Idea to get steer on grain?

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ENNOT

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I have some club calves in to start working with and graining. I am feeding them in a trough, and 4 of the 5 are doing real well, but one will not eat the grain.

He comes up with all the others, sniffs around the grain, and stands there the whole time as the others eat, but he won't eat. The others dont bother him or run him off the bunk.

Never had a problem like this, any ideas?
 
I suppose a hearty appetite is as desirable as any other trait.

If he's healthy and doesn't eat, he sure won't gain.

If he was at my place and didn't gain like his contemporary group he would likely take a ride.
 
We had one like that. He went for a ride to the sale barn. Didn't take us long to figure out which one we weren't going to butcher for ourselves.

Farmgirl
 
We've had a calf or two like that, and I would have to agree with the previous posts.
 
I also had one like that last year. I ended up keeping him on grain an extra month (after his buddies had left for the processing plant) just to get him up to my desired finish weight. I had a little success increasing his intake by mixing in some of our horses sweet feed.
 
Years ago when we were feeding steers , we got some in and they didn't want to eat grain , one of our neighbors came over and he suggested since they were used to eating green grass and hay we should put sunglasses on them so they would think it was grass. we did mix molasses with the feed and that helped, we never tried the sunglasses.
 
Been lucky in that respect and never had one that didn't like grain... I agree with the previous posts to send him on his way.
 
MikeC":vyl5g3b3 said:
Maybe mix some marijuana in his feed?

Crowder for President. He garauntees Pot in every Chicken.
Or is it Brownies.

Every Boyscout has to eat a Brownie to become an Eagle Scout.

More Beer please.
 
JMichal":10nirpil said:
MikeC":10nirpil said:
Maybe mix some marijuana in his feed?

Crowder for President. He garauntees Pot in every Chicken.
Or is it Brownies.

Every Boyscout has to eat a Brownie to become an Eagle Scout.

More Beer please.

Munchies? :lol:
 

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