Steer not gaining weight good

[Colethesteer]

Hello! I'm new here and thought I'd ask bout my steer who doesn't seem to be gaining weight very good. He is currently 4 months and I've had him since Feb 1st. I've been feeding him about 4 scoops a day of a type of beef creep and he eats all of his hay but when I run my hand down his side, I can still feel his ribs. He did go from silage to the feed so I'm sure if it is that or maybe I just need to feed him more. I'm not totally sure but am looking for some tips, Thank you!!

 

[CG1]

Feed him more. 4 scoops doesn't really say much. What is the recommended feeding? 4 scoops can really mean anything.

What type of steer is it? He is weaned? If so in my opinion he was weaned too soon. My 4 month old bottle calves get off the bottle around 5-6 months and have a big fat belly when they do. If they don't, I bottle feed longer.

 

[alisonb]

My 4 month old bottle calves get off the bottle around 5-6 months and have a big fat belly when they do. If they don't, I bottle feed longer.

A 'grass/hay belly'? Ideally you want them to build frame & muscle not a big fat belly ;-)

 

[CG1]

My 4 month old bottle calves get off the bottle around 5-6 months and have a big fat belly when they do. If they don't, I bottle feed longer.

A 'grass/hay belly'? Ideally you want them to build frame & muscle not a big fat belly ;-)

Have you ever successful raised a bottle calf without a bit of a belly? I sure haven't.

 

[greggy]

Changing the feed like that would def make a difference, but he will adjust.

Make sure protein levels are high enough, and energy is high enough, and that he is not filling his belly on too much hay or straw.

I am not sure what the creep feed has, but he is past the creep stage, should be on a feed that is about 18% protein, or 16% & follow the feed guide. All the ones I can get locally are 18 to 20%, about 12 meg energy, and about 2% body weight fed, plus roughage.

Look at ingredients, and weigh what your feeding, so you can tell exactly if he is eating what he should be, or if he needs more, or something else.

 

[kenny thomas]

Hello! I'm new here and thought I'd ask bout my steer who doesn't seem to be gaining weight very good. He is currently 4 months and I've had him since Feb 1st. I've been feeding him about 4 scoops a day of a type of beef creep and he eats all of his hay but when I run my hand down his side, I can still feel his ribs. He did go from silage to the feed so I'm sure if it is that or maybe I just need to feed him more. I'm not totally sure but am looking for some tips, Thank you!!

It's only been 16 days so the rumen has hardly had time to adjust to the feed much less gain weight. Is it a bottle calf or off of a cow? A good worming can help also. It's a slow process.

 

[SBMF 2015]

The first month in a new place with new feed is a struggle to maintain weight let alone gain. Is he current on his vaccinations? Definitely worm him unless you know the last time it was done. Maybe a shot of multi-min90?

 

[greggy]

Hello! I'm new here and thought I'd ask bout my steer who doesn't seem to be gaining weight very good. He is currently 4 months and I've had him since Feb 1st. I've been feeding him about 4 scoops a day of a type of beef creep and he eats all of his hay but when I run my hand down his side, I can still feel his ribs. He did go from silage to the feed so I'm sure if it is that or maybe I just need to feed him more. I'm not totally sure but am looking for some tips, Thank you!!

It's only been 16 days so the rumen has hardly had time to adjust to the feed much less gain weight. Is it a bottle calf or off of a cow? A good worming can help also. It's a slow process.

Yeah, 16 days is nothing.

And you should be able to feel short ribs, no need for them to get too fat either, I bet he just had a full belly before

 

[Colethesteer]

Feed him more. 4 scoops doesn't really say much. What is the recommended feeding? 4 scoops can really mean anything.

What type of steer is it? He is weaned? If so in my opinion he was weaned too soon. My 4-month-old bottle calves get off the bottle around 5-6 months and have a big fat belly when they do. If they don't, I bottle feed longer.

He's a jersey mixed with a Holstein and Swedish red. The farm that I work on and that I got them from weaning them at about 2-3 months so he is already weaned. He doesn't have a recommended feeding since I am raising him by myself but I am slowly increasing his feed.

 

[Colethesteer]

Hello! I'm new here and thought I'd ask bout my steer who doesn't seem to be gaining weight very good. He is currently 4 months and I've had him since Feb 1st. I've been feeding him about 4 scoops a day of a type of beef creep and he eats all of his hay but when I run my hand down his side, I can still feel his ribs. He did go from silage to the feed so I'm sure if it is that or maybe I just need to feed him more. I'm not totally sure but am looking for some tips, Thank you!!

It's only been 16 days so the rumen has hardly had time to adjust to the feed much less gain weight. Is it a bottle calf or off of a cow? A good worming can help also. It's a slow process.

He's a bottle calf and he has been wormed so I think you're right on him just getting adjusted to it. Thank you

 

[CG1]

Feed him more. 4 scoops doesn't really say much. What is the recommended feeding? 4 scoops can really mean anything.

What type of steer is it? He is weaned? If so in my opinion he was weaned too soon. My 4-month-old bottle calves get off the bottle around 5-6 months and have a big fat belly when they do. If they don't, I bottle feed longer.

He's a jersey mixed with a Holstein and Swedish red. The farm that I work on and that I got them from weaning them at about 2-3 months so he is already weaned. He doesn't have a recommended feeding since I am raising him by myself but I am slowly increasing his feed.

I don't know about Swedish reds but I do know about Holstein cross bottle calves. Mine naturally are a bit boney. The Holstein frame on them seems to dominate often. My jersey calves always stay a bit thinner than my Angus calves as well. But I always seem to see the rib cage and feel it on my Holstein crosses even when I know they have got adequate feed.

 

[greggy]

Feed him more. 4 scoops doesn't really say much. What is the recommended feeding? 4 scoops can really mean anything.

What type of steer is it? He is weaned? If so in my opinion he was weaned too soon. My 4-month-old bottle calves get off the bottle around 5-6 months and have a big fat belly when they do. If they don't, I bottle feed longer.

He's a jersey mixed with a Holstein and Swedish red. The farm that I work on and that I got them from weaning them at about 2-3 months so he is already weaned. He doesn't have a recommended feeding since I am raising him by myself but I am slowly increasing his feed.

The feed recommended will come from the type of feed he is on, if your buying bags, it will prob be on the bag, or the manufacturers website.

The weaning off milk hinges on how much feed and what that hard feed consists of, not so much the age. They would have a well regimented regime in place.

So if your creep feed was 18% protein and appropriate energy, to wean would have to be consuming over 2lbs at a guess before weaning, plus some hay.

look for a well regarded calf pellet, look for a higher than 16% protein if is available, and the absolute min would be 2.5lbs plus hay, control the hay so that much pellet is being consumed, the hay is only to get the rumen working, the pellet contents however, the calf is relying on to maintain and survive.

My pellets are given at about 2% bodyweight, so at that age, 4lbs plus.

If the calf is not, or wont consume enough, then you have to use milk again. The concern is not his visual condition or remaining fat, it is his health and becoming susceptible to illness while adjusting.

I have no prob stopping and starting most calves on milk if they have had the bottle before, and TBH, if I did not have the exact hard feed they had for a period of transition to a hard feed you can easily get, I would have given the calf 1 bottle of milk a day, that would not fill him up and give it time to get used to your feed regime and habits.

Let us know how it is going....