from no feed to show in eight weeks ... can it be done?

[Keren]

Ok so here's the thing. I've picked out my calf for NEXT years show, she is a couple months old and built like a proverbial out house, should do well in the steer competition. Now i'm eyeing off her sister from last year, for this years show if that makes sense. She's sixteen months old, on target for the correct age for the show. Mum is a standard black cow, bit of white on the udder and feet, huge frame. The bull I haven't seen but must be a euro or double muscled somewhere because these calves are small framed with outstanding muscle definition, huge eye muscle, jump muscle and butts on them. Very long also. Older calf is blue roan with patches of white, younger calf is grey. The question i'm wondering at the moment is, show is in eight weeks, the older calf has just been eating grass in the paddock, the muscle is there she just needs to be finished. Is it doable to get enough fat on her in eight weeks for the show? I'm a bit skeptical considering the high muscle euro-ness for want of a better word

 

[sim.-ang.king]

You could do it with the right feed. The feed I use to get good cover is...
750 lds. of ground corn
50 lbs. of cottonseed
250 lbs. of Oats
150 lbs. Purina Show Chow Grand 4-T-Fyer
feed about 5-8lbs per feeding or alittle more if your not seeing any difference in 3 or so weeks.
They have some other Rations for finshing calves at the purina web site. I don't know if they have any purina feed down under so just use what ever fits the bill.
There is also some stuff on the market that is surpost to add cover, like GLU-Coat, or Final Cover.
I'm no pro, for sure, so hope some one else can chime in with some help too

 

[MF135]

5 to 8 lbs won't do much. Work her up to full feed on a finishing ration. 30+ lbs per day. She could easily put on 150+lbs in 8 weeks if she's only been on pasture up to this point.

 

[deenranch]

Feed her all she wants of a good finishing feed!!! Cattle will eat an average of 3% of their body weight a day!!!

Full feed with some added steam rolled corn should do it!!!

 

[Keren]

Thanks guys, your enthusiasm is encouraging she would be fed free choice on a feed lot finisher ration, and i'd add some rice pollard if she's struggling to finish. Take her off the grass onto cereal hay to whiten up the fat. Worst comes to worst if she doesn't have enough finish or she breaks a tooth i'll put her in the freezer.

 

[chippie]

Good luck with her!
Can you post before and after pics? I'd love to see how she develops. : )

 

[sim.-ang.king]

5 to 8 lbs won't do much. Work her up to full feed on a finishing ration. 30+ lbs per day. She could easily put on 150+lbs in 8 weeks if she's only been on pasture up to this point.

Yea your right I forgot to go in more depth, those late nights slowed my mind :compute: :hide: . I would start out with 8lbs for two to warm her up to high enery feed, or maybe just a week since you have less time. then bump up to 12-15 lbs then add 4-5 lbs per week. I would normal would do that slower but you have less time. pics would help to if you could.

 

[Keren]

Will get pics when I can, don't have proper internet hooked up yet at the new house so i'm using my phone, which doesn't make it easy to post pics

 

[VCC]

Get her on a good finishing ration, start out at 4 pounds a feeding 2 twice a day or go with feeding 3 pounds, 3 times a day,(6am, noon, and 6 pm) then start working her up by adding a half a pound to a pound a feeding every couple of days. If she starts getting to loose back off for a day or to and then continue adding feed to her ration. It should take about 2 weeks to get her up to full feed. Make sure she has access to plenty of hay as well.
Give her some probiotics as you are doing this just to help keep her guts right. I would also start her on 2 to 3 pounds of stabilized rice bran a day, this will help put a smooth layer of fat down and it is much easier on their stomach than allot of the oils and corn. Stabilized Rice Bran is a supplement for horses, full of energy and vitamins, we have fed it for the last 4 years, it has definitely helped get cover on them, but it also seems to lay it down smooth. Make sure it is Stabilized, the plain Rice Bran breaks down much faster and you will not get the same results from it.