Feeding after weaning

[TxStateCowboy]

a very economical herd of longhorns(all kinds of mix) bred to angus/brangus are starting to calve.

I was wondering, would it be a smart decision to feed protein heavily for a month after weaning @ 6 1/2-7 months of age?

How fast do angus crosses put on weight?
Will I be wasting money feeding instead of letting them graze?

This is a commercial herd for the sale barn.

 

[Bez!]

If you got grass - provide mineral and salt. They will slick up fast.

Less spent usually equals more profit.

Bez!

 

[msscamp]

Will I be wasting money feeding instead of letting them graze?

If you have the grass available, yes, you would probably be wasting money. Let them graze. Considering this is a Long Horn X Angus herd they will probably not put on the typical amount of weight as a straight Angus herd, as Long Horns are typically a rangy type of animal. Angus cross will go a little ways to offsetting that, but I'm not sure how much as I have no experience with this type of crossbreed.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I was wondering, would it be a smart decision to feed protein heavily for a month after weaning @ 6 1/2-7 months of age? How fast do angus crosses put on weight?

Smart depends on the quality of your grazing and the cost of protein... An inexpensive protein supplement will pay if you have mature or short (low protein) pasture, but it is a total waste of time and money if you have good grazing.

Performance of crosses can be highly variable. Some growthy black angus crosses can put on 3.0# a day while some pencil gutted wonders will do less than 1.5# a day on the same roughage. Think about a Simi or a Charlois cross if you want a higher ADG.