Weaning weights?

[Massey135]

[If your cost of gain is higher than a dollar twenty, you should quit raising cattle anyhow. Now the money is feeding 3 weights thatll convert at 4-5:1. Commercial bag of feed say is $10 bucks. At 5:1 that puts your cog at a dollar a lb. That's a 2 dollar per lb of gain profit. And that's with bag feed prices! To me its not about puffing em up as much as it is getting to their desired weight as quickly as possible. The added benefits of early weaning on the cow are enormous. In Gainesville last Friday the slide was off. #1 3 weights bring $2. 4s bringing 1.80 and 5s 1.60.

You won't get a 4-5:1 conversion rate on commercial feeds. Using 7-8:1 will be a much more realistic figure to use when running numbers and making projections.Keep in mind that you're trying to get an "extra" pound of gain....over and above already determined ADG.

What weights convert at 8:1? In my limited experience feeding calves, the lightweights convert much more efficiently.

 

[Massey135]

(Than the heavier weights)

 

[TexasBred]

What weights convert at 8:1? In my limited experience feeding calves, the lightweights convert much more efficiently.

They don't convert more efficiently. They are just given more to convert....they're sucking down a gallon or more of good rich milk everyday in addition to the feed. (We are discussing increasing weaning weights). Pull it off the cow, give it time to adjust and it gains no faster than the others especially out of the commercial grade of feed stocked in most feed stores. Put them back on a high quality calf starter or a high energy textured horse feed and you might get a little better conversion rate but the feed goes from $10 a bag to $16.

 

[Massey135]

3 weights on full feed and 6 weights on full feed convert feed to gain at the same rate??

 

[TexasBred]

3 weights on full feed and 6 weights on full feed convert feed to gain at the same rate??

The larger calf should add more "flesh" from the diet while the smaller calf has to direct and utilize more of the nutrients from the same diet for frame development without actually becoming 2-3 lbs. per day more "fleshy".

 

[Old_man_emu]

I typically wean mid 5wt to low 6wt calves at six to seven months from 1000 to 1200lb brangus cows with no creep. I see alot of posts of 6 and 7wt calves at weaning. Here in east texas if you go to a sale barn, 90% of the calves are 4 to 5wts and a few 6wts. I was just wondering if folks were getting 6 and 7wt averages with no creep and what size and breed of cattle?

I have hit those higher weights with straight angus calves from 1300lbs cows with no supplement. They are on high clover and rye pastures that are really productive.
The difference between a calf being 570lbs @ 205 and 670lbs @ 205 is 0.5lbs a day if they are born at the same weight.
It sounds like you are already exceeding the local average so it sounds like your doing a pretty good job already, you have to decide where you might be able to find that extra bit of gain in your system i.e genetic or enviromental

 

[TexasBred]

I typically wean mid 5wt to low 6wt calves at six to seven months from 1000 to 1200lb brangus cows with no creep. I see alot of posts of 6 and 7wt calves at weaning. Here in east texas if you go to a sale barn, 90% of the calves are 4 to 5wts and a few 6wts. I was just wondering if folks were getting 6 and 7wt averages with no creep and what size and breed of cattle?

I have hit those higher weights with straight angus calves from 1300lbs cows with no supplement. They are on high clover and rye pastures that are really productive.
The difference between a calf being 570lbs @ 205 and 670lbs @ 205 is 0.5lbs a day if they are born at the same weight.
It sounds like you are already exceeding the local average so it sounds like your doing a pretty good job already, you have to decide where you might be able to find that extra bit of gain in your system i.e genetic or enviromental

The groceries you're got those mama cows running on has a lot to do with it as well. Clover and rye are extremely digestible and high in protein.

 

[Old_man_emu]

I typically wean mid 5wt to low 6wt calves at six to seven months from 1000 to 1200lb brangus cows with no creep. I see alot of posts of 6 and 7wt calves at weaning. Here in east texas if you go to a sale barn, 90% of the calves are 4 to 5wts and a few 6wts. I was just wondering if folks were getting 6 and 7wt averages with no creep and what size and breed of cattle?

I have hit those higher weights with straight angus calves from 1300lbs cows with no supplement. They are on high clover and rye pastures that are really productive.
The difference between a calf being 570lbs @ 205 and 670lbs @ 205 is 0.5lbs a day if they are born at the same weight.
It sounds like you are already exceeding the local average so it sounds like your doing a pretty good job already, you have to decide where you might be able to find that extra bit of gain in your system i.e genetic or enviromental

The groceries you're got those mama cows running on has a lot to do with it as well. Clover and rye are extremely digestible and high in protein.

Oh yeah sorry, it is the fact that the cows are on this high energy, high protein diet that gets my calves to the high weights. In particular its probably the first 90 days or so that the cow is driving the calfs weight gain, after then, the calf starts to benefit directly from the pasture. Or thats is my opinion and understanding.

 

[RD-Sam]

The last bull I weaned was 740 adjusted at 205 days, cow was 1450 pounds. Last heifer was 620 adjusted at 205, cow weighed 1280 pounds. I expect to see most of the calves this year in the same range, maybe even a little more. Calves do not receive any feed until weaning time.

 

[Old_man_emu]

The last bull I weaned was 740 adjusted at 205 days, cow was 1450 pounds. Last heifer was 620 adjusted at 205, cow weighed 1280 pounds. I expect to see most of the calves this year in the same range, maybe even a little more. Calves do not receive any feed until weaning time.

When you say "adjusted" you've taken the weight somewhere around 205 days, worked out the average daily gain and then "adjusted" the weight to 205?