Weaning weights?

[SimAngHerf]

I initially posted this in the nutrition forum but thought it may receive better responses here.

So I’m curious to what y’alls typical weaning weights are and how is your program setup. I’m always interested to learn from others and their experiences. We are typically mid to upper 5 weight and mid to lower 5 weight for steers and heifers, respectively. We start calving February 8th on paper and wean mid-October, I think we have some room to improve as well. They are primarily sim-angus cows that were breed to Ogden bulls but this year we have swapped tp Herefords.

Spring or fall calving?
Weaning age?
Breed?
Implanted or creep feed?
Location?
If I missed any key details to address please feel free to add more, thank y’all in advance.

 

[Stocker Steve]

720# for steers

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Steve, what is their average age?

 

[Till-Hill]

Our heifers last year averaged 201 days old at weaning and 551.5#, our steers I don't have days old in front of me but I'd assume +/- 20 days? Steers with an over night stand at sale barn weighed 600#. No creep, just really good improved pasture.

 

[SimAngHerf]

Our heifers last year averaged 201 days old at weaning and 551.5#, our steers I don't have days old in front of me but I'd assume +/- 20 days? Steers with an over night stand at sale barn weighed 600#. No creep, just really good improved pasture.

What breed are they? Spring or fall calving?

 

[Till-Hill]

Our heifers last year averaged 201 days old at weaning and 551.5#, our steers I don't have days old in front of me but I'd assume +/- 20 days? Steers with an over night stand at sale barn weighed 600#. No creep, just really good improved pasture.

What breed are they? Spring or fall calving?

Sorry forgot that, March 4th to May 1st calves last year. 90% SimAngus 10% PB Angus calves. Mostly AI sired, clean up bulls were average for growth.

 

[Coosh71]

Spring calves
Early Feb-mid April
Heifer (avg) 515#
Steer (avg) 565#
Wean first week of October
No implants
Creep feed (free choice) with hay at weaning x4-5 days only before putting calves on pasture
We are in Texas Panhandle

Fall calves
Early September-late October
Wean early April
Weights at weaning relatively the same

 

[Coosh71]

Breed is Gelbvieh/RA Bulls over RA/BA Cows

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

2017 calves - all PB Simmental:
Heifers averaged and adjusted to 205 days = 552#
Steers averaged and adjusted to 205 days = 601#
This weight was taken at 1 and 2 weeks past weaning. Calves born 1-3 to 3-9 Heifers worked 9-19 and steers worked 9-8

We just weaned this spring calf crop yesterday. Won't work for about 2 weeks. They already had 2 sets of shots (MLV) prior to weaning in June & July. No creep. My average would be better if I weighed them just prior or day of weaning BEFORE they are stressed.
Hopefully, our weights are back up this year. We had horrible pasture last year. Drought & drowning all in 1 summer.

 

[lithuanian farmer]

Last year results. Winter-spring born. No creep and horrible spring. Weaned in August-October. Limousine sired, out of mixed breed cows with dairy background.
Heifers average weaning age 204days, 533lbs.
Bulls average weaning age 180days, 572lbs.
This year hopefully will have abit heavier weights. It looks so. Recently weaned a couple heifers, not weighed, but the heaviest should be 600+.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Steve, what is their average age?

Calve mostly in May, some in June, sell a couple stragglers in July. Keep cull'in hard but there are still about 5% dinks that get sorted off in late summer.
Wean steers in Jan - - so about 250 days :cowboy: They bale graze with the cows, and get a home raised oats mix.
Wean heifers in March, so bulls winter in a pen.

I think it is hard to make money selling wet 500# calves during the fall run. Most of the profit here is in the "back grounding" till Jan/Feb.

 

[Till-Hill]

Steve my 600# bawling steers with 1 round of shots brought $1.775 last year, last 5 years I've recieved over $900/head. I cant justify feeding them

 

[Coosh71]

I agree T-Hill... We do keep ours 30+ days after weaning minimum, but can't feed hay and cake all winter to justify an extra $200 at the sale in Jan/Feb. If we have wheat that's a different story. But weather has killed that lately

 

[Stocker Steve]

can't feed hay and cake all winter to justify an extra $200 at the sale in Jan/Feb. If we have wheat that's a different story. But weather has killed that lately

Someone is making $$$ feeding those calves. Yes - - feed cost is a big part of it. Corn silage or beet byproduct are traditional back grounding staples in this area. Some years they about give it away.

Hard to pay for a feeding facility if you only use it 30 to 60 days per year. We usually leave them on the cow so yardage is about zero.

Problem is inputs keep going up, but most calf producers are selling the same number of pounds each year. How does that work???

 

[Till-Hill]

can't feed hay and cake all winter to justify an extra $200 at the sale in Jan/Feb. If we have wheat that's a different story. But weather has killed that lately

Someone is making $$$ feeding those calves. Yes - - feed cost is a big part of it. Corn silage or beet byproduct are traditional back grounding staples in this area. Some years they about give it away.

Hard to pay for a feeding facility if you only use it 30 to 60 days per year. We usually leave them on the cow so yardage is about zero.

Problem is inputs keep going up, but most calf producers are selling the same number of pounds each year. How does that work???

No facility sits empty here so that's not an issue

 

[jscunn]

Fall Calves
Creep Fed, but more importantly cows on rye grass pasture most of the winter..
14 Steers and 2 Bulls average 701# (adjusted to 205 days using BIF Formula) High was 874#, low 611#
15 Heifers average 667# (adj to 205 days) high 737# low 559#

All Straight Angus. Some AI.

 

[holm25]

At about 210 days our steers wean off at an average of 680lbs and heifers average 630lbs.. That’s with no creep. Only milk and grass/hay... We do bunk break them but they get no more than a few handfuls per calf a day and are on that for a week or two..

 

[Silver]

Mutts here, calving season Mar 6 to May 1. Spend the summer in the bush. Wean straight off the cow and onto the truck. Hauled 2.5 hrs to weigh up. 2016 steers averaged 670 lbs, 2017 was a tough grass year averaged 650 lbs. We'll see what this year brings, I'm not convinced they are as heavy, but my wife says that's what I say every year.

Edited to add: Weaning is mid to late October

 

[JMJ Farms]

can't feed hay and cake all winter to justify an extra $200 at the sale in Jan/Feb. If we have wheat that's a different story. But weather has killed that lately

Someone is making $$$ feeding those calves. Yes - - feed cost is a big part of it. Corn silage or beet byproduct are traditional back grounding staples in this area. Some years they about give it away.

Hard to pay for a feeding facility if you only use it 30 to 60 days per year. We usually leave them on the cow so yardage is about zero.

Problem is inputs keep going up, but most calf producers are selling the same number of pounds each year. How does that work???

Hard to find byproducts here. And if you do... just as soon as whoever is selling it finds out there’s a little demand they jack up the price to where it’s cost prohibitive. WCS is one of our best options. Price swings wildly here. Maybe this year it will be cheaper.

 

[snoopdog]

Fall ,crosses to a RA sire last year avg 651for the steers and 586 for the heifers after 45 days weaned on stockpiled grass. With the drought conditions , and absolutely nothing but hay from sept, I was pretty happy . I hope to do a little better this year , with facilities up to snuff and some great fall grass.