Question about feeding calves through the winter

[Warren Allison]

Yes, just the three calves. They are going to be weaned in October.

I would like to casterate the bull calf, raise him and use him as meat. The girls I d would like to just take them to the sale, reason being not sure the breed.

If you have that 10 aces fenced in, and just have 3 calves and your two horses on it, you wont need to do too much feeding. Still, if I were you, when I Picked them up in October and carry them straight to0 the sale. They are worth more per pound right now than calves have ever been. You will do fine over the winter with just 2 horses there, Come spring when you grass starts to put out, buy a pair or a 3 n 1 deal. Maybe two. wean the calf (or calves) and sell it (them). Then you just have to winter the 2 horses and 1 or two cows. EDIT: Or sell the cow as well this fall, and get another pair next spring. Then all you gotta feed over the winter is the 2 horses. And if they are all that is on your 10 acres, then you won't have to feed much, if any.

 

[Brute 23]

I think next week we are going to start fencing and setting up the different pastures for rotation. And I agree that everything needs to be set up and ready for them when they get there.

I know they need a salt block, should we get those big molasses mineral tubs? Or are the mineral block sufficient?

You have to make the call on the molasses tub. That's a very debatable subject on here but in your situation, I would.

Generally you want to use loose salt and mineral. You can safely put a bag of stock salt out. With the mineral I would put a 1/4 bag or so and see how they take to it. It can get messed up with a bunch of rain, especially if they are not that crazy about it.

Do yall have pens to hold the calves and work them?

 

[ClinchValley86]

If you plan on feeding loose mineral, a covered mineral feed will pay for itself in a couple years. And save you time and aggrevation. I like the type with the rubber flap, but also have the weathervein type that moves with the wind. It makes it last as well. They're not too bad when bought used.

 

[bscattle]

If you have that 10 aces fenced in, and just have 3 calves and your two horses on it, you wont need to do too much feeding. Still, if I were you, when I Picked them up in October and carry them straight to0 the sale. They are worth more per pound right now than calves have ever been. You will do fine over the winter with just 2 horses there, Come spring when you grass starts to put out, buy a pair or a 3 n 1 deal. Maybe two. wean the calf (or calves) and sell it (them). Then you just have to winter the 2 horses and 1 or two cows. EDIT: Or sell the cow as well this fall, and get another pair next spring. Then all you gotta feed over the winter is the 2 horses. And if they are all that is on your 10 acres, then you won't have to feed much, if any.

I agree and I will talk it over with the other three people. Since I have taken care of horses through the winter for several years now I know how hard it can be!

 

[bscattle]

You have to make the call on the molasses tub. That's a very debatable subject on here but in your situation, I would.

Generally you want to use loose salt and mineral. You can safely put a bag of stock salt out. With the mineral I would put a 1/4 bag or so and see how they take to it. It can get messed up with a bunch of rain, especially if they are not that crazy about it.

Do yall have pens to hold the calves and work them?

I saw a mineral supplement by Purina. It was a loose mineral… I also saw the mineral blocks, and the tubs…

No we do not have pens setup yet….

 

[Travlr]

I saw a mineral supplement by Purina. It was a loose mineral… I also saw the mineral blocks, and the tubs…

No we do not have pens setup yet….

Before you buy anything more expensive than the cheapest equivalent you might want to do a cost/benefit breakdown.

For instance... if you can get a mineral block for $10 and a bag of loose mineral for $20 that is claimed to last as long... and you get the same benefit from both... why would you buy the loose mineral? And unless you KNOW your area has a known mineral deficiency that a more expensive product can alleviate, why would you pay more for something? Your vet should be able to inform you of any mineral deficiencies.

This game can be a matter of success or failure based in pennies per pound... as well as expenses per earned dollar. If your head isn't in that game you will be supporting your cattle with an off-the-farm job.

 

[Brute 23]

I saw a mineral supplement by Purina. It was a loose mineral… I also saw the mineral blocks, and the tubs…

No we do not have pens setup yet….

Ok. Definitely going to want them before you take delivery. At least a basic square or some thing that is secure to hold them until they settle in.

@Travlr is right about weighing your options.

Some one might say mineral tubs are too expensive. Only loose mineral. What they don't tell you is the context of their statement. Maybe they already have a bunch of paid for mineral feeders or covered areas and troughs.

For you, can you justify building a cover or mineral feeder for 3 calves right now? You might pay a little more for the product in a tub to save from a much larger payment. Then is a mineral tub $20 more than a regular tub or $60 more. $20 you might can tolerate. $60 more and throwing a block in an oldtire might be the ticket. That's the stuff that you have to decide for yourself based on your situation.

I've burned a lot of money on mineral that they wouldn't eat. I started use multimen. It's "more expensive" by most peoples standards but not when the other mineral was going to waste. I've had good luck with vitaferm now so I got away from multimen except with weaned calves. Any thing I wean to keep gets a shot of multimen to help with the transition away from milk to pasture. That's just what works for us.

Are your horses going to be in the same pasture with the calves?

 

[bscattle]

Before you buy anything more expensive than the cheapest equivalent you might want to do a cost/benefit breakdown.

For instance... if you can get a mineral block for $10 and a bag of loose mineral for $20 that is claimed to last as long... and you get the same benefit from both... why would you buy the loose mineral? And unless you KNOW your area has a known mineral deficiency that a more expensive product can alleviate, why would you pay more for something? Your vet should be able to inform you of any mineral deficiencies.

This game can be a matter of success or failure based in pennies per pound... as well as expenses per earned dollar. If your head isn't in that game you will be supporting your cattle with an off-the-farm job.

The bag of minerals was kinda small so yes I am thinking either the block or the tub would be more cost effective and last longer,

 

[MurraysMutts]

I keep a good loose mineral out at both places. Here at home we go thru a bit. The lease place they don't hardly consume any...

I think it's all the tree leaves and spring water over there. They just don't need it

 

[bscattle]

Ok. Definitely going to want them before you take delivery. At least a basic square or some thing that is secure to hold them until they settle in.

@Travlr is right about weighing your options.

Some one might say mineral tubs are too expensive. Only loose mineral. What they don't tell you is the context of their statement. Maybe they already have a bunch of paid for mineral feeders or covered areas and troughs.

For you, can you justify building a cover or mineral feeder for 3 calves right now? You might pay a little more for the product in a tub to save from a much larger payment. Then is a mineral tub $20 more than a regular tub or $60 more. $20 you might can tolerate. $60 more and throwing a block in an oldtire might be the ticket. That's the stuff that you have to decide for yourself based on your situation.

I've burned a lot of money on mineral that they wouldn't eat. I started use multimen. It's "more expensive" by most peoples standards but not when the other mineral was going to waste. I've had good luck with vitaferm now so I got away from multimen except with weaned calves. Any thing I wean to keep gets a shot of multimen to help with the transition away from milk to pasture. That's just what works for us.

Are your horses going to be in the same pasture with the calves?

The horses will be in the same pasture but they will be fenced off from the calves.

 

[Travlr]

The horses will be in the same pasture but they will be fenced off from the calves.

Just to put it out there... any horse is going to cost you twice as much in feed as a cow will. Not only what they eat... but also what they will kill.

On a small place with only ten acres I would corral the horses and keep them off the grass.

Well to tell the truth... I'd get rid of them altogether if they weren't making me money or I was using them enough to justify their being owned. In most cases a horse is nothing more than an expensive yard ornament.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Wow - lots of advice. You opened a can of worms.
I agree with the statement to haul the calves directly to the sale barn - especially the heifers. Right now, prices are off the chart. Will they be in the spring? Maybe, most likely, but not a sure thing.
I would never start any cattle on sweet feed. Bag feed is the most expensive feed. Once a calf gets fed SWEET feed (molasses), it is EXTREMELY difficult to switch them to non-sweetened feed. "Generally" the mills put molasses in the feed to make all the power/fines stick to the small amount of grain put in the feed.
I would ship the steer with the heifers, so you didn't have to winter feed him - but, your "winters" are much milder than mine - LOL
"IF" you decide you want to keep the steer - I would recommend feeding him Whole Shell Corn and buy a bag of a protein pellets to mix with it. Weaned calves need about a 14% protein ration. Corn is only 9% protein, so you need to add protein to the ration. You start calves off at 1% of their body weight. So, 500# calf - can start on 5# of grain. You slowly increase weekly, making sure they are cleaning everything up (twice a day) up to 3% of their body weight.
But, I would recommend feeding 2 steers together to finish/harvest. Cattle eat better with company. Obviously, you can feed 1 heifer and 1 steer - but, heifers will start cycling and the steer will spend 1-2 days every 3 weeks chasing and riding and both losing weight.
If you were getting into breeding stock, I would spend time arguing with others on the benefits of feeding loose mineral - but -- I'll leave it alone.

 

[Brute 23]

I have never had any issues switching away from a sweet feed with calves. That has a lot to do with how you use it. I may use it for the initial week or two while they are penned up to adjust them to me, troughs, being fed, etc. It is a complete feed in that situation. Once the gate gets opened to grass they are weaned off it quickly and only receive what ever feed I give them to keep them coming to the pens or trough. I am not a feedlot.

Corn is a great product to finish calves that will be fed out to butcher. You have to commit to a corn diet though.

It is not a good option as a supplement for animals you want to eat grass, especially poor quality grass, because it can actually hinder their consumption. Feeds like wcs provide nutrition and encourage consumption of grass.

I have dodged the resale topic but it seems to keep coming up. If I remember correctly, a friend was selling you these calves? Yes, from a profit stand point if you can buy them lower than you can sell the next day then great, flip them. I may have assumed this but it seemed like this person was doing some thing as a friendly gesture to help yall get started? If that is the case, they would probably not take kindly to yall hauling the calves right to sale and profiting off their kindness. If is not, then by all means do what is profitable.

 

[Travlr]

I have never had any issues switching away from a sweet feed with calves. That has a lot to do with how you use it. I may use it for the initial week or two while they are penned up to adjust them to me, troughs, being fed, etc. It is a complete feed in that situation. Once the gate gets opened to grass they are weaned off it quickly and only receive what ever feed I give them to keep them coming to the pens or trough. I am not a feedlot.

Corn is a great product to finish calves that will be fed out to butcher. You have to commit to a corn diet though.

It is not a good option as a supplement for animals you want to eat grass, especially poor quality grass, because it can actually hinder their consumption. Feeds like wcs provide nutrition and encourage consumption of grass.

I have dodged the resale topic but it seems to keep coming up. If I remember correctly, a friend was selling you these calves? Yes, from a profit stand point if you can buy them lower than you can sell the next day then great, flip them. I may have assumed this but it seemed like this person was doing some thing as a friendly gesture to help yall get started? If that is the case, they would probably not take kindly to yall hauling the calves right to sale and profiting off their kindness. If is not, then by all means do what is profitable.

Amen brother... advice spot on across the board.

 

[chaded]

Just to put it out there... any horse is going to cost you twice as much in feed as a cow will. Not only what they eat... but also what they will kill.

On a small place with only ten acres I would corral the horses and keep them off the grass.

Well to tell the truth... I'd get rid of them altogether if they weren't making me money or I was using them enough to justify their being owned. In most cases a horse is nothing more than an expensive yard ornament.

I am the last person that would have a horse but honestly if someone wants one, who cares?

 

[Travlr]

I am the last person that would have a horse but honestly if someone wants one, who cares?

Nobodies suggesting they can't have a horse... just to put it out there.

 

[bscattle]

Just to put it out there... any horse is going to cost you twice as much in feed as a cow will. Not only what they eat... but also what they will kill.

On a small place with only ten acres I would corral the horses and keep them off the grass.

Well to tell the truth... I'd get rid of them altogether if they weren't making me money or I was using them enough to justify their being owned. In most cases a horse is nothing more than an expensive yard ornament.

The horses will be separate from the calves if we even keep them through the winter, which I am going to strongly suggest that we take the calves to the sale after we purchase them.

And I know how to manage horses on small acreage, they were on three acres (rotational system) and they did better on those three acres then they are doing on the 2 1/2 acres that they are on now.

And I will not be getting rid of my horses, they are my babies….

 

[bscattle]

I have never had any issues switching away from a sweet feed with calves. That has a lot to do with how you use it. I may use it for the initial week or two while they are penned up to adjust them to me, troughs, being fed, etc. It is a complete feed in that situation. Once the gate gets opened to grass they are weaned off it quickly and only receive what ever feed I give them to keep them coming to the pens or trough. I am not a feedlot.

Corn is a great product to finish calves that will be fed out to butcher. You have to commit to a corn diet though.

It is not a good option as a supplement for animals you want to eat grass, especially poor quality grass, because it can actually hinder their consumption. Feeds like wcs provide nutrition and encourage consumption of grass.

I have dodged the resale topic but it seems to keep coming up. If I remember correctly, a friend was selling you these calves? Yes, from a profit stand point if you can buy them lower than you can sell the next day then great, flip them. I may have assumed this but it seemed like this person was doing some thing as a friendly gesture to help yall get started? If that is the case, they would probably not take kindly to yall hauling the calves right to sale and profiting off their kindness. If is not, then by all means do what is profitable.

Yes,you are correct. We are getting the calves from a friend who is helping us get started. And yes, I think I would be a little upset if I found out that the calves I raised and weaned were immediately take to the sale.

 

[Warren Allison]

Yes,you are correct. We are getting the calves from a friend who is helping us get started. And yes, I think I would be a little upset if I found out that the calves I raised and weaned were immediately take to the sale.

I wouldn't buy them if they had strings or caveats attached. No matter how cheap, those are yours once you pay for them. If you can take them to the sale now, and buy a couple of pairs with the money.. doesn't matter .if it is that day or you put up the money and buy them come spring....the neighbor is still helping you get started. You could even sell those 3 heifers, (and they will bring $1k or more each.), buy another steer calf to go with yours ( Like Jeanne said, they will eat and gain better than one alone will) and still have enough money left over to buy a pair this spring.

 

[Travlr]

I wouldn't buy them if they had strings or caveats attached. No matter how cheap, those are yours once you pay for them. If you can take them to the sale now, and buy a couple of pairs with the money.. doesn't matter .if it is that day or you put up the money and buy them come spring....the neighbor is still helping you get started. You could even sell those 3 heifers, (and they will bring $1k or more each.), buy another steer calf to go with yours ( Like Jeanne said, they will eat and gain better than one alone will) and still have enough money left over to buy a pair this spring.

I agree with everything you said... but the people selling the calves will probably not see that logic and will probably have "feelings".

A guy hired me to haul a couple of cows to the sale barn one day, and we chased those cows around his pasture for hours until we got them in the trailer. So I asked him what he was expecting to get and if he'd sell the cows to me for that price. He named a figure and it was doable... and I told him I'd buy them less the hauling fee which he would have had to pay to get them to the sale barn... and he agreed. But apparently he took it hard that I deducted the price to haul the cows because he would never sell any cows to me after that... even though HE agreed to the deal. I'd go help him work his cows to be a good neighbor, but if the subject came up that he was selling anything, and I asked him for a price, he'd give me a sideways look and say they weren't for sale.

People are weird and it's too easy to make an enemy without doing anything.