Iowa77":623nieen said:Here soon I will be buying cattle at sale barns from 500 to 600 pounds. How much corn should I start them out? whats the best way to add more but not get them to fat to turn on for grass this spring?
Will you be feeding hay, silage , corn stalks, haylage or anything else.Iowa77":1drigupm said:Here soon I will be buying cattle at sale barns from 500 to 600 pounds. How much corn should I start them out? whats the best way to add more but not get them to fat to turn on for grass this spring?
I would think that 1% of body wt of corn would be sufficent.Iowa77":husixlmk said:I will have plenty of good grass hay out and minerals, salt,and bloat blocks. They will be running out on 40 acres then after the grass is good enough will be turned out to 100 acres of grass
Bama, we're talking about Iowa and not Ala. Gets a lot colder there and the cattle need more energy than here in the deep south.Bama":2a9nrpu8 said:Are you feeding hay? 1% of body weight in corn is a lot. Thats half of full feed. If your fatting them up to slaughter is one thing but just getting them to summer thats a lot. Good quality and 2 pounds of corn is plenty just to get through winter. Course i don't like grain anyway its expensive, if I can run them on hay alone all the better.
Not to mention corn is cheaper than hay there.la4angus":1pjfbs4u said:Bama, we're talking about Iowa and not Ala. Gets a lot colder there and the cattle need more energy than here in the deep south.Bama":1pjfbs4u said:Are you feeding hay? 1% of body weight in corn is a lot. Thats half of full feed. If your fatting them up to slaughter is one thing but just getting them to summer thats a lot. Good quality and 2 pounds of corn is plenty just to get through winter. Course i don't like grain anyway its expensive, if I can run them on hay alone all the better.
ollie'":3eq5cow9 said:Not to mention corn is cheaper than hay there.la4angus":3eq5cow9 said:Bama, we're talking about Iowa and not Ala. Gets a lot colder there and the cattle need more energy than here in the deep south.Bama":3eq5cow9 said:Are you feeding hay? 1% of body weight in corn is a lot. Thats half of full feed. If your fatting them up to slaughter is one thing but just getting them to summer thats a lot. Good quality and 2 pounds of corn is plenty just to get through winter. Course i don't like grain anyway its expensive, if I can run them on hay alone all the better.
Bama":yhzqx0us said:ollie'":yhzqx0us said:Not to mention corn is cheaper than hay there.la4angus":yhzqx0us said:Bama, we're talking about Iowa and not Ala. Gets a lot colder there and the cattle need more energy than here in the deep south.Bama":yhzqx0us said:Are you feeding hay? 1% of body weight in corn is a lot. Thats half of full feed. If your fatting them up to slaughter is one thing but just getting them to summer thats a lot. Good quality and 2 pounds of corn is plenty just to get through winter. Course i don't like grain anyway its expensive, if I can run them on hay alone all the better.
Never thought of that. I didn't realize ya'll had to feed that much more corn than we did. A huge oversight on my part. Thanks for the correction.
rk":1evhnq4x said:Not sure I understand....are y'all saying to feed just corn and hay (and the minerals,bloat blocks that will be out) to sale barn calves?
Iowa77":11upmsmp said:Here soon I will be buying cattle at sale barns from 500 to 600 pounds. How much corn should I start them out? whats the best way to add more but not get them to fat to turn on for grass this spring?
Texas PaPaw":1zg0nkov said:rk":1zg0nkov said:Not sure I understand....are y'all saying to feed just corn and hay (and the minerals,bloat blocks that will be out) to sale barn calves?
rk
IMO-very good quality hay + corn would probably work for 6cwt sale barn cattle. Stressed cattle need adequate energy for best immune response. Could be a little low in protein for lighter calves, depending on protein of hay.
In my operation, I start sale barn calves (150lb+) using quality hay + corn gluten/soy hull pellet blend. Feed the pellets free choice for first 2 weeks, then limit to 5lb/day for next 2 weeks, then to pasture. The cg/sh blend will give more protein & similar energy to corn. Cost of pellets is about the same as corn here, probably not so in Iowa. Another advantage to cg/sh is no starch. Too much starch inhibits forage digestion & intake and can cause acidosis. This works really well for me and others.
Regards
Brock
rk":1w6z2txx said:Texas PaPaw":1w6z2txx said:rk":1w6z2txx said:Not sure I understand....are y'all saying to feed just corn and hay (and the minerals,bloat blocks that will be out) to sale barn calves?
rk
IMO-very good quality hay + corn would probably work for 6cwt sale barn cattle. Stressed cattle need adequate energy for best immune response. Could be a little low in protein for lighter calves, depending on protein of hay.
In my operation, I start sale barn calves (150lb+) using quality hay + corn gluten/soy hull pellet blend. Feed the pellets free choice for first 2 weeks, then limit to 5lb/day for next 2 weeks, then to pasture. The cg/sh blend will give more protein & similar energy to corn. Cost of pellets is about the same as corn here, probably not so in Iowa. Another advantage to cg/sh is no starch. Too much starch inhibits forage digestion & intake and can cause acidosis. This works really well for me and others.
Regards
Brock
Are y'all starting sale barn calves right away onto corn and hay? Seems like maybe advantageous to use a balanced, more palatable ration. I understand energy is good, but also essential for immune system is minerals==copper especially and other vitamins. I've seen alot of sale barn calves start pretty easily, others won't eat and get sick pretty quickly....guess it depends on their history and effects of comingling.