# Wean calf feed



## umpire52 (Oct 26, 2011)

I've got 15 500 pound calves penned up. They have been weaned about 35 days now. I have been feeding 20 pounds of 12%feed twice a day along with round fescue hay free choice and they have been eating roughly 10 pounds a head each day. 4x5 round bale.

My question is the mill has corn Gluten feed for 250 a ton I pick it up. Or they have 12% pellet/ground corn for 231 a ton.

With these options. What would you feed and why? How many pounds a head?

I'm in Nw Arkansas.

Thanks for the replies

Jeff


----------



## ForemanTX (May 7, 2012)

I feed the Corn Gluten to my heifers I am keeping, 8lbs what it comes out to a piece but the feed hogs may get more. The price is why and they don't do bad on it "some loads are better than others"dry/less cotton seed/etc". I usually keep them on it couple months before switching pastures then to 20%cubes.


----------



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Here the corn gluten is blended with soy hulls. Corn gluten will put some weight on calves but I have never known of it being fed straight.

I would probably go with the pellet/ground corn. If the gluten was blended 50/50 with soy hulls then I would consider that.

How big are you going to get the calves before you market them? A 500 pound calf can put away some feed. At $231 - $250 per ton you can have a lot of money in feed putting weight on 15 calves.


----------



## umpire52 (Oct 26, 2011)

Going to keep the better heifers of the bunch and will sell the rest (about half steer) in another 30 days or so most likely if market is right. I don't have to sell right now so I can play the market a little.

Hardly any body around me weans themselves most calves are weaned on trailer.Most everybody told me I would loose weight when i took them off which I could not see any weight lost. They walked the pen for a day then bawled another day then were done.

From what I've seen on Internet GCF is roughly 22% protein.

I thought about getting both the 12 and GCF and mixing by hand thought?


----------



## ForemanTX (May 7, 2012)

Usually don't let the steers hang around they are sold at weaning of 6/7mnths,when get the time to work them all. I have been keeping heifers for 4yrs now and haven't had any trouble with them, I have a weaning pasture that's new field fence,then they get moved in a couple months to a lease place once they settled down and got the routine down. I will look at them along the way and at anytime they are not what I expected they get hauled off to sale. I like to switch to the 20% cubes,they really blow up on them compared to the other and I can just pour them on ground around 5lbs a piece,every other day or so.

Mixing may be good idea. Back when could get alfalfa at a good price I would mix alittle in with the Gluten.


----------



## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Mixing would make a good blend.

It does not hurt you money wise if the calves lose a little weight during weaning. They are transitioning from "soft calves" to "hard calves". Hard calves will always bring more money. Milk fat calves weaned on the trailer sure look good to the owner selling them. The order buyers know what they will look like in a week and the discount is substantial.

I sold a group of weaned calves. They weighed above and below 450 lbs. when we weaned and worked them. (Tough winter and needed them off their momma) They dropped off some even though we fence wean. We were able to put the weight back on them and they brought a premium when sold.

The owner of the sale barn gets calls weekly wanting to know why some cattle the same weight as their's brought more. They want to believe there is a clique.

The difference is between hard calves and soft calves. Hard calves will step off the trailer and begin making the new owner money.


----------



## rrg (Dec 1, 2011)

I agree with Tim/South, weaned calves here in southwest Iowa bring more than those pulled off the cow on the way to the sale barn. We have a few cattle feeders here that buy a lot calves directly from the producer and these calves are all weaned at least 30 days and have had the second round of shots. In this area weaning pays.

As far as the feed question that started this thread, check with your feed supplier to see if there has been any feed trials done with the products you are considering using. The cheapest product by the ton is not always the cheapest feed if you have to feed more of it to see the same amount of gain. Look at the cost per pound gained, not the cost per ton of feed. Try to find out what the feed conversion rate is, pounds of feed in for a pound of gain.

Things to consider,

Ryan


----------

