Good ADG from light calves on Grass

[Stocker Steve]

Traditionally I have taken some light 400 to 500 # calves to grass and gotten good results when they are supplemented with 1.5 to 2 pounds of grain per day and an ionosphore. This year I had some second thoughts when grain prices went wild and so I went back and looked at the old studies. A couple related questions are:

Some of the more detailed studies have shown light 4 wt calves having very high (2 or 3 to 1) conversion rates (unlike heavies) for modest energy supplementation on a high protein pasture. Have you seen this occur?

My experience with free choice mineral only the consumption is that it is highly variable. Have you seen an approach or mineral type that can give you a consistent free choice ionospore and mineral intake?

 

[MikeC]

Best stockers gains I have ever had came from a group of steers weighing around 300-500 and rotationally grazing Pearl Millet. They were given Vigortone "Forage Pro" for minerals/additional protein free choice and gained a touch over 3.5 lbs per day from June 1 through August 15.

They were from Char bulls on mixed breed mongrel mama's. Had good rains that summer too.

Might try it again next year.

 

[hayray]

I don't have any actual weight data as of yet and I am finishing as oppossed to stocker. I have a group of limo and Angus cross heavy weights that were started this winter in the feed lot and have been turned out since May on some Zorro Italian Ryegrass mixed with medium red clover. My first concern was that intake would go down too much if they over loaded on the lush grass and clover, as my first attempt was to get some good protein in the diet but not cut down on the whole shelled corn too much, so I strip graze in narrow strips. I am real happy with the finish so far and think they are ahead of my feed lot steers. I have seen people attempt to finish on pasture before and seen the steers end up a bit of lack of finish looking more like a low select, mine are looking pretty good now. So I would be pretty confident that stockering could be done real well on this combination. The ryegrass is real lush all summer and a lot higher yielder then the orchardgrass with low inputs.