skinny calves

[sidney411]

Do to the drought last year we leased a large pasture and moved about 1/2 our herd there. We fed a lot of hay but the cows lost condition and the calves are pot bellied. I've moved the calves to our weaning pasture which has thick, knee high rye grass. I have started to see a difference in the calves but am wondering how long it will take them to get back to looking good on just grass?

 

[milkmaid]

Do to the drought last year we leased a large pasture and moved about 1/2 our herd there. We fed a lot of hay but the cows lost condition and the calves are pot bellied. I've moved the calves to our weaning pasture which has thick, knee high rye grass. I have started to see a difference in the calves but am wondering how long it will take them to get back to looking good on just grass?

I'd guess about 30-45 days.

 

[funky 4-Her]

I agree problaly somewhere around a month....

 

[Dusty Britches]

don't forget to worm them. all that green grass is undoubtedly full of worms.

 

[KNERSIE]

providing an energy lick while on green grass will speed the gain up quite a bit.

 

[sidney411]

I wormed them as they were going through the chute at the lease place. I gave then some stocker/grower when I moved them here to start off with but I don't want the feed them out of a sack when I've got plenty of grass at the moment until it dies. Hopefully I can get them into condition before that happens, they've been on this pasture 2 weeks on Sunday and it doesn't even look like they've put a dent in the grass.

 

[mnmtranching]

With all that grass, I would leave em on it until it's gone and keep up the lick tubs. They should be looking good soon.

 

[Sir Loin]

Sid,
Re:

I have started to see a difference in the calves but am wondering how long it will take them to get back to looking good on just grass?

If you have good grass, I would say at least 90 – 120 days, if ever, depending on how bad they were starving and what they were eating.
I have one that has been on free choice feed and good pasture for 120 days and is now just starting to look good.

If I were you, I would call your local feed mills and get a price by the ton of the cheapest feed they got and feed them, or you will be heavily docked for pot belly.
Pot belly is a dead giveaway as to a slow weight gainer or possible sick calves.

I would also recommend you set up a creep feeder so when the next time things get tough, you can at least supplement your calves to prevent pot belly. This will also help take some of the load off of momma when grass is scarce.
SL

 

[Beefy]

it will take a while. its a lot harder to bring them back up than it is just to keep them there. green grass is the best thing for it though.

 

[backhoeboogie]

To tell you the truth, once a calf is doggied, it doesn't ever get "completely" over it. I bought a doggied heifer once and she still looks like she has a pot gut 9 years later. Good cow who has good calves.

 

[milkmaid]

To tell you the truth, once a calf is doggied, it doesn't ever get "completely" over it. I bought a doggied heifer once and she still looks like she has a pot gut 9 years later. Good cow who has good calves.

Depends how old and how big they are when you get them; a 4 month old calf with a pot belly can be brought out of it in a matter of weeks; been there done that. A stunted yearling may be too big to "grow out of it" -- which is basically what has to happen for the pot belly to disappear.

Here's an example of a 4 month old that turned around really nicely...

2 weeks after she came home...

and today as a springer...