Split off calves

[Hpacres440p]

With the sale barn prices as high as they are, and with all the young (2-3 mo old) calves being split off, what are the ramifications with a sudden wean and transition to feed? Do they end up stunted? That's about the only kind for less than $1k

 

[gcreekrch]

We got our start buying light calves and taking them to long yearlings. 40 some years ago there were 100s of calves under 300 lbs in the fall in this area. We found out early in our hardscrabble outfit that young calves were better left to someone more prepared to baby them than we were. Older light calves have already got their guts working for hay and grain and the younger calves from good milking cows don't. A young and older bought as a pair would see the older calf outweighing the other by 100 lb a year later.
Young calves will do well if you are prepared to baby them as Murray does.

 

[Hpacres440p]

We got our start buying light calves and taking them to long yearlings. 40 some years ago there were 100s of calves under 300 lbs in the fall in this area. We found out early in our hardscrabble outfit that young calves were better left to someone more prepared to baby them than we were. Older light calves have already got their guts working for hay and grain and the younger calves from good milking cows don't. A young and older bought as a pair would see the older calf outweighing the other by 100 lb a year later.
Young calves will do well if you are prepared to baby them as Murray does.

That's what my thinking was-there are going to be a lot of calves that end up with inadequate gut function.

 

[farmerjan]

Smaller calves are going to need the mindset of the farmers raising dairy calves as to getting the gut working and to keep them gaining and growing without getting mired in the pot/gut syndrome.... maybe why so many of these retired and sold out dairy farmers are raising these crossbred calves and contracting to some of the buyers to take and get these small calves "up and going"....
Yep, some special TLC helps to get them on feed and developing properly.

 

[Hereford2]

Hi protein feed 20% Minimum. Work them up to 6 pounds a head a day, have where they can get out of the cold and wet, (they seem to do better). Little Calves like that you want to limit their hay until they are eating grain really well or they will bulk up on the hay and may even bloat... Speaking from experience.. I give light weight beef calves a clover or alfalfa mix hay limit fed to 1 flake for every 3 head morning and night Preferably After they have eaten their grain ration. I've also used good soft grass hay when I don't have the alfalfa mix. Once they're reliably eating 6 pounds of grain a day split into morning and night feedings, I will switch them to a flake of hay per calf morning and night. Flake is off of a small square.

 

[MurraysMutts]

In this market it's a tough go right now! Costs me too much to feed em. Back when they were super cheap and no one wanted em, it was much easier to make a buck. And if one dies! Holy smokes. No more profit.

Right now it's better to buy some a bit bigger, unless u have economical feed. May not be able to buy as many, but the risk is a lot less.

Remember. Quality always brings good money.



Edited to add
However, I've got a few I've bought right and they've been weaned now over 45 days. I'll try n remember to let ya know if they made any money sometimes Friday. If ya don't hear, buzz me in this thread.