# Feeding calves grain



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

I am thinking of weaning my calves and getting them started on grain, most likely corn. They average around 500 pounds, my question is how much corn should I feed them per day? Also how much hay should I feed them per day? In pervious years I had just jerked them off the cow and took them down to the sale barn.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

I make my own feed, about 500# of oats (mostly whole), 1000# of corn (almost all cracked), 150# of a complete pellet (minerals/50% protein), 150# dry molasses, 150# of soybean meal & 5 gals of cheap vegetable oil (helps keep dust down, while adding fat). My son likes to add 100# of cotton seed hulls, so I need to add another 100# of soybean meal, to bring the protein back up.  Like the protein level to be north of 16% (usually close to 18%).

I put this in a creep feeder, while their still with the cows. At weaning time (fence line), I give them free choice 2nd or 3rd cutting hay (protein again 18%+). Wean at about 350# and they are already use to eating grain from the creep feeder. 10-12# of grain per head per day starting out, I have a pretty good idea of how much they are eating from the CF. I keep gradually increasing the amount of grain until they don't clean it up within 20-30 minutes, 2X feedings.

30% protein tub is also in with calves, they don't touch much. Both the protein tub and the protein/mineral pellet are Purina products.

HTH

Larry


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Depending on feedstuffs available, you could also start them on a texturized creep at first, then transition them to rolled corn. Feeding straight shelled corn basically runs right thru them.


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## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

Dad said when he worked for Warren Livestock back in the 60's they fed rolled barley, but he was not sure how much they fed to the calves.


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## carcajou (Jan 28, 2011)

We start 500 lb calves on straight grass hay for a week or two, then start adding more alfalfa in the hay over a period of two months. Grain is always whole oats until they all get the idea, then switch to 50/50 rolled oats and rolled barley with crumbled supplement pellets mixed in. No more then 2 lbs a day to start then move up a half lb/week. I would not add corn in till at least 2 months if barley is available, especially if you are raising replacements. Slow and steady wins the race. If they need an incentive to eat grain, a gallon or two of cheap pancake syrup works wonders to get them started.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

This is how I started sale barn calves I had no idea what had been getting for feed.

They got all the hay they wanted Alf/ grass mix about 18% protein

.Let them fill up on hay day 1

Then first week 5 lbs corn per day with a 1 lb balancer pellet with rumensin

2 Nd week 6 lbs etc

3 rd week 7

4th week 8

5 th week 9

6 th week 10

after that they were on full feed of corn,1 lb pellet.free choice hay

my goal was to fatten,you might be more after a grower ration?


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Last year we lost 2 300lbers to bloat this summer I thru a little bit of grain in the feeder one day and had one bloat but caught it in time and and went and got two shots from the vet and drenched it with cooking oil and saved that one. The vet told me to give them a shot of BarVac CD&T to help prevent that. Has anyone else had experience with that? Calves are with the cows and have a separate creep area for their own dry hay. Other years I tried to get them on grain sooner but this year I made pretty good hay and haven't been pushing to get them on grain but it is time to do it now with winter coming.


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