Feeding a commercial calf to show quality questions ????

I don't know anything about feeding baking soda so I will stay away from that but I didn't remember there being a problem with the steer having acidosis. I would not take him off of feed because I think his rumen is already confused enough.  Remember to change things slowly and that means adding and changing his diet as well.  It sounds like there have been a lot of changes made in a very short time and he does not like it.  If you had him on 22lbs a feed a day thats better than where you are know so I would get him back there and after that just add little mo corn..G-Luck

Just do this and stop giving all the additives, tomorrow morning only feed hay, tomorrow night only feed hay (no grass), thursday morning give him half his ration, WITHOUT all the topdress and additives, just the grain. Put bakingsoda in the bottom of his pan so he has to eat the grain to get to it. Give him one flake of hay with his feed thursday morning, follow the same thursday night. Bump up his original ration friday night or saturday morning depending on his stools. Throw in a handful of fasttrack. Stop giving additives if he isn't eating them

MJ - Ironically I just took this picture last night. I am doing the same thing helping my friends daughter since they live in town. This feller is actually an April 10th born bottle calf last year. Our fair is July 18th and I figure he weighs about 1000 lbs right now. He actually has pretty good hair. This will be the 2nd year we have done this with a previous bottle calf. We were 3rd in a class of 7 last year and this guy in the pic is twice the calf we had last year. Here is what we do:

Feed: I use the Honor Show Chow Grand 4-T-Fyer at 200 lbs, 150 lbs oats, 100 lbs rolled barley, 45 lbs cottonseed hulls, 35 lbs molasses, 470 corn. I get mine mixed 1000 lbs at a time (i'm feeding 2 heifers as well). The only add in I use is 1 lb/day of sure champ. As it gets warmer, I will increase to 2 lbs/day. They get to roam at night about a slightly over an acre area of pasture that is pretty low quality grass. When I tie them up for the day i'll give 1 flake of hay.

Hair: Rinse and brush, rinse and brush. He really shed out early due to the warm march we had, but i've been impressed with how much we've put back on. I rinse, brush, and blow them out in the am and work in kleen sheen and spray revive on the legs and trouble spots. In evening I rinse and brush out and put revive on the legs again but leave them damp. When tied up a fan is on at all times and a mister when it gets warm and I keep it as dark as possible but it's not perfect.

This is just what I do to make a commercial steer calf work. I'm pretty encouraged that we will place well at our fair. I know he won't win, but if we can be competitive we will be happy.

Thanks for the suggestions.  Still acting less spunky than his normal self (head and ears up and alert, moves out fine).  Drinking, peeing, pooping is all good.  Doesn't seem in pain. 
His pen buddy is doing better at this point, but she is not tagged for fair and she is one of the ranch's heifers.  Oh well, guess it is a wait and see game.
Thanks again.

oakie said:

Just do this and stop giving all the additives, tomorrow morning only feed hay, tomorrow night only feed hay (no grass), thursday morning give him half his ration, WITHOUT all the topdress and additives, just the grain. Put bakingsoda in the bottom of his pan so he has to eat the grain to get to it. Give him one flake of hay with his feed thursday morning, follow the same thursday night. Bump up his original ration friday night or saturday morning depending on his stools. Throw in a handful of fasttrack. Stop giving additives if he isn't eating them

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I really like Fasttrack too!

isn't fasttrack awesome. I have heard of people using it to lose weight. Not sure if it worked, that person was obese for quite some time, but it helped pack on pounds with our steers. I used to feed it with medicated salt. The vet claims that it helps them digest better (medicated salt). We always had good adg's so he must have been right

Thanks to all who helped me with this situation.  I have learned a great deal and will hopefully be able to teach it to my kiddos!  The steer is back to his spunky self as of May 9 - YAY (clapping)!  I am keeping up on the baking soda as per the vet - 1 tbs per day in a paste.  The steer will eat his supplements in his mineral but not with his grain  :.  This, along with the baking soda and probios, I feel is what has him back to normal and maybe better - he now runs to his grain whereas before he was always ho-hum.  I cannot find Fastrack, but had appetite ignite on hand and it looks like it has some nice goodies in it.  He WILL NOT eat the plain rolled corn (by itself or mixed - even a handful turns his nose up)...only whatever is in the ranchway COB.  Wish we had a way to mix our own feed, but for now will not change another thing as he eats the bagged feed we have.
He is not back up to what he was eating before yet, still at least a week out on that. 
I just want to thank everyone for the help. 
I see ppl getting 4#+ adg and it blows my mind.  I don't know that he will make weight, but we will just keep pushing and keeping him healthy. 
Like I stated before, wish I had found this site long ago

MJCorlett said:

Thanks to all who helped me with this situation.  I have learned a great deal and will hopefully be able to teach it to my kiddos!  The steer is back to his spunky self as of May 9 - YAY (clapping)!  I am keeping up on the baking soda as per the vet - 1 tbs per day in a paste.  The steer will eat his supplements in his mineral but not with his grain  :.  This, along with the baking soda and probios, I feel is what has him back to normal and maybe better - he now runs to his grain whereas before he was always ho-hum.  I cannot find Fastrack, but had appetite ignite on hand and it looks like it has some nice goodies in it.  He WILL NOT eat the plain rolled corn (by itself or mixed - even a handful turns his nose up)...only whatever is in the ranchway COB.  Wish we had a way to mix our own feed, but for now will not change another thing as he eats the bagged feed we have.
He is not back up to what he was eating before yet, still at least a week out on that. 
I just want to thank everyone for the help. 
I see ppl getting 4#+ adg and it blows my mind.  I don't know that he will make weight, but we will just keep pushing and keeping him healthy. 
Like I stated before, wish I had found this site long ago

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If you aren't already, feeding three times a day will help get a better gain