weaned calves won't eat grain

[braunvieh]

Sorry if this is something that has been posted before but I couldn't find anything quickly when I searched.

I weaned 2 heifers 5 days ago. They weigh about 475 each and were June calves. No creep feed before. They are in a pen together and started on grain and hay. The hay is the same as they got in the pasture on the cow. They quit bawling after the 2nd day.  I cannot get them to eat grain. They sniff it and give it a little taste but won't eat it. It is a mixture of corn, oats, soybean meal, protein pellet and molasses. I have lots of other calves on this grain and have weaned all my other calves on this grain with no problems at all. After a couple days, we stopped the hay trying to get them hungry for the grain and it hasn't worked. Today I tried giving them some fresh alfalfa hay and they slicked it up but still no interest in the grain. I have cleaned out the old and put in fresh grain. I have even put in our show ration (which is extremely palatable....no calf  has EVER not eaten it) and still no interest. I am not sure what I should do from here... I have weaned lots and lots of calves and this has not happened before. Sometimes have a calf that is slow getting started but always was going by the 2nd or 3rd day.

If I am missing something, let me know.

 

[Davis Shorthorns]

try some cooked wet beet pulp, or some milk replacer sprinkled on top of the grain.  Hope this helps.

 

[nkotb]

Just a shot in the dark, but you may try mixing the grain into the hay and see if they will eat it that way.  Also, it has been my experience that some calves just take longer to start, possibly if you have other calves who are near and on the same ration you can pen them together.  Sometimes it seems eating the grain is a learned behavior.

 

[Bulldaddy]

It may just take some time since the grain is new to them.  You may want to give them a dose of Probias, a probiotic that helps stimulate the appetite.

 

[McCauleyCattle]

I think you have weaned them too early... I never wean mine until they are at least minimum of 210 days.

I start them with creep feed while they are on Momma.  Give them first vaccines while they are on Momma.  Give them black leg, 5 plus L 5 and worm them 3 weeks later..... then booster them with Black leg, 5 plus L 5 and Pasturilla.

I think it is less stress on the calves and your get better growth and gain on them.  I understand it may have worked for you in the past... but I have had better success with my calves doing it the way I described.

If it has only been 5 days you may want to put them back with their Momma.

 

[OH Breeder]

You may want to remove the molasses. Sometimes feed with Molasses will "sour" the calves stomach. We use calf manna and mix in grain gradually with cherry oil. We have had no issues. We wean at 4-5 month depending on the calf. I do not think your calves are too young at all. I like having creep available as soon as they will eat it. Worth a try.

 

[LN]

Last year we kept some weaned heifers as replacements and they went on their feed immediately. They were never creep fed either, and we fed them a pelleted weaned calf ration that had antibiotics and fresh hay. Their moms were trained to come up to honking for cubes and I did the same for the weaned heifers in the pen when I put feed out for them.

It also may have helped my situation that we have a drylot and bring the cows and calves up there for breeding and they learned what a feed bunk was at a young age. Anyway, it worked for me last year.

Also, do you have them in a small pen?

 

[DL]

The rumen of the calf is mature enough to wean a calf at 60 days - early weaning is used when pasture is low or BCS low to help the cows gain back condition - I don't think timing is your issue

I agree that creep feeding and vaccinating prior to weaning is a good idea BUT it doesn't help you now

OB idea of sour feed is certainly something I would check...most calves will nibble at grain even if they weren't exposed before. Is this a new batch? old batch? could it be moldy?

on the other hand they certainly don't need to eat grain - I would get them a 60 lb tub of Crystalyx Brigade and and good hay and provide good grain (maybe use the show feed) and good water and play it by ear - if they are healthy, happy, eating, drinking, and have normal manure I wouldn't worry much

 

[braunvieh]

Yes, we have them in a small pen and no the grain is fine. We are feeding this same grain to 10 other head of calves that have been eating it with no problems. Thanks for all advice, I am going to try some of the ideas. I do have some probios and some milk replacer that I could sprinkle on top and just last night I put another calf in with them who immediately went and started eating everything so I know it isn't a case of bad feed.  We are due to get a real cold snap and that may get their appetite stimulated.

 

[CAB]

If it's not too much trouble Roseanne, you may want to sort out one or two calves  from the longer weaned pen and put in with the 2 later calves. They may learn to eat from the older ones. Just a thought, or if you have a cow close by that could use a little TLC.

 

[husker1]

We occassionally have one go 2 or 3 weeks without eating grain after weaning....This year we had 1 heifer calf and one bull out of our first weaning cuts....about 30 head in each group.  The other 29 took right too.

The heifer is catching up, but the non-eating bull (who had made the bull cut and looked good) earned himself a visit with a knife!

 

[kanshow]

Put hay down first in the bunk and then sprinkle the grain on top of it.  Also like others have said, putting a good bunk broke cow or calf will help. 

 

[Titangurl]

I would try putting a couple of the longer weaned calves in with them as it is a learned behavior.  As far as putting them back in with the their mothers i strongly advise against this.  A couple years ago we were weaning calves and about a week in one of the smaller ones got back out with his mother.  We didn't think it was a big deal and waited for the weekend to get him back in.  Well the cow had already started to dry up and the calf reopening the teat causing the cow to form mastitis and ended up losing her quarter.  Long story short we don't let that happen anymore.  We have weaned calves as early as a couple of months old because of circumstances were their mother couldn't handle it anymore (sickness, 1st calf heifers that didn't milk, etc.) and they have turned out completely fine.  Hope this helps.

 

[IowaAngus]

if they are eating there hay good, sprinkle the corn on the hay.

 

[braunvieh]

Thanks for the help y'all!! The calves got a new buddy last night and today with the much colder weather are starting to eat.