need y'alls opinion on bull calf weight

[moloss]

I weaned a 9 month old calf (just coming on 9 months) last night and put him on the trailer.....just got home from the sale barn and he weighed 715#'s....his dad was a red angus bull and his mom's back ground is unknown but looks like santa gertrudis anyhow he has nothing but grass and mom's milk....is that a resonable weight for a bull calf? how much weight did he lose by being on the trailer all night? I had water on the trailer but it did not appear he drank any.....also had I had him on feed would he of weighed much more? I'm finally kinda turning the corner with what I'm raising at the house but I'm always looking to make things better so please any opinions are needed.....thank you, Chris.

 

[thommoos]

Well take in consideration this: Lets say a 75 BW, less 715 is 640. then divide that by 270 (9 x 30) equals 2.37 lbs per day. Not bad at all, some wish for a solid 2.5 on bulls. But as we all know, most weights like that are not achived with out som ekind of help on a consistant basis. also take in cosideration, our very hot summer, the Angus in hot weather do not does as well as the Brimmers, He would have done better calving in Oct. being from the north alabama area consider the brimmer influnced animal. :2cents: :2cents:

 

[BRG]

Well take in consideration this: Lets say a 75 BW, less 715 is 640. then divide that by 270 (9 x 30) equals 2.37 lbs per day. Not bad at all, some wish for a solid 2.5 on bulls. But as we all know, most weights like that are not achived with out som ekind of help on a consistant basis. also take in cosideration, our very hot summer, the Angus in hot weather do not does as well as the Brimmers, He would have done better calving in Oct. being from the north alabama area consider the brimmer influnced animal. :2cents: :2cents:

I don't like a bull to gain less than 2.5 lbs a day while on the cow. If he gained 2.5 lbs/day and had an 80 lbs birth weight, at 205 days of age he only weighs 592 lbs. unless he is pretty good on other aspects, he probably shouldn't be a bull in my opinion. I try to only sell bulls that have a 205 day weight of at least 600 lbs. That is one of our criteria's we have for culling.

Now as far as this bull goes, he lost alot of weight on that trailer over night. A few years ago, we did a check weight on some calves. We weighed them as they came off the cow. Then we weighed them the next morning, about 14 hours later. They lost from 38 lbs to 72 lbs each.

 

[bigbull338]

your calf had a real nice sale weight in my eyes.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Isn't nearly 9 months old kind of an advanced age to just now be weaned?

 

[ALACOWMAN]

Isn't nearly 9 months old kind of an advanced age to just now be weaned?

for me it is, but not every one... id expect mine to be in the high 7's to 8's weight at that age

 

[oakcreekfarms]

BRG, just wondering do you creep feed?

Not saying that 600lbs is out of line at all, just wondering. Most of our calves are going to weigh around that 615lb mark but they are going to be around 215 days old. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration, this year drought is a big one. Our calves are going to be smaller this year than most because of it. We usually don't creep, and haven't this year either. However, we will see if I should have done something for them in these conditions.

 

[BRG]

BRG, just wondering do you creep feed?

Not saying that 600lbs is out of line at all, just wondering. Most of our calves are going to weigh around that 615lb mark but they are going to be around 215 days old. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration, this year drought is a big one. Our calves are going to be smaller this year than most because of it. We usually don't creep, and haven't this year either. However, we will see if I should have done something for them in these conditions.

We have 2 different planned calving groups, One is March/April and the second is May/June. The May/June bulls we make 2's out of. These bulls are not creep fed as they don't have to be big at a year of age. The March calves are creep fed the last month or so while on the cow. But these guys should be a little heavier than 600 lbs as I like them to be 650 lbs at 205 days old. (this doesn't mean they won't make a bull if they are still good otherwise) The only reason why we creep them is because our sale is in February and we want them to be close to 1000 lbs by sale day, and I think it is better for the bull to be fed a little while on the cow than to poor it to them in the lot over the winter.

 

[moloss]

so this guy was probably close to 750#'s when I put him on the trailer (lesson learned)....we are still working on our first real breeding season so I have calves from 5-9 months but next go around it'll hopefully be within just a couple of months.....almost to the day he was 9 months so for me and my little operation (read as beginner with little money or time) this is probably the best calf size wise I've had so far but with that being said I'm working on hopefully doing better as time goes along.....when y'all talk about 7 month old calves that weigh 600#'s are they commerial angus based or something else? what about y'alls steer and heifer weights? my calf was very long and not fat (had visible muscling) but I saw some other calves close to his size (height wise but not as long) that looked like butter ball turkeys by comparsion.....should I have feed him out? I should of taken pics but since I tend to do things that don't always make since I didn't.....thanks for your responses ......Chris.

 

[thommoos]

Chris,
Being from Alabama as you "if you are going to calve late winter into spring" I would look at some kind of Brahma base Bull whether Beefmaster, Santa, Brangus. You will get better wean weights through the heat of summer. If you calve in late summer fall, go with Angus/Simmental/Charlais probable the latter 2 for higher weights with less inputs, for a great terminal cross. :2cents:

Are you running purebreed, commercial pure, or commercial mixed?

 

[moloss]

when we started our little farm (going on 4yrs) we bought what I could afford $600 pairs with the thought being it was cheaper to buy a great bull (half the herd) and play the #'s game (more cows equals more calves even if they aren't real nice stuff)....then as time went along keep the good sell the bad and end up with a commercial herd that earns it's keep (trying to eventually make enough to cover the cost of private school for kids)....anyhow we had a great red angus bull the first couple of years but he tore his cruciate ligament and we sold him....this year we bought a few black baldie heifers and then used our original mix matched cows on a real nice brangus bull and they will calve starting in february.....I know my cows aren't as nice as most but over time I'm trying to change that by finding out what real cow men expect out of their cows.....this sets the bar where I eventually want to be.

 

[HOSS]

moloss, I don't know if I qualify as a "real" cow man or not but I wean my calves at 180 to 195 days old and most all of them will push or exceed 600 lbs. by that age. I do not provide any supplemental feeding. 715 lbs on a 9 month old bull would be too light for my taste. Below is a heifer that I just separated for weaning a few days ago. She is 6.5 months old and weighed 745 lbs. While that is exceptionally heavy for one of my heifers most of them will be 600 lbs or better. My bull calves range from 600 to 725 by weaning. It has taken me awhile to get to this point. When I started tracking weaning weights my bull calves averaged in the mid to upper 5's and heifers in the lower 5's. I am wondering if your bull calf was possibly the offspring a very low BW bull on a low milk producing cow in an exceptionally hot summer and low quality forage? Did he get sick or bad scours that set him back maybe?

 

[moloss]

wow! Hoss I wish we had something like that at our place......he was off a large heifer bull but to tell you the truth I think my genetics just aren't there yet (but I'm working on it)......nice heifer!

 

[thommoos]

You need a herd sire like this http://www.bovine-elite.com/beefmepd2.asp?idProduct=13&id2nd=25

 

[Loner]

Hi guys, :cboy:
Just reading some posts on here and wanted to see how I'm doing with my Angus bull calf. I bottle raised him as his mom left town :frowns: after he was born. He is by a registered angus bull and out of angus heifer. I fed him three bottles a day and slowly cut that down to one a day after he was six months old. Feeding him calf pellets for a long time also and alfalfa. Still giving him one bottle a day just cause he hollers at me. :lol: He is around nine hundred pounds now and is perfect in all ways. Is that a good weight at nine months old? Yes, I been told by all cowboys he will stomp me in the dirt someday but oh well, we all have to go sometime. I'm doing ground work right now teaching him to let me ride him as he is a big baby. NO, will not cut him as I always wanted a bull so don't say it. I been around horses and cows (including huge bulls) all my life so I know what they can do to a person.
Anyway, thanks guys, just wanted to see what you think on the weight.
Happy New Year All :dunce:

 

[Simmental7]

What kind of bull do you use Hoss? nice lookin calf

 

[ANAZAZI]

Hi guys, :cboy:
Just reading some posts on here and wanted to see how I'm doing with my Angus bull calf. I bottle raised him as his mom left town :frowns: after he was born. He is by a registered angus bull and out of angus heifer. I fed him three bottles a day and slowly cut that down to one a day after he was six months old. Feeding him calf pellets for a long time also and alfalfa. Still giving him one bottle a day just cause he hollers at me. :lol: He is around nine hundred pounds now and is perfect in all ways. Is that a good weight at nine months old? Yes, I been told by all cowboys he will stomp me in the dirt someday but oh well, we all have to go sometime. I'm doing ground work right now teaching him to let me ride him as he is a big baby. NO, will not cut him as I always wanted a bull so don't say it. I been around horses and cows (including huge bulls) all my life so I know what they can do to a person.
Anyway, thanks guys, just wanted to see what you think on the weight.
Happy New Year All :dunce:

The weight is good.
He will stomp you.
Cutting him will not help anyway, becaude he is raised without other cattle and will not respect you.

 

[3waycross]

Hi guys, :cboy:
Just reading some posts on here and wanted to see how I'm doing with my Angus bull calf. I bottle raised him as his mom left town :frowns: after he was born. He is by a registered angus bull and out of angus heifer. I fed him three bottles a day and slowly cut that down to one a day after he was six months old. Feeding him calf pellets for a long time also and alfalfa. Still giving him one bottle a day just cause he hollers at me. :lol: He is around nine hundred pounds now and is perfect in all ways. Is that a good weight at nine months old? Yes, I been told by all cowboys he will stomp me in the dirt someday but oh well, we all have to go sometime. I'm doing ground work right now teaching him to let me ride him as he is a big baby. NO, will not cut him as I always wanted a bull so don't say it. I been around horses and cows (including huge bulls) all my life so I know what they can do to a person.
Anyway, thanks guys, just wanted to see what you think on the weight.
Happy New Year All :dunce:

:shock:I would like to compliment whoever came up with this little work of fiction. It's a good one!

 

[3waycross]

What kind of bull do you use Hoss? nice lookin calf

Tell him Hoss.............pleeeeeeeze!

 

[ohiosteve]

3way, I have to hand it to you. I keep this site up in my truck almost non-stop every day and your posts never fail to make me chuckle. If you ever get out of the cattle biz, you may try comedic writing. I too was intrigued by the bottle feeding of a 9 mo. bull.