How much supplemental feeding for 2 calves on 8 acres in KY?

[someguy]

I have decided I want to raise two Holstein bull bottle calves for meat this fall and I was hoping I could get a little advice. I have eight acres of average quality pasture in northwest Kentucky. If I raise them to about 1000 pounds, how much supplemental hay feeding should I anticipate needing in winter when the calves start foraging?

The pasture has not been cut since spring so the grass is very high. Will eight acres of standing dormant grass be enough for two calves that are three to six months old? Would eight acres produce enough grass for them during the summer and early fall when they are (hopefully) getting close to 1000 pounds?

Also, would I have to worry about parasite load and pasture rotation with two heads on eight acres?

Thanks for any tips, I have learned a lot already by browsing this board.

 

[msscamp]

Have you already bought them or are you going to buy them? Grass or hay alone will not be enough for bottle calves, they will also need a good calf starter to grow and develop properly. The reason for that is that a calf cannot eat enough grass/hay to support his development - he needs grain. Beef bottle calves usually take a pound or two of calf starter, but I have no experience with diary breeds. I'm hoping you are planning on banding/castrating them at about a month or 2 of age - if banding, don't forget to vaccinate for tetanus. If not, you need to do that. The reason for that is that it will calm them down, keep them from fighting over dominance issues, keep them from chasing anything in skirts, help keep them in their pen, and keep them from running all the weight off. The fact that your grass has not been cut since spring will substantially decrease the protein levels in it, and will also decrease their willingness to eat it. It has seeded out, shed the seeds, is now rank, and the chances of them eating it are slim to none. Even if they did eat it, it has little nutritional value.

 

[dun]

Regardless of the grass qualtiy (unless it's alfalfa) to grow a calf to that size you are going to need to feed a minimum of 1% of their weight (increasing the amount as the grow). Later on they will need arund 2% of their weight.

 

[someguy]

Thanks for the help! I have not bought the calves yet. I'm trying to make sure I am prepared for their entire stay with me before I take the plunge and get them.

I did know that they would need milk replacement and calf starter and I was planning on doing a rubber band castration with a tetanus vaccination. I was also planning on using the University of Kentucky's full recommended vaccination schedule.

I didn't know the grass would have less protein if it had been standing since spring but that makes perfect sense. Am I looking at about 1500 pounds of hay to last them from now until Spring? Once the pasture grass is growing again, will I still need to supplement with hay?

 

[msscamp]

Figure the hay at 2 to 3% of the calves body weight and adjust from there. I'm not familiar with the stocking rate in Kentucky, but once the spring grass starts growing you should not need to supplement with hay unless they start losing weight. If you are going to pen them over the winter, limit their time on new spring grass until their systems have adjusted to the grass to prevent scours, possible bloat, and possible founder. New spring grass contains a lot of sugar and can easily upset their systems if they are not used to it.

 

[Tim/South]

I bet you being in Kentucky that you have a good bit of Fescue grass growing in your pasture. it is a cool season grass and will help on the hay bill.
We allow free choice access to HiMag mineral starting in the early fall and on into late spring. This will help with the transition from hay to new grass. Given a choice our cattle prefer regular mineral salt during this time so we offer only the HiMag.
8 acres should be ample acres for two calves.
Offer calf manna and clean fresh water at an early age along with the bottle. They will get bored and nibble and drink.

I will suggest not naming them. Take that with a grain of salt. We always end up naming everything.
Good luck and happy trails.

 

[msscamp]

This is exactly the situation where names like Prime Rib, T-Bone, or Sirloin Roast come in very handy! ;-)