BFE
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Where you selling at Ferd?
Weaning weights
- Thread starter MurraysMutts
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MurraysMutts
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Everyone I talk to, says they will just be implanted wherever they end up anyway.
And may as well not leave money on the table.
And may as well not leave money on the table.
Travlr
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Good... then let them do the implants. That means I don't have to.
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MurraysMutts
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That's what my neighbor says!!
I'm seriously considering implanting anything that I'm gonna sell. For the dollar implant, the pounds gained should be well worth it.
Travlr
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It's your money...
bird dog
Well-known member
I implant mine at first work which is about two months of age and again at weaning before they are backgrounded. I don't think the early implant does much good but it is only $1.50 and one minute to do so, so even if it only adds 5 lbs, thats a pretty good return. Much better than the I-Bonds in the other thread.
The second implant seems to do pretty good but I have know way of testing it. It does seem to put a shine on their coat and supposedly helps them regain the weight quicker from the weaning loss. All the testing on the products show that you get better results if the calves have good nutrition with calves on feed showing the best results compared to calves that have feed and no implant.
The second implant seems to do pretty good but I have know way of testing it. It does seem to put a shine on their coat and supposedly helps them regain the weight quicker from the weaning loss. All the testing on the products show that you get better results if the calves have good nutrition with calves on feed showing the best results compared to calves that have feed and no implant.
Dave
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I know a guy who runs hundreds of cows. He did a test run. Implanted at branding. Completely blind. First calf to the fire got implant A, second calf got implant B, third got C, and the fourth calf didn't get implanted. So on through all of his calves. Recorded the ear tag numbers. In the fall all of the implanted groups of calves were heavier than the none implanted group. I forget which implant worked best or the actual weight gain but they averaged 10-15 pounds heavier.
kenny thomas
Well-known member
I do implant. I think it helps.
I see producers that say castration doesn't pay, implants don't pay. It's hard to measure unless you do as Dave just described. 10-15lb on 1 calf might not be much but definitely 10 -15lb on 100 or 1000 head sure adds up. If you have the facilities do the best you can to let them make money for you.
I see producers that say castration doesn't pay, implants don't pay. It's hard to measure unless you do as Dave just described. 10-15lb on 1 calf might not be much but definitely 10 -15lb on 100 or 1000 head sure adds up. If you have the facilities do the best you can to let them make money for you.
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MurraysMutts
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Yes.
Just gotta load em and haul a mile or 2.
I'll probly wait til they are 2 months or so.
Just thought it would be super convenient to implant when I band em. I do that while they are still wet sometimes
Buck Randall
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I'll try.
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MurraysMutts
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Even 30 calves at 12.5lbs is 375lbs
At 1.40lb, that's an extra 525 bucks!
More than pays the commission. And dang sure pays for the implant plus quite a bit!
Combine that with keeping them on mama cow til 7.5 months, and I've met my goal! I think...
How about u guys way up north?
Do your calves get multiple implants b4 they are weaned at 750lbs plus???
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kenny thomas
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I have told this before but I was in a meeting and the lead vet for Virginia Tech was ask if and when he implanted his own calves. He said he usually let them get all the way out, band and implanted while the cow was licking the calf.
I'm not as good as him but I do implant young, again at around 3 months or for spring calves around July 4th. Then if I am going to wean and background them I will do it again at weaning.
Calves I buy I implant at castration which is the same day normally. Some may weigh 300, some 600.
Ralgro will last about 90 days so for maximum effect implanting them every 90 days seems to work for me.
Silver
Well-known member
I haven't done it here, we did many years ago when Dad was in charge. Back then we implanted at branding. If I was to go back to branding calves I would somehow procure the required votes to pass a bill mandating implants. Really, it is the best return on investment a rancher can make.
