hay and not put on weight very well.

The old timey ration was 1% of BW for the grain mix and good free choice hay. What weight calves and when would you go up to 2% grain?