Weaned!

[dun]

New Question -

We quit staying out there with these calves while they are pen weaning...check on them yesterday (19 calves) and they had eaten a 1200lb roll of hay in less than 3 days....is that typical consumption for weaning calves, or does that seem a bit high? Its a little over 21 lbs of hay per calf per day. I thought it seemed high, I was actually surprised when I got there last night, and the hay ring was 99% empty. I dropped a new one in, and they immediately went to town eating on it.

What is a typical hay consumption for a weaning calf, on hay only. I am supplementing 50lbs of 12% protein feed 2x a week as well.

Thanks!

Hard to tell without a couple of answers. How much did the calves weigh and how good is the quality of the hay. Both of those aside, if you're having the coldish wet weather we're having I would expect them to be eating more.
Is that 50# per calf twice a week?

 

[marksmu]

I dont know the weights of the calves - I have no scale. I would *guess* the heaviest around 500-600 lbs, and the smallest at about 400 or so. They are not huge calves. Oldest about 10 months, youngest at 6.5months.

That hay is cow quality - its bahia/native prairie not fertilized this year, but was fertilized and grazed last year (allegedly) Not great, but not bad.

Temperature wise, we have been pretty warm - on weaning day high of 75 low of 63 or so....since then its been HOT... last 3 days been in the upper 80s, low 90s....overcast, and a bit drizzly....not a high energy weather for sure. They have shade as well, so they should not be getting too hot either.

As to the feed, thats 50lbs of 12% total twice a week, not per calf. I have a feed trough and I dump a bag in...the bigger ones come first, get full move off, and the smaller ones come in. Last bag fed, took about 2 hours, and they were no longer eating on it, and there was still some left. Most had gone back to the hay.

 

[backhoeboogie]

As to the breed - I dont really know exactly what they technically "are" they were advertised Brangus - Some have got some hereford in them...some were Angus bred to Brangus, some were Brangus back to Brangus, and some were Red Angus back to black Brangus....I still call em Brangus, but only the bull and 2 of the cows are registered....who knows what else could be in them....I had looked for a long time, they appeared healthy, were checked healthy, and the price was right. So far they have turned out to be pretty easy keepers.

I'd use caution with anything less than 3/8 bos indicus in this climate. That last few summers have been mild. If you are trimming ear for market calves, make sure you put them out to market - no matter how good they look.

 

[1982vett]

New Question -

We quit staying out there with these calves while they are pen weaning...check on them yesterday (19 calves) and they had eaten a 1200lb roll of hay in less than 3 days....is that typical consumption for weaning calves, or does that seem a bit high? Its a little over 21 lbs of hay per calf per day. I thought it seemed high, I was actually surprised when I got there last night, and the hay ring was 99% empty. I dropped a new one in, and they immediately went to town eating on it.

What is a typical hay consumption for a weaning calf, on hay only. I am supplementing 50lbs of 12% protein feed 2x a week as well.

Thanks!

Always a skeptic I am about bale weights. How do you know that hay bale weighs 1200 lbs and not 1000 lbs.? Probably not to far off being pened up and allowing for some waste.

 

[backhoeboogie]

Always a skeptic I am about bale weights. How do you know that hay bale weighs 1200 lbs and not 1000 lbs.? Probably not to far off being pened up and allowing for some waste.

I have the pallet scales from when I was weighing pallets of patio stone and chopped stone. So the BS stops there.

If you know what your trailer and truck weighs, it is pretty easy to pull it across truck scales with hay on it. You just have to average the net over the 20 bales (or whatever it is) you're hauling. The gravel company here charges $10 to weigh you out if it is really that important.

A 975 pound bale of pure coastal hay at 15% protein is much better than an unfertilized 1200 pound bale of plain pasture hay. Just watch the cattle and observe the difference.

 

[1982vett]

Always a skeptic I am about bale weights. How do you know that hay bale weighs 1200 lbs and not 1000 lbs.? Probably not to far off being pened up and allowing for some waste.

I have the pallet scales from when I was weighing pallets of patio stone and chopped stone. So the BS stops there.

Not everyone has a palet scale. I run some across the scales every now and then just to be sure I'm in the ball park. Makes a difference if you run a green bales across or some that are properly cured too. ;-)

 

[TheBullLady]

Good job, and I agree with most of the other posters.. we ALL were as careful as you when we started! As you get more familiar with your cattle, you'll be able to relax a little. Nothing wrong with being consciencious! Good job.

Now I want to know how you got so much help.. whenever I mention working cattle, everyone scatters. :roll:

 

[marksmu]

I would have loved to have gotten some higher quality hay - unfortunately I could not find any that was economical for what I was doing....I only need 2 weeks worth of hay until I can let them out of the pen and move the moms to another pasture. The hay I found was cheap and local...I got it for $30/bale loaded and he was willing to sell me as little as I wanted so I was not nit picking...the next closest thing I could find was fertilized bahia at $45/bale, but he would not bother selling less than a full 18wheeler load (26 bales)

Not sure the total weight of the bales either...he said about 1200 lbs, we loaded 8 bales on a 12000lb over the wheel trailer and it was squatting pretty good, so I would not think he was too far off.

Also, I did not want to have to buy that much hay as I planted 130 acres of rye grass for the winter...

Its just starting to come up here, but its going to be real nice....Im going to have the calves on one side, split down the gut by a 2 strand electric fence.

 

[SRBeef]

Always a skeptic I am about bale weights. How do you know that hay bale weighs 1200 lbs and not 1000 lbs.? Probably not to far off being pened up and allowing for some waste.

I have the pallet scales from when I was weighing pallets of patio stone and chopped stone. So the BS stops there.

If you know what your trailer and truck weighs, it is pretty easy to pull it across truck scales with hay on it. You just have to average the net over the 20 bales (or whatever it is) you're hauling. The gravel company here charges $10 to weigh you out if it is really that important.

A 975 pound bale of pure coastal hay at 15% protein is much better than an unfertilized 1200 pound bale of plain pasture hay. Just watch the cattle and observe the difference.

I think this issue of bale weight and quality is very important.

I have a True-Test platform scale in my alley just ahead of the chute that I use to take cattle weights. I took that out of the alley and up to the point up the hill where I store 5x6 round baled hay and weighed a sample of my bales to check weights. JUst set the 5x6 bales on it with the loader spear. I also purchased a hay testing auger for my electric drill and tested a number of bales.

That was very interesting! You could tell just by the degree of effort getting the bit into the bale and how hard the drill had to work that there was a big difference between the bales from two different groups.

The samples coming out were also interesting to look at - and surprisingly, the "greener" samples tend to be lower protein and generally lower quality hay (according to the analysis) than the more brown samples.

By the way, here is one of the hay test results I received. What do you think of this hay? Quality? This is primary winter feed for Hereford beef cattle from weaned calves to pregnant spring calving cows and heifers. This is also the first hay test I have done.

Don't mean to digress too far from the original topic. Thanks.

Jim

 

[backhoeboogie]

That is very good hay obviously cut at the optimum time.

 

[marksmu]

Always a skeptic I am about bale weights. How do you know that hay bale weighs 1200 lbs and not 1000 lbs.? Probably not to far off being pened up and allowing for some waste.

I have the pallet scales from when I was weighing pallets of patio stone and chopped stone. So the BS stops there.

If you know what your trailer and truck weighs, it is pretty easy to pull it across truck scales with hay on it. You just have to average the net over the 20 bales (or whatever it is) you're hauling. The gravel company here charges $10 to weigh you out if it is really that important.

A 975 pound bale of pure coastal hay at 15% protein is much better than an unfertilized 1200 pound bale of plain pasture hay. Just watch the cattle and observe the difference.

I think this issue of bale weight and quality is very important.

I have a True-Test platform scale in my alley just ahead of the chute that I use to take cattle weights. I took that out of the alley and up to the point up the hill where I store 5x6 round baled hay and weighed a sample of my bales to check weights. JUst set the 5x6 bales on it with the loader spear. I also purchased a hay testing auger for my electric drill and tested a number of bales.

That was very interesting! You could tell just by the degree of effort getting the bit into the bale and how hard the drill had to work that there was a big difference between the bales from two different groups.

The samples coming out were also interesting to look at - and surprisingly, the "greener" samples tend to be lower protein and generally lower quality hay (according to the analysis) than the more brown samples.

By the way, here is one of the hay test results I received. What do you think of this hay? Quality? This is primary winter feed for Hereford beef cattle from weaned calves to pregnant spring calving cows and heifers. This is also the first hay test I have done.

Don't mean to digress too far from the original topic. Thanks.

Jim

That is very nice hay - I would love to have some of that, but around my area most people are not even selling hay let alone hay of that quality. I was forced to take what I could get. I am putting alot of my faith on that rye grass for the winter. My cows should for the most part be calving in the next 60 days - so that rye grass is going to be the winter feed I am feeding...that and a field that I have stockpiled for the winter. Just waiting for the pipeline company to get out of there and put my fence back up to move em off.

 

[1982vett]

Looks a little wet down there Mark.

 

[S&WSigma40VEShooter]

That was very interesting! You could tell just by the degree of effort getting the bit into the bale and how hard the drill had to work that there was a big difference between the bales from two different groups.

The samples coming out were also interesting to look at - and surprisingly, the "greener" samples tend to be lower protein and generally lower quality hay (according to the analysis) than the more brown samples.

By the way, here is one of the hay test results I received. What do you think of this hay? Quality? This is primary winter feed for Hereford beef cattle from weaned calves to pregnant spring calving cows and heifers. This is also the first hay test I have done.

Don't mean to digress too far from the original topic. Thanks.

Jim[/quote]

That is very nice hay - I would love to have some of that, but around my area most people are not even selling hay let alone hay of that quality. I was forced to take what I could get. I am putting alot of my faith on that rye grass for the winter. My cows should for the most part be calving in the next 60 days - so that rye grass is going to be the winter feed I am feeding...that and a field that I have stockpiled for the winter. Just waiting for the pipeline company to get out of there and put my fence back up to move em off.[/quote]


Bermuda I assume? I have only seen bermuda ever go that high.

 

[SRBeef]

...Bermuda I assume? I have only seen bermuda ever go that high.

This is a Wisconsin grass/alfalfa mixture from a very good supplier. I realize the protein is good for beef - what about the rest of it? From the ranges on the right it looks like the field needed some potassium fertilizer?

Thanks for the comments above. The problem in WI this year is that it was so wet it was very difficult to find a stretch of dry days to get hay to DRY during a period when hay is at its peak! The opposite of the problems in TX but still a problem.

Thank you.

Jim

 

[marksmu]

Looks a little wet down there Mark.

Thats my dry pasture - here is my wet one.

This is actually one of my DU fields - its nothing but rain water capture from the last 2 weeks....the standing water in the rye field should be gone by now - it had rained the morning I took that photo.

 

[1982vett]

Yep, that on looks pretty good for growing ducks. :nod: