Feed for Weaning Calves?

[skyline]

I'm weaning a group of calves that are between 5 and 7 months old. Commercial beefmasters. Half heifers that I would like to retain and half steers that will go to the sale barn in about 2 months. They have green pasture, water, mineral, and salt. I am fenceline weaning from their mommas and we seperated them 2 days ago. I am feeding them about 2 lbs per day of a Purina creep feed.

Is creep feed the correct choice or should I have them on something else? Also, what about the quantity of feed? Suggestions?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I don't know anything about the purina creep i figure its ok if you have been creeping before you weaned you can up the feed with out problems if not work them up to it. If i am going to feed them i want to be able to see the difference.

 

[skyline]

I don't know anything about the purina creep i figure its ok if you have been creeping before you weaned you can up the feed with out problems if not work them up to it. If i am going to feed them i want to be able to see the difference.

They were not creep fed as calves. Tell me more about how fast to work them up and to what level. ? percentage of body weight?

 

[skyline]

Here's the analysis on the creep feed:

crude protein 14%
crude fat 3.5%
crude fiber 15%
acid detergent fiber 21%
calcium .5 to 1.0%
phosphorus .45% min
selenium .6 ppm
vit. a 50000. iu/lb min

process grain by products, roughage products, grain products, molasses products, plant protein products, salt, calcium carbonate, vitamin e supplement, vitamin a supplement, blah, blah, blah.

It's called Purina CS hi-energy 14.

 

[bigbull338]

you increase their feed by .5lb of feed a day.till you get them up to 5lbs a hd a day.an you have them out on pasture.

 

[skyline]

you increase their feed by .5lb of feed a day.till you get them up to 5lbs a hd a day.an you have them out on pasture.

That makes good sense to me. Thanks. I'll give that a shot.

I've gotten a wide range of advice from folks on this issue varying from no feed (just grass) all the way to 10 pounds per head per day (with no adjustment period).

 

[TexasBred]

Here's the analysis on the creep feed:

crude protein 14%
crude fat 3.5%
crude fiber 15%
acid detergent fiber 21%
calcium .5 to 1.0%
phosphorus .45% min
selenium .6 ppm
vit. a 50000. iu/lb min

process grain by products, roughage products, grain products, molasses products, plant protein products, salt, calcium carbonate, vitamin e supplement, vitamin a supplement, blah, blah, blah.

It's called Purina CS hi-energy 14.

"High Energy"?? 3.5% 15%..I doubt it...Personally I'd switch to some type of textured feed with a fiber level not over about 11% and only that high because it has some cottonseed hulls in it. You should be able to see lots of corn in it..Up in NE Texas Martindale Feed Mill makes some good feeds as well as the co-op out of Sulfur Springs/Greenville.

 

[BC]

You might want to consider feeding about 2 lbs per day of a 38% cottonseed cube. Might be more economical than 5 lbs of 14% feed even though it costs more per bag.

 

[Limomike]

14% creep is what we generally wean our calves with. Sounds like you have everything else covered. Getting ready to wean about 6 or 7 of them in about a couple of weeks.

 

[Brute 23]

Purina makes some thing called Recieving Chow, I think a green bag. Suppose to be good when weaning calves. We have used it a couple times now.

We were told that if you have say 10 head to space out 4 or 5 bags over the first month to help them out a little along with what ever else.

You probably have to decide if you are creep feeding to make them put on weight or if you just want to help them out a little.