Trying to fatten up cows

[pricefarm]

I bought 3 cows that had calves on them red angus cows the calve weight around 500 lbs or more when I bought them, the cows are not breed back. The cows are pretty runed down so I weaned the calves and wormed them about 3 weeks ago they have gained alittle weight but not much I was going to turn the bull in with them in Dec and would like for them to be in better shape first. Iam feeding them good hay and they are still grazing on pasture. So how much grain would you feed them to get them fatten up a little I know to start off slow and work them up Iam feeding ground ear corn and corn gluten mix (I mix 800 lbs of ear corn and 200 lbs of gluten) I have been giving the 3 about a 5 gal bucket full a day is that enough ? Also do I have enough protein in the grain?
Thanks

 

[B&M Farms]

You would be better off to not put them on corn. If you are feeding good hay that's all they need. They will more than likely breed back by December just pulling the calves off of them. There is no reason to feed a grown cow if the hay is good hay. A good cow gets pulled down with a weaning age calve still on her. Most cows that don't aren't worth keeping around.

 

[TexasBred]

That mix should weigh approx. 25 lbs. so is more than adequate. Not knowing the quality of the hay I'd probably supplement then for a while as well. The need calories and probably a little extra protein and the corn and corn gluten mix will supply that.

 

[Rafter S]

Do you know why they're open? If they've been with a bull I would think they should have bred a month or two ago if they have 500 lb calves on them. Unless they're just too thin to cycle?

 

[pricefarm]

No there not breed the man I bought them from was selling all his cattle and he sold the bull first then waited and sold he cows later so they haven't been win a bull since they have calfed

 

[jasonleonard]

What kind of wormer did you use? I have had good luck with dectomax injectable on poor cows.
Unless they are really old, I can get them to turn around (once the calves are pulled) without any grain, just good pasture or all the hay they want to eat.

 

[heath]

What kind of wormer did you use? I have had good luck with dectomax injectable on poor cows.
Unless they are really old, I can get them to turn around (once the calves are pulled) without any grain, just good pasture or all the hay they want to eat.

That's also been my experience with buying the cows.

 

[bigbull338]

if the cows are real thin id feed them a bucket of 12% feed every other day an free choice hay an pasture for 30 or 45 days.an then turn them with the bull.an you might want to worm them again.

 

[pricefarm]

I wormed them with the pour on cydecten about 4 weeks ago but I will try the dectomax. Thanks for the info

 

[jerry27150]

how old are they?

 

[pricefarm]

They are around 6 years old

 

[Dave]

There is some pretty good information on here about the effectiveness of pour on verses injectable. I would worm them with an injectable. They are much more effective than pour on.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Some cows are simply easy keepers. I've got a Gelbvieh cow and a char/brahma cross cow that are fat year round. A few of the brangus maintain themselves well. Others go up and down, especially while nursing older calves.

Do the best you can do for the cows. Worm them and give them nutrition. Don't fret too much about the rest. Your goal is to produce marketable calves. If a cow is making money, producing nice calves, it aint so much important how purty she is. If I have to put feed in her or if she is high maintenance in any other way, she is starting to suck profit out of the herd.

A nurse cow with several calves on her will get feed. Not the others.

 

[jerry27150]

might check their teeth

 

[TexasBred]

Basically you have"project cows" coming from an environment where they were neglected. Pour some groceries into them for awhile. Winter is coming. !!

 

[Stocker Steve]

Basically you have"project cows" coming from an environment where they were neglected. Pour some groceries into them for awhile. Winter is coming. !!

:nod: Really hard to put weight on a thin animal during a MN winter. Get them out of the wind and give them some of that $3 bu corn silage before it really gets cold.

 

[nap]

Just moving cattle to a new environment will oftentimes interfere with their reproductive cycles.