Nutrition For "Runts"

[ozarkbulls]

So I aquired 2 angus "calves" from a family who basically starved them all winter, and I trying to salvage them. Red Angus bull born in Set. 09, weighs about 300 right now, mostly blind angus heifer born in Aug. 09, weighs a little over 400.(I'm debating on keeping her to breed? Maybe)
I've had them for a month now, and have shown good improvement, but little bull isn't responding as well. Skin and coats have improved greatly, and they are starting to fill out a bit. Here's what I been doing:
3-4 pounds of balanced 12% feed each day
Free Choice on a quality clover/alfalfa/orchard grass mix hay, eating roughly 12-15 pounds a day, as best I can estimate.
I've been giving them "treats" of fresh cut grass clippings in the afternoons, they wolf that pretty well.
Free choice mineral lick, fresh water etc.

They are confined in the "quarantine" corral, pending more improvement with them.
Any other suggestions to "bounce" them a little faster?

 

[Angus Cowman]

for one I wouldn't be giving them treats as you call them grass clippings can be deadly
The hfr isn't a sound one to keep as breeding stock
I would up their grain to a higher protein feed and you should see better results
or they may just be dinks and that is all they ever will be
not trying to be mean but more than likely they will just be money pits with no way to ever return the money you are investing in them

 

[dun]

for one I wouldn't be giving them treats as you call them grass clippings can be deadly
The hfr isn't a sound one to keep as breeding stock
I would up their grain to a higher protein feed and you should see better results
or they may just be dinks and that is all they ever will be
not trying to be mean but more than likely they will just be money pits with no way to ever return the money you are investing in them

I agree will everyhting said but would put emphasis on "more than likely they will just be money pits with no way to ever return the money you are investing in them"
Just my thoughts

 

[auctionboy]

So I aquired 2 angus "calves" from a family who basically starved them all winter, and I trying to salvage them. Red Angus bull born in Set. 09, weighs about 300 right now, mostly blind angus heifer born in Aug. 09, weighs a little over 400.(I'm debating on keeping her to breed? Maybe)
I've had them for a month now, and have shown good improvement, but little bull isn't responding as well. Skin and coats have improved greatly, and they are starting to fill out a bit. Here's what I been doing:
3-4 pounds of balanced 12% feed each day
Free Choice on a quality clover/alfalfa/orchard grass mix hay, eating roughly 12-15 pounds a day, as best I can estimate.
I've been giving them "treats" of fresh cut grass clippings in the afternoons, they wolf that pretty well.
Free choice mineral lick, fresh water etc.

They are confined in the "quarantine" corral, pending more improvement with them.
Any other suggestions to "bounce" them a little faster?

Did you worm them or do you think the worms starved?

 

[ozarkbulls]

I did worm them, don't think they had any, they starved and moved on!
As far as the grass clippings, they are just fresh cut from my pasture, mostly clover and mixed grass, never heard of them being deadly? Didn't cause any bloat or any other problems, can you elaborate?
I only paid $150 for the pair, so investment wise I'm ahead already.

 

[TexasBred]

Turn'em out and let'em graze. You'll enjoy watching the change they go thru with the good lush grazing available now. They may never be great cattle but you'll be proud of your "project calves". ;-)

 

[ozarkbulls]

Update on the "Runts"!
Red Angus bull went to auction on Sat., didn't get to attend, a buddy of mine picked him up in the morning. He said bidding was pretty furious on him. Weighed out at 445 lbs, and went for 1.19 pound.
did pretty well on him.
He looked excellent, big, filled out really nicely, had such a shiny coat you'd need sunglasses to look at him!
Still have the blind heifer, not gonna breed her, waaaay to much of a project with her. She's about 540 lbs now, may butcher her...no-one interested in buying her, could use to money though.

 

[TexasBred]

Feed her on up heavier and make a deal with the neighbor or someone else to buy half the beef. You get your money back and have good beef as well.

 

[Texas PaPaw]

Feed her on up heavier and make a deal with the neighbor or someone else to buy half the beef. You get your money back and have good beef as well.

Agree with TB, if she is growing well, pour the feed to her and when she gets 2 "furrows" or fat ripples on each side of her tailhead she should be fat enough to eat good.

Wishing you good eating.

 

[piedmontese]

for one I wouldn't be giving them treats as you call them grass clippings can be deadly
The hfr isn't a sound one to keep as breeding stock
I would up their grain to a higher protein feed and you should see better results
or they may just be dinks and that is all they ever will be
not trying to be mean but more than likely they will just be money pits with no way to ever return the money you are investing in them

how can grass clippings b deadly?

 

[TexasBred]

99.99% of the time they won't hurt a thing. The .01% would be MY COW. :lol2:

 

[ozarkbulls]

Well, I still gave her the clippings with no ill effects, but kept an eye out for any problems.
She made "The-Big-Trip" to the guy with the white apron. ended up with a little over 200 lbs of actual meat.
Marbling was not as much as I expected, but the meat is absoloutly FABULOUS!!!! Excellent beef flavor, and the most tender I've ever had, so in the end it all worked out!
Ran the numbers and the whole deal, purchase, feed, processing etc. cost about 1.65 a pound, pretty smokin' deal for "real beef"!
Thanks everyone for responses!

 

[piedmontese]

i have fed grass clippings all summer long,about 1,500lbs a day,sometimes more or less.i have had no trouble and my cows and calves are in good shape.i feed it fresh every day.i do sometimes feed it 1 day old,anymore than that and it gets pretty ripe.its all in garbage bags when i get it.

 

[TexasBred]

i have fed grass clippings all summer long,about 1,500lbs a day,sometimes more or less.i have had no trouble and my cows and calves are in good shape.i feed it fresh every day.i do sometimes feed it 1 day old,anymore than that and it gets pretty ripe.its all in garbage bags when i get it.

As I said..99.99% of the time it's harmless to cattle. ;-) But then so is penicillin. ;-)

 

[piedmontese]

i have fed grass clippings all summer long,about 1,500lbs a day,sometimes more or less.i have had no trouble and my cows and calves are in good shape.i feed it fresh every day.i do sometimes feed it 1 day old,anymore than that and it gets pretty ripe.its all in garbage bags when i get it.

As I said..99.99% of the time it's harmless to cattle. ;-) But then so is penicillin. ;-)

yea i totally know what u mean.yesterday i picked up 13 bucket calves from a dairy.they all were fine and lively.i drive 30 minutues to unload them and the biggest one of all is stretched out n the back of the trailer.take his temp,105.5 so not much hope but i go ahead and giv him banamine and nuflor.got about a quart of bounce back n him nad put him n a stall alone.dead this morning.what do u think killed him?

 

[ozarkbulls]

Sheesh, not good.
How hot was it in the trailer? Are you sure he wasn't as "lively" as you thought when you picked him up?
Labored breathing, had to be panting with fever that high.
I would have done the NuFlor, and kept up the Banamine every 3-4 hours, but sometimes you just can't win.

 

[piedmontese]

Sheesh, not good.
How hot was it in the trailer? Are you sure he wasn't as "lively" as you thought when you picked him up?
Labored breathing, had to be panting with fever that high.
I would have done the NuFlor, and kept up the Banamine every 3-4 hours, but sometimes you just can't win.

it was only about 85 out that day and there was a breeze,plus he was n a 16 ft trailer and not a closed in style.mine has the metal slats that you can see n through.i could more make sense if it was 100 like it had been.the dairy farmer said he would give me another one for free so at least that is good.the calf that died was 1 month old.