Protocol for trailer weaned calves

[Little Joe]

I've been watching cattle and feed prices and doing a lot of calculating and if cattle and feed keep going in the direction they are I'm going to have to buy something other than heavy, long weaned pre-vac cattle to finish out for my direct sell business. I have plenty of grass every year so it's starting to make more economical since to get them bigger myself. I go to the sale barn every chance I get and study on what's selling at what prices and why and after doing some figuring I think I'd do okay buying anything 4-6 weight that is off color or smaller framed such as Hereford or reds or feather neck black baldies, all of those are quite a bit back on price from black or char cross.
Question is, what is the protocol for calves like that? Straight from the barn, unweaned, probably not vaccinated, and most likely still a bull. What vaccines besides 8 way blackleg would you give to make sure they don't get sick and why? Would you band as soon as you get them or let them settle for a few weeks and band before you turn them out on pasture? I'd only be buying a handful at a time and can keep them in the lot for a good while so they're easy to work if I need to. I have 2 lots that are fair size and don't get muddy except around the feed trough.

 

[Lee VanRoss]

Might be OK if the percent of yield is not important to you.
I would rethink the banding. Do some research on that.
good luck

 

[SBMF 2015]

Inforce3, a pasturella, Multi-min90, Haemophilus,and tetanus. Wait 3wks to band and vacc with tetanus, a 5way, pasturella, and Haemophilus.
I'd get a stress care tub for there pen to..

 

[Little Joe]

Might be OK if the percent of yield is not important to you.
I would rethink the banding. Do some research on that.
good luck

Very few in my area knife cut, almost everyone bands. I have been banding my calves as well with no problems. As far as yield most of the off color stuff are going to yield just as well. From my experience some of the smaller framed have yielded just as well as the big framed. I've recently finished out some Longhorn cross cattle and they yielded 65% of hanging weight ( hw around 600) , the pre-vac cattle I finish generally hang around 750 but still yield around 65% hw. Steaks just aren't quite as big on the smaller ones. My customers actually like the smaller ones because of the steaks being a tad smaller.

 

[Rmc]

Many times you can get 6-8 weights for not much more total dollars then the 4-6 weights especially if not black hided . Have found that many times. They pencil out better then the lighter calves with less risk because most are weaned and less days owned.
Unless it is a screamer of a deal I can usually by 650-750 cheaper then I can buy the lighter weights and get them to the same weight

 

[kenny thomas]

I buy a few pretty much every week. Off color, short, one eye, short tail, whatever the very minor defect. I have some out now bought as 400lb for .40. They weigh over 800. They will make money. Need 20+ more culls before turnout time but culls are going to be lots higher.
As to procedures, within an hour of them being unloaded I give Inforce 3, Alpha 7 with pinkeye, presponse, Cydectin injectable, Ralgro, ear tag. At the correct time of year I also use Ultra Boss.
I knife cut them. I feel it's just better. Each person's decision on that. If i knife cut its all over in less than a minute. Turn them in my lots with good round bale hay and water. After a couple days start a little feed.
I stress working them quickly. If waiting 2-4 days any bug they might have picked up at the stockyard already has a start.

 

[BFE]

Many times you can get 6-8 weights for not much more total dollars then the 4-6 weights especially if not black hided . Have found that many times. They pencil out better then the lighter calves with less risk because most are weaned and less days owned.
Unless it is a screamer of a deal I can usually by 650-750 cheaper then I can buy the lighter weights and get them to the same weight

Don't say that too loud, you'll have people call you a liar lol.

 

[Dave]

The sales here all have ring scales. One of them has a reader board for the last sold. It has number of head, total weight, average weight, price per pound, buyer number, and the average dollars per head. Last week you could buy 650-700 pound steers for the same total dollars as 500 weight steers sold for. I don't know about you but I can't magically put on that 150-200 pounds for free.
I give calves from the sale Enforce3, UltraBac8, Bova Shield Gold, injectable wormer, pasturella, and everything that came through the sale gets a blast of LA200. I cut bulls but I wait a couple weeks after they come home to do that. They also get branded when I cut them. I make sure there are multiple water troughs in the pen.

 

[kenny thomas]

Some of the reasons for the little price difference:
A 700lb right now would need to go out soon as a load lot. March feeder futures is 1.64. April is 1.69.
A calf bought now at 400-500 lb could go out in October when feeder futures is 1.88
So much depends on the next time the calf will be sold even before its bought.

 

[Rmc]

Regardless of the time of the year . Vary rarely will 4-6 weights pencil out better than 650-750 lbsers for me
Especially when you are doing direct sell to customers for meat.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Inforce3, a pasturella, Multi-min90, Haemophilus,and tetanus. Wait 3wks to band and vacc with tetanus, a 5way, pasturella, and Haemophilus.
I'd get a stress care tub for there pen to..

How much benefit have you seen from pasturella ?

 

[Stocker Steve]

Some of the reasons for the little price difference:
A 700lb right now would need to go out soon as a load lot. March feeder futures is 1.64. April is 1.69.
A calf bought now at 400-500 lb could go out in October when feeder futures is 1.88
So much depends on the next time the calf will be sold even before its bought.

True, but there are also usually less orders for 6 wts..

 

[BFE]

Regardless of the time of the year . Vary rarely will 4-6 weights pencil out better than 650-750 lbsers for me
Especially when you are doing direct sell to customers for meat.

Where are you from?

Around here calves need sold at 5-600 to get the most weight at a higher price. 6-900 the cost of gain will eat up the dollars quick, like Dave said.

However, if I had a feedlot or doing your thing that's where I'd buy because those are the cheapest poundsyou can get.

 

[SBMF 2015]

How much benefit have you seen from pasturella ?

If you do nothing else, they need pasturella. I use the internasel vacc on my suckling calves at turn out and have practically eliminated our summer pneumonia problems.
Then they get an injectable at weaning.
Pasturella and IBR are the two biggest problems I've treated for over the years.

 

[Little Joe]

Many times you can get 6-8 weights for not much more total dollars then the 4-6 weights especially if not black hided . Have found that many times. They pencil out better then the lighter calves with less risk because most are weaned and less days owned.
Unless it is a screamer of a deal I can usually by 650-750 cheaper then I can buy the lighter weights and get them to the same weight

The ones I've been buying are 7 or 8 weights for the reasons you mentioned, and will continue if price permits. I was at the sale Monday and seen several red and feather neck calves that were 5-6 weight go for around $1.30/lb, one black feather neck went for around $1.10, these were heifers. I'd guess they'd finish at 1,000 lbs judging by their frame. Same calves that were solid black and a little more frame were in the $1.75-$2 range. Not sure what I'll do but just looking at other options so I can remain profitable.

 

[Silver]

Where are you from?

Around here calves need sold at 5-600 to get the most weight at a higher price. 6-900 the cost of gain will eat up the dollars quick, like Dave said.

However, if I had a feedlot or doing your thing that's where I'd buy because those are the cheapest poundsyou can get.

Up here when calves are of similar quality the ones that weigh the most always bring the most money. So a cow that can repeatedly wean a 700 lb calf in 210 days make a lot more money than the cow that produces a 500 lb calf.

 

[Stocker Steve]

VOG going from 6 wt. to 7 wt. is variable and low. Not a lot of cattle at that weight, which is part of the reason for the variable discount.

I ran VOG numbers for early February. VOG for that kind ranged from U$S 0.42 to 0.93. Hard to put weight on for that unless they are on cheap pasture. Only way I can put on a late season pound for that is to dump an end load of by product out in the pasture and feed under a wire. This does not work well during an Artic Vortex.

Some like to focus on $ per calf. A few even get fancy and divide to get $/cow for calves weaned. Really really easy to measure, but not a good plan if you have to make payments.

 

[Dave]

VOG going from 6 wt. to 7 wt. is variable and low. Not a lot of cattle at that weight, which is part of the reason for the variable discount.

I ran VOG numbers for early February. VOG for that kind ranged from U$S 0.42 to 0.93. Hard to put weight on for that unless they are on cheap pasture. Only way I can put on a late season pound for that is to dump an end load of by product out in the pasture and feed under a wire. This does not work well during an Artic Vortex.

Some like to focus on $ per calf. A few even get fancy and divide to get $/cow for calves weaned. Really really easy to measure, but not a good plan if you have to make payments.

If you are doing what the OP stated why buy a 500 pound calf when you can buy a 650 pound calf for the same dollars. I would say the same thing about a feedlot owner. Here I think the lighter calves are being shipped to grass in California as they got rain this year. I know a couple brothers near here that are shipping semi loads of light calves to California leased pasture. Late May those calves will get on a truck and sent to leased pasture in Wyoming. From that pasture they will head to a feedlot to be finished.

 

[faster horses]

You got some good replies, IMO.
One thing no one has mentioned...get a good loose mineral out for them and let them eat all they want to begin with. That will help their immune system and get them balanced out nutritionally.