Can you teach a calf to eat more aggressively?

[simba]

Just wanting to know if anyone has any tips or tricks to teach a steer calf to eat faster and more aggressively.

 

[chiangus]

Put the feed out for an allotted time and then take away.  Once they learn that there is a limited amount of time, they seem to eat faster.

 

[AAOK]

Asklund Acres (AAOK) Feeding Program

One of the most requested items on Steer Planet is AAOK’s Feeding Program.  Here it is direct from Dan Asklund:

“I have copied and pasted our Feed Program and Ration below.  It will save you money verses a branded feed.  Even though almost all of our show feeding was heifers, our mix would be regarded by most as a steer, or finishing ration.  I’ve fed it to calves as young as 2 months, and kept them on it ’til they were 2 years.  My advice to anyone is to not try to save money with cheap (or no) mineral.

The Healthy Glo can be fed anytime.  You’ll see results within a couple of weeks.  Don’t try to topdress 2 lbs of it all at once, or your calves will scour.  The great thing about it is that it won’t burn the gut, and it realy improves the quality of the hair coat.”



ASKLUND ACRES Program for Feeding Show Calves.
www.clubcalves.com/asklundhome.htm

1.  Calves should be fed twice a day, the same time each day. Optimum is 6:00am & 6:00pm.

2.  Calves should be haltered and tied next to each other…. close enough to see each other eat, but far enough apart to not be able to reach one another’s feed.

3.  After 20 minutes, they should be pulled from their feed, and the feed cleaned up.
(this teaches them to eat all their food quickly. Sure comes in handy at shows)

4.  Measure feed by pounds, not scoops.  They should eat 10 – 15 pounds of feed, twice daily, depending on the size of the calf.

5.  Make hay or pasture available year round.  I recommend small area containment from morning feeding to evening feeding, rinsing, brushing and showmanship work.

6.  Turn into larger area pasture with hay or grass for the night.  Make sure there is plenty of room to exercise.

Now here is our ration, per ton

1200 lbs. cracked corn
400 lbs. cotton seed hulls
200 lbs. whole oats
100 lbs. soy bean meal
100 lbs. molasses

I top dress each calf 1 oz. per feeding ADM/Alliance chlortetracycline medicated mineral.  The mineral additive is not optional.  No ration will work without a quality mineral program.  On the occasional need for a fat additive, I use ADM’s Healthy Glo.  This is a 100% stablized rice bran developed for Race Horses.  1 pound per head per day.  It will increase muscle, hair & quality of hair coat.

That’s our feed program. It has remained unchanged since 1996, and we have never had a problem

 

[cowman 52]

Don't know how big calf is but until you have a lot of experience, put 2 calves together, if you just feed one for show, any thing in the pen will make him eat to keep it from the other,  on Sunday I only feed once, an empty belly will cause a more aggressive bunk attitude, and keep in mind that 3 percent of body weight is about the max for intake,
The 20 minute deal will work but around here they chug it down in about 1/2 that.

 

[barngoddess]

You can try the 20 min thing but if the steer just doesn't have a great appetite it won't care how much time it has. We start all of our calves that are finicky and slow on Vita Charge (NOT the sullivans appetite igniter) from biozyme, the makers of sure champ. We use the powder that you mix into the feed and it literally turns them into hogs. Usually after a few weeks we take them off of it and they're good to go for the rest of the year.

http://www.biozymeinc.com/aboutus/vitacharge.html