How much should a calf eat?

[bootsie]

I just got my first steer calf yesterday. I'm concerned that he is not eating enough. He just turned 3 months old. He's been off his mom for a week. The previous owners said he was eating hay and grain real good. We first looked at him 2 weeks ago and he doesn't look like he has lost any weight. I'm not sure how to estimate weight on a cow but I would say he's probabally around 200 -250 lbs (he's twice as big as my 100 lb dog)

Last night he ate about 1 1/2 flakes of hay and just a little bit of his grain maybe 1/2 pound. He didn't eat very much throughout the day today. I did notice him eating tonight but didn't want to disturb him so I don't know what he was munching on. Should I give him milk replacer? Maybe one bag worth.

I know diareah (scours) is a concern in cows and I don't know if this makes a difference but his poop is not runny at all. Sort of the consistancy of dog poo. Sorry if that was too graphic...

I'm going to have the vet come out but I don't know if I can get an appointment this week. Any advice is appreaciated.

 

[msscamp]

I just got my first steer calf yesterday. I'm concerned that he is not eating enough. He just turned 3 months old. He's been off his mom for a week. The previous owners said he was eating hay and grain real good. We first looked at him 2 weeks ago and he doesn't look like he has lost any weight. I'm not sure how to estimate weight on a cow but I would say he's probabally around 200 -250 lbs (he's twice as big as my 100 lb dog)

It's not uncommon for cattle to go off feed in new surroundings. As long as he's not losing weight or looking gaunted up (hollows in front of his hip bones) I would just watch him and let him adjust. If it's a major concern you might check with your feed stores and see if you can find some Hubbard AS70 Range N Gro - it's licorice flavored medicated pellets and, for whatever reason, calves love licorice. It is also not expensive and the medication will help prevent shipping fever, help to offset illness from stress, etc. Sorry, didn't proofread.

Last night he ate about 1 1/2 flakes of hay and just a little bit of his grain maybe 1/2 pound. He didn't eat very much throughout the day today. I did notice him eating tonight but didn't want to disturb him so I don't know what he was munching on. Should I give him milk replacer? Maybe one bag worth.

I wouldn't. As he came off his mom, the chances of getting him to accept a bottle are chancy at best.

I know diareah (scours) is a concern in cows and I don't know if this makes a difference but his poop is not runny at all. Sort of the consistancy of dog poo. Sorry if that was too graphic...

If his manure is not runny he doesn't have scours.

I'm going to have the vet come out but I don't know if I can get an appointment this week. Any advice is appreaciated.

 

[bootsie]

Thanks msscamp, I tend to be overly concerned when it comes to animals. Especially being a 1st time owner. But I guess everybody has to be a first-timmer at some point.

 

[msscamp]

Thanks msscamp, I tend to be overly concerned when it comes to animals. Especially being a 1st time owner. But I guess everybody has to be a first-timmer at some point.

No problem. Better over concerned than letting a situation develop that can't be easily fixed! ;-) You'll get it figured out.

 

[bootsie]

Oh yeah, How much should a calf eat? Should they have free access to grain? Is there a percentage of their body weight they should consume?

 

[1848]

3 months is awful young to pull off the momma. Usually it takes a 4 month old or older is able to convert forage/grain efficiently on his own. It could be a number of things causing the loss of appetite..including missing the mothers affection and attention. Make sure the calf is healthy either by vet exam or close observation of symtoms related to shipping fever (pneumonia). Stress can cause pneumonia or respiratory infections even in warm temperatures. It make take a shot of a B12 complex or antibiotics like La200 or Nuflor to get the calf on it's feet well.

Next, don't push the calf with too much grain too fast. If you are using a hot feed like creep you could cause him to loose appetite, scour and appear ill. Make sure the calf is given good hay which is small stemed and easy to digest, such as coastal bermuda. Don't feed too much of a rich of hay up front (like Alfalfa) Consider a supplement like probias to replace some of the micro organisms he will loose being put on a feed ration., then give him time to adjust. Only feed what the calf will clean up in 15 to 20 minutes then steadily increase with each week or two until the steer is eating 2% of his body weight each day (1% morning and 1% night). His poop sounds fine so far..

 

[msscamp]

Oh yeah, How much should a calf eat? Should they have free access to grain? Is there a percentage of their body weight they should consume?

No free access to grain. For this age, I would start with 1% of his body weight. Give him 24 hours to eat it and if he doesn't, adjust accordingly. Once he is cleaning it up, increase the grain gradually over the course of several days to a week until he's getting 1-2% of his body weight. I would also make sure that part of that grain ration is a good calf starter.

 

[bootsie]

3 months is awful young to pull off the momma. Usually it takes a 4 month old or older is able to convert forage/grain efficiently on his own. It could be a number of things causing the loss of appetite..including missing the mothers affection and attention. Make sure the calf is healthy either by vet exam or close observation of symtoms related to shipping fever (pneumonia). Stress can cause pneumonia or respiratory infections even in warm temperatures. It make take a shot of a B12 complex or antibiotics like La200 or Nuflor to get the calf on it's feet well.

Next, don't push the calf with too much grain too fast. If you are using a hot feed like creep you could cause him to loose appetite, scour and appear ill. Make sure the calf is given good hay which is small stemed and easy to digest, such as coastal bermuda. Don't feed too much of a rich of hay up front (like Alfalfa) Consider a supplement like probias to replace some of the micro organisms he will loose being put on a feed ration., then give him time to adjust. Only feed what the calf will clean up in 15 to 20 minutes then steadily increase with each week or two until the steer is eating 2% of his body weight each day (1% morning and 1% night). His poop sounds fine so far..

The 2% per day is that grain only?
I feed Tifton 44 hay which is small stemed. No Alfalfa.
He is real skidish so he has only been eating when nobodys out there. Anyway I only fed him about 1/2 pound last night & he didn't eat it all. He got another 1/2 pound this morning but didn't eat any of it. And he was eating tonight but if I would have went out there he would have stopped eating. I'll check it in the morning.

 

[bootsie]

According to the feed store it is a good calf starter. I'll see how much he has left in the morning and adjust from there.

Thanks for the info

 

[Scotty]

What ever you feed keep it fresh. Do not be afraid to throw away feed not eaten. Or give it to other animals. My dog eats creep feed. Make sure it tastes good. Eat some yourself. Make it be something you would want to pour milk on and eat. Creep feed would be the type I would use. Small pellets and not a loose feed. good luck.


Scotty

 

[msscamp]

Don't feed too much of a rich of hay up front (like Alfalfa)

Hmmmm, all of my bucket calves have gotten pretty much straight alfalfa and I never had a problem with any of them. Isn't that strange?

 

[bootsie]

What ever you feed keep it fresh. Do not be afraid to throw away feed not eaten. Or give it to other animals. My dog eats creep feed. Make sure it tastes good. Eat some yourself. Make it be something you would want to pour milk on and eat. Creep feed would be the type I would use. Small pellets and not a loose feed. good luck.


Scotty

I always throw away uneaten food. I don't give it to the dogs all of mine are inside dogs and when they eat something other than their dog food well the smell :shock:

What do you mean by a loose feed? Right now the cow feed is a sweet feed type.

 

[Scotty]

Don't feed too much of a rich of hay up front (like Alfalfa)

Hmmmm, all of my bucket calves have gotten pretty much straight alfalfa and I never had a problem with any of them. Isn't that strange?

No its a good Idea. Probly the most "complete" type of hay in my opinion. I don't feed to many calves but the few I have got alfalfa.


Scotty

 

[msscamp]

Thank you, Scotty.

 

[bootsie]

The Tifton I feed is a good quality hay for being grown here in Florida. Alfalfa here is like $14 a bale. T&A about $10. But I get Tifton out of the field for $3.5. Tifton is a better quality than coastal. Most of the ranchers feed it in my area.

 

[Scotty]

The tifton will be fine. A loose feed is one were you could diferentiate the engredients. A "starter" feed woul be best. Small pellet, easy to eat. I have also just taken a small handfull and opened the animals mouth making it eat the feed. Or at least getting the taste in its mouth. Sounds rough but really not that bad. and it works.


Scotty

 

[msscamp]

The Tifton I feed is a good quality hay for being grown here in Florida. Alfalfa here is like $14 a bale. T&A about $10. But I get Tifton out of the field for $3.5. Tifton is a better quality than coastal. Most of the ranchers feed it in my area.

I'm certainly not trying to tell you what to do, but it has been my experience that calves this age will eat alfalfa a whole lot better than grass. Just something to think about. Should you decide to go that route, don't just dump in half a bale. Give him a flake or two, see what he does, and go from there.

 

[Scotty]

The Tifton I feed is a good quality hay for being grown here in Florida. Alfalfa here is like $14 a bale. T&A about $10. But I get Tifton out of the field for $3.5. Tifton is a better quality than coastal. Most of the ranchers feed it in my area.

I'm certainly not trying to tell you what to do, but it has been my experience that calves this age will eat alfalfa a whole lot better than grass. Just something to think about. Should you decide to go that route, don't just dump in half a bale. Give him a flake or two, see what he does, and go from there.

Keep all feed to calves in this situation fresh.


Scotty

 

[milkmaid]

I'd keep the calf's ration predominantly hay for the first 3-4 days at least. I brought home two calves recently that were maybe 150-200lbs max., and I put them on good, straight alfalfa hay for the first few days before gradually introducing grain. Maybe a pound per head per day for a week, then 2lbs/hd/day, and that's where I'm keeping it. (Note that's 2% of their body weight right there.)

I haven't had problems when I take the feed slow like that and keep it mostly roughage - it's when they get too much grain and/or too much grain too soon that everything starts squirting out the back end.

Most people usually figure on working up to grain at 2 to 2.5% of their weight, but I personally prefer to keep it between 1.5 and 2%; whatever additional gain I get off the extra grain just doesn't seem to be worth the additional cost - grain just isn't cheap, no matter what way you look at it. Purina calf starter is $20/cwt (cwt=100lbs), which adds up in a hurry. I always mix calf starters or finishing rations with another type of grain, for instance a barley-corn mix at $6.65/cwt to keep costs down.

If you put the calf on a high grain ration, you could gradually move him over to grass hay. If you wanted to. I almost always keep mine on straight alfalfa, no matter what the grain ration. I usually consider hay a "filler" when a calf is on a high grain ration. Grass is an adequate filler, but that's really all most grass hays are. Where I'm trying to get high gains off my calves, I want everything they eat to put on the pounds so I prefer to feed alfalfa.

 

[bootsie]

The tifton will be fine. A loose feed is one were you could diferentiate the engredients. A "starter" feed woul be best. Small pellet, easy to eat. I have also just taken a small handfull and opened the animals mouth making it eat the feed. Or at least getting the taste in its mouth. Sounds rough but really not that bad. and it works.


Scotty

I feed my horses SafeChoice it smells great so I decided to try it but it is pretty much tasteless. So I just read the indredient lable.LOL :lol:
I haven't read the lable on the cows food I don't know why but I will tomorrow.

boy it's late I thought you wrote you take a big mouth full I guess I need to read then re-read.