Need Show Bull To Gain Weight

[brahma_show_girl]

I have a Sept. 06 Brahman Bull. He is large framed but only weighs about 500 lbs. I have a 5 mopths old bull thats weighs 550, As you can see I have a problem. He has been wormed and I have had the vet look over him. I need some suggestion on what type feed I should put him on.

Thanks!

 

[Mongoose]

Go to your local feed store and ask them. Also get a Mineral block and a salt block.

 

[Limomike]

I assume you have shown bulls before... If not, then what have you been feeding him up until now? Myself, I would put him on 16 lbs of 14% creep twice a day. Does he have plenty of grass/forage to eat where he is? I would also assume since he is a show bull that he is haltered and penned up right?

 

[Mongoose]

I was assuming the same thing. Hes a show bull hes probably in a pen. Get him on Beef Developer or Creep like Limomike said, and I would say he will gain weight pretty darn quick, especially if hes penned up.

 

[brahma_show_girl]

I have shown Registered Brahman heifers for three years. But he is my first bull. He is on about 3-4 acres and he is haltered. They have unlimited access to Coastal Hay as well as many different pasture foliage and grass. We just got back from a show and someone told us to allow him to eat whenever he wants. So now he and my little bull are eating freely. They are on a Show developer (Sweet feed, cracked corn, Oats, Molasses...) with some added Calf Mania. I was considering putting him on Showmaster but I don't now if this feed would be too high in protein. I have another show in 3 weeks and I need him to gain about 200 lbs. But I would be happy if he would just gain 100. He doesn't have to meet the weight requirement anymore since he had already qualified, but for him to perform well in the show ring he needs more weight and without the extra fat it is hard for him to develop any muscle.
Thanks for all of your suggestions. I am going to the feed store today and hopefully I don't offend the owner when I tell him his feed isn't working. Also what are the benefits of feeding Beet Pulp?

 

[Engler]

I'm just going to do some trouble shooting. I don't know enough yet to give an answer, if any of the questions offend you that was not my plan we (all the possible posters) just need more info to be more helpful to you.

1)Has he been wormed? Up on all vacinations? Generally healthy? You can't get a sick, parisite loaded one to grow no matter what you do?

2)How many pounds per day is he eating? He needs to get up into the mid to high teens, but if you take him from 5 to 15 per day overnight you're going to toast his gut. I like to increase 1 to 2 pounds every 3-5 days if they are cleaning up what I feed them.

3)What is the NEG of your feed? NEG=net energy for gain, energy to put on pounds after all the basics are taken care of-breathing, heart beating, temp regulation..... I don't expect you to know, but ask your feed guy, if he dosen't know have him find out, if he won't find a dealer that will find out. This guy needs to be at least in the ballpark of 60. Most of your commercial show feeds are going to have a hard time breaking 58. A hotter custom mix would be best if you can do it, but if you are limited to commercial feed a little shell corn will help do the trick. If you want to get real aggressive get some of the Golden Flo type oils (Sullivan's Supply has it as do others), but be prepared to pay for it.

4)Limit his ability to roam if you can. Exersise is not your friend here that will burn off weight. 1500 square feet should be enough to keep him loose but contained.

5)Limit his intake of roughage-I'm not saying none, but if he tanks on low nutriant, high bulk feed (hay) then there is less room for calorie dense feed (grain) that will add more pounds.

6)Rinse him 2,3,4 times per day if it's over 70 degrees. Do you like to eat like a pig when it's hot? Neither dose he. If you cool him down that may encourage him to eat.

7)Don't have feed in front of him all the time, rather split the feed in to a number of smaller feedings then pull the pan after 15-20 minutes. That way he'll learn that if I want to eat, I eat when they say or I go hungry. This may take a while to get him playing the game, but you'll get more total pounds per day in one this way.

Good luck.

 

[AngusLimoX]

Hamburger

 

[brahma_show_girl]

1)Has he been wormed? Up on all vacinations? Generally healthy? You can't get a sick, parisite loaded one to grow no matter what you do?

He has been vacinated and wormed, and heathly. Except for the weight thing, but he isn't on the verge of dying.

2)How many pounds per day is he eating? He needs to get up into the mid to high teens, but if you take him from 5 to 15 per day overnight you're going to toast his gut. I like to increase 1 to 2 pounds every 3-5 days if they are cleaning up what I feed them.

He has a pretty healthy appetite and eats about 10 lbs a day.

3)What is the NEG of your feed? NEG=net energy for gain, energy to put on pounds after all the basics are taken care of-breathing, heart beating, temp regulation..... I don't expect you to know, but ask your feed guy, if he dosen't know have him find out, if he won't find a dealer that will find out. This guy needs to be at least in the ballpark of 60. Most of your commercial show feeds are going to have a hard time breaking 58. A hotter custom mix would be best if you can do it, but if you are limited to commercial feed a little shell corn will help do the trick. If you want to get real aggressive get some of the Golden Flo type oils (Sullivan's Supply has it as do others), but be prepared to pay for it.

We did switch feed today. He got put on a Calf Finisher. I don't exactly know the NEG but I will tell you tomorrow.

6)Rinse him 2,3,4 times per day if it's over 70 degrees. Do you like to eat like a pig when it's hot? Neither dose he. If you cool him down that may encourage him to eat.

I never thought about that it is a very good idea. But I have never had this problem before so I guess I wouldn't know that.



Good luck.

 

[jp]

Never fed beetpulp to cattle but we have an old horse and beet pulp is the only way to keep weight on her. She goes through a bag a week. jp

 

[TheBullLady]

Whoa! Brahman's are different than "bos taurus" cattle. I've raised and shown Brahmans for almost 20 years.

First of all, don't pen him up. Brahmans don't like to be confined. He'll eat more if he can move around freely.

Second of all, he needs to be with and eat with another cow / steer / whatever that has a better appetite then he does. If the other bovine is eating, it will encourage him to eat more as well. You'll never get him fat if he's alone.

I wouldn't feed a finisher.. use a grower. Also, make SURE you don't have milo in the feed, as that will founder a Brahman. Beet pulp won't hurt him if he likes it.. it's just a filler, so it's not going to help him gain weight.

It sounds like he has plenty of hay.. Brahmans need plenty of hay! They won't eat grain well without hay. Many times mine will frustrate the heck out of me by only wanting to eat hay, and not grain. Unfortunately they are just like that.

It will take TIME, but he'll gain eventually. Brahman's never look really good until they are 16+ months old anyway!

 

[msscamp]

Beet pulp won't hurt him if he likes it.. it's just a filler, so it's not going to help him gain weight.

According to the studies/articles I've read, beet pulp is far from being 'just a filler'. Why would this not be true for Brahman cattle as well?

 

[brahma_show_girl]

Whoa! Brahman's are different than "bos taurus" cattle. I've raised and shown Brahmans for almost 20 years.

First of all, don't pen him up. Brahmans don't like to be confined. He'll eat more if he can move around freely.

Second of all, he needs to be with and eat with another cow / steer / whatever that has a better appetite then he does. If the other bovine is eating, it will encourage him to eat more as well. You'll never get him fat if he's alone.

I wouldn't feed a finisher.. use a grower. Also, make SURE you don't have milo in the feed, as that will founder a Brahman. Beet pulp won't hurt him if he likes it.. it's just a filler, so it's not going to help him gain weight.

It sounds like he has plenty of hay.. Brahmans need plenty of hay! They won't eat grain well without hay. Many times mine will frustrate the heck out of me by only wanting to eat hay, and not grain. Unfortunately they are just like that.

It will take TIME, but he'll gain eventually. Brahman's never look really good until they are 16+ months old anyway!

He eats with a younger bull and my 7 months old show heifer, but they eat tied up. I can't remember if that feed was a grower of finisher no that I think about it and I am pretty sure the feed doesn't have milo in it because the owner of the feed store we buy our feed from raised brahman cattle too. But, I wanted to get a few more opion's and I didn't talk to him personally.

Thanks!

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

;-)
Always seems to be a problem with "Show Calves". Having trouble "getting to" or "maintaining" weight.

Too bad the Show Circuit (for all breeds) doesn't advocate "pasture fed" cattle that have a natural look to them and to the breed...

Just my biased opinion...

 

[brahma_show_girl]

He doesn't even have the pasture look to him. He happened to be wormy a some few months ago we got him fixed up about 4 months ago and now he just needs more weight. He eats when he wants and I don't shove feed down his throat. But when you are showing against bulls that are HUGE for there age he needs to hold his own.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

He doesn't even have the pasture look to him. He happened to be wormy a some few months ago we got him fixed up about 4 months ago and now he just needs more weight. He eats when he wants and I don't shove feed down his throat. But when you are showing against bulls that are HUGE for there age he needs to hold his own.

That was essentially my point. The Show Circuit of any breed of any species tends to "pump up" the animals to win. Then, when a person buys a "characteristic" animal to put in their pasture, they wonder why their animal doesn't look like the "show" types. This phenomenon is also rampant in the Longhorn Cattle show circuit.

 

[brahma_show_girl]

He doesn't even have the pasture look to him. He happened to be wormy a some few months ago we got him fixed up about 4 months ago and now he just needs more weight. He eats when he wants and I don't shove feed down his throat. But when you are showing against bulls that are HUGE for there age he needs to hold his own.

That was essentially my point. The Show Circuit of any breed of any species tends to "pump up" the animals to win. Then, when a person buys a "characteristic" animal to put in their pasture, they wonder why their animal doesn't look like the "show" types. This phenomenon is also rampant in the Longhorn Cattle show circuit.

I would like to see all the animals in there natural state without all the extra crap put into them. Just a quick bath and then you go.

 

[TheBullLady]

I would too... but not likely to happen!

With Brahman cattle you also are up against unscrupulous breeders that forget how to age their animals correctly. Seems more prevelent in that breed than any other, and there are people that are trying to make it harder to do, but can get discouraging very fast when you're showing against a bull that's the same age as yours and 500 lbs heavier.

Brahmans are hard to feed sometimes. Sounds like you're on the right track.

Do the best you can... and enjoy yourself! That's the most important thing.

 

[novatech]

Some brahman also go through an ugly duckling stage. No matter what you do, or how much you feed.
Take a look at V8 15/3 in the pic. Doesn't look ready for a show to me.
http://www.bovine-elite.com/brahmanepd.asp?ID=122

 

[brahma_show_girl]

OMG that bull is UGH!

Bull Lady: I agree brahman breeders tend to "forget" when there calves were born. LOL, and I happen to show greys the competion is much stiffer. I actually think my bull has gained a little weight. I just hope he is ready for my next show which is in 3 weeks.


Hey NovaTech, I am actually attending the Brenham show! James Daniels trim my calves hooves.

 

[cowgirl Ibara]

Just going to pip in real quick with my opinion but maybe you should try some rolled corn. Its a nice filler and really makes them bloom. Its worked for me but it may or may not work for you. Just a suggestion ^_^. Good luck.