Weaning, weighing and vaccinating feeder calves

[WFfarm]

Had great weather to run our 50 head of feeder calves this weekend. We have a little better setup this year, so we're going to try weighing now at weaning/2nd vaccinating, and again after 30 days to see what growth we get.

Does anyone else check weight changes thru weaning?

 

[Lucky_P]

We did, one year... and were surprised ...and dismayed... to see an average 50# weight loss in first week following separation from cows, even though all calves were accustomed to eating feed, and were penned in a small lot, with free-choice access to decent hay and 5#/hd/day DDG.

 

[bird dog]

Yes I weigh mine straight off the mom and then again before they go to market which is usually 45 to 60 days. Sometimes they get weighed somewhere in the middle if they are close to the pens. Lucky is right in that they will lose quite a bit at the beginning and it takes a couple weeks to regain this loss.

The sweet spot is after about 40 days. They will pack it on after that if they have something good to eat and it doesn't have to be all feed.

Nice setup by the way.