Gain, maintain or lose?

[HOSS]

As most of you know I bought a new bull a couple weeks ago. He weighed 1600 lbs at sale time. I brought him home and have him in a 1/2 acre lot. I am feeding him about 20 lbs (5 gallon bucket full) of 12% Beef Builder

http://www.davidsonfarmerscoop.com/prod ... builder-12

per day along with all of the hay he wants, free choice minerals, a protein tub and fresh clean water. What should I expect? Do you think he will gain, maintain or lose weight? I would like for him to either maintain or gain slightly. I am going to need to back him off slowly onto grass when green-up starts. I don't want him to melt on cows...losing some condition is expected but if he is what I hope he will be he shouldn't lose much on my lush pastures.

 

[TexasBred]

As most of you know I bought a new bull a couple weeks ago. He weighed 1600 lbs at sale time. I brought him home and have him in a 1/2 acre lot. I am feeding him about 20 lbs (5 gallon bucket full) of 12% Beef Builder

http://www.davidsonfarmerscoop.com/prod ... builder-12

per day along with all of the hay he wants, free choice minerals, a protein tub and fresh clean water. What should I expect? Do you think he will gain, maintain or lose weight? I would like for him to either maintain or gain slightly. I am going to need to back him off slowly onto grass when green-up starts. I don't want him to melt on cows...losing some condition is expected but if he is what I hope he will be he shouldn't lose much on my lush pastures.

Hoss I'd look for a better feed. That has zero grain in it. Some by-products (probably wheat middlings) and roughage. He won't gain much on it as it has minimal energy. He may actually be losing weight.

 

[HOSS]

TB, how about this feed? It is a dairy feed with grain in it. Higher protein etc. Of course it is much more expensive but for one animal it won't be much difference overall.

http://www.davidsonfarmerscoop.com/prod ... dairy-feed

 

[Limomike]

Hoss. so how is he looking after the few weeks you have had him?

 

[TexasBred]

TB, how about this feed? It is a dairy feed with grain in it. Higher protein etc. Of course it is much more expensive but for one animal it won't be much difference overall.

http://www.davidsonfarmerscoop.com/prod ... dairy-feed

Much better feed Hoss and better buy even if it cost more Probably a textured feed so you can see the grain. Notice the low fiber content and low ADF. Means it is high in grain and very digestible with very little if any "filler". You can probably get better results with less of it but don't change the amt. of feed unless you see the need to.

 

[HOSS]

Hoss. so how is he looking after the few weeks you have had him?

Maybe slightly lighter. I figured he would lose some just in adjustment to the travel, new surroundings and feed.

 

[HOSS]

TB, how about this feed? It is a dairy feed with grain in it. Higher protein etc. Of course it is much more expensive but for one animal it won't be much difference overall.

http://www.davidsonfarmerscoop.com/prod ... dairy-feed

Much better feed Hoss and better buy even if it cost more Probably a textured feed so you can see the grain. Notice the low fiber content and low ADF. Means it is high in grain and very digestible with very little if any "filler". You can probably get better results with less of it but don't change the amt. of feed unless you see the need to.

I think I will go this route. I have about 5 more bags of the Beef Builder to feed and then I will switch.....or I just might buy some and start mixing it until the Beef Builder runs out.

 

[highgrit]

I would have a hard time feeding anything more than a tub and hay. I would think he should gain just fine with that.

 

[cowwrangler]

Hoss my feed guy has me feeding land o lakes calf starter along with creep mixed together handfed, no more then 10 lbs,you will have to adjust on how much you want him to gain,mine have done really well on it

 

[TexasBred]

I think I will go this route. I have about 5 more bags of the Beef Builder to feed and then I will switch.....or I just might buy some and start mixing it until the Beef Builder runs out.

Just blend it in. They'll never know it. ;-)

 

[HOSS]

I am feeding him out of a bag because nothing else gets feed around my place. He had better appreciate it while he is getting it because he will be expected to live and hold condition off of hay, grass and minerals just like the rest of my cows do. I just didn't want to jerk the rug out from underneath him before he has a chance to acclimate himself. I do have good pasture with lots of mixed grasses and clover so he should do good once he is on it. I will be fertilizing my pasture again this spring as well.

 

[greybeard]

TB, how about this feed? It is a dairy feed with grain in it. Higher protein etc. Of course it is much more expensive but for one animal it won't be much difference overall.

http://www.davidsonfarmerscoop.com/prod ... dairy-feed

Much better feed Hoss and better buy even if it cost more Probably a textured feed so you can see the grain. Notice the low fiber content and low ADF. Means it is high in grain and very digestible with very little if any "filler". You can probably get better results with less of it but don't change the amt. of feed unless you see the need to.

I had to look up ADF to see what it meant. Evidently (like you said) it's filler.

Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF): The fibrous component represents the least digestible fiber portion of forage or other roughage. This highly indigestible part of forage and includes lignin, cellulose, silica and insoluble forms of nitrogen but not hemicellulose. Forages with higher ADF are lower in digestible energy than forages with lower ADF. That means, as the ADF level increase, digestible energy levels decrease. During laboratory analysis, ADF is the residue remaining after boiling a forage sample in acid detergent solution. ADF is often used to calculate digestibility, total digestible nutrients (TDN) and/or net energy for lactation (NEl).

 

[TexasBred]

TB, how about this feed? It is a dairy feed with grain in it. Higher protein etc. Of course it is much more expensive but for one animal it won't be much difference overall.

http://www.davidsonfarmerscoop.com/prod ... dairy-feed

Much better feed Hoss and better buy even if it cost more Probably a textured feed so you can see the grain. Notice the low fiber content and low ADF. Means it is high in grain and very digestible with very little if any "filler". You can probably get better results with less of it but don't change the amt. of feed unless you see the need to.

I had to look up ADF to see what it meant. Evidently (like you said) it's filler.

Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF): The fibrous component represents the least digestible fiber portion of forage or other roughage. This highly indigestible part of forage and includes lignin, cellulose, silica and insoluble forms of nitrogen but not hemicellulose. Forages with higher ADF are lower in digestible energy than forages with lower ADF. That means, as the ADF level increase, digestible energy levels decrease. During laboratory analysis, ADF is the residue remaining after boiling a forage sample in acid detergent solution. ADF is often used to calculate digestibility, total digestible nutrients (TDN) and/or net energy for lactation (NEl).

You got it Mr. GB. ;-)

 

[Dega Moo]

quote="greybeard"quote="TexasBred"quote="HOSS"]TB, how about this feed? It is a dairy feed with grain in it. Higher protein etc. Of course it is much more expensive but for one animal it won't be much difference overall.

http://www.davidsonfarmerscoop.com/prod ... dairy-feed
Much better feed Hoss and better buy even if it cost more Probably a textured feed so you can see the grain. Notice the low fiber content and low ADF. Means it is high in grain and very digestible with very little if any "filler". You can probably get better results with less of it but don't change the amt. of feed unless you see the need to.

I had to look up ADF to see what it meant. Evidently (like you said) it's filler.

Acid Detergent Fiber (ADF): The fibrous component represents the least digestible fiber portion of forage or other roughage. This highly indigestible part of forage and includes lignin, cellulose, silica and insoluble forms of nitrogen but not hemicellulose. Forages with higher ADF are lower in digestible energy than forages with lower ADF. That means, as the ADF level increase, digestible energy levels decrease. During laboratory analysis, ADF is the residue remaining after boiling a forage sample in acid detergent solution. ADF is often used to calculate digestibility, total digestible nutrients (TDN) and/or net energy for lactation (NEl).

You got it Mr. GB. ;-)[/quote]

Seems to me this could be the start of a useful sticky thread that could be expanded explaining for folks the meaning of all those funny acronyms when reading an hay or grass analysis.

 

[TexasBred]

It could get rather long and complicated if not down right confusing at time.

For Homework: http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2620.pdf

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

It could get rather long and complicated if not down right confusing at time.

For Homework: http://msucares.com/pubs/publications/p2620.pdf

Thanks for posting that TB.