Purina Precon Calf Starter???

Has anyone used this with great success? If so, can you mix with with grain? or would you want to? Does it put a nice cover on younger greener calves? Sorry so many questions, I have never used this type of pelleted feed. I wanted to try it cuz a buddy said that some of the show folks use it to get those babies going and conditioned.

My experience with it, we use it like depth charge with great success. I would highly recommend it.

Have just retained heifer calves and bulls this year. Some calves had creep some not so I talked to feed man and he finally talked me into spending the extra money of Precon. Holy buckets the 2nd feeding the calves mob you to get to feed. It is really unreal how they get started and eat. I won't ever wean calves again without it.

I have used it for a lot of years. Not sure how many anymore. What I did find this year was that they have a Precon 5 meaning the calves only need 5lbs a day to get the right medication out of it to help with Coccidiosis. The other ones I used it was 10lbs so mixing it was not great as they did not always get the recommended dose.  The 5 is a great product to mix with grain. They only put the meds in it for part of the year. I told the rep that they were off on when they were doing this so might want to look into when that happens. I do not work for Purina but its a great product, calves really like eating it and get on grain fast when its offered.

THANK YOU!
I guess, maybe, I just needed the confidence to spend the extra $$. I pulled late born calves. They are so so on their eating. I did top dress with Ignite from Sullivans. That seem to help. But they don't seem as interested as my older calves. I purchased a couple bags and will give her a shot.

How long does everyone leave their calves on precon before switching to regular feed? We fed precon last year to the show calves as a fill but this is the first year of weaning calves and getting them started on precon.

We feed it constantly.

Just the precon or do you mix it as they get to eating better?

Best stuff ever invented.

Back in the Mid 70's, my father was a Purina rep, and they called it Receiving Chow.

We feed it from the time we get our steers in weighing 500#, until they go to their terminal show.  We just gradually change the ratio from 100% Precon to about 35%, then we bump it back up when the steers are fat.

It is the base to our ration, no matter what.

Well we mix with feed, just to keep them eating and it helps expand the belly

What exactly does it do. Is it medication. Or does it expand the gut. My friend was told to feed it but he didn't know what it was.

kndcattle said:

What exactly does it do. Is it medication. Or does it expand the gut. My friend was told to feed it but he didn't know what it was.

Click to expand...

It is BASICALLY pelleted corn, stock and all...with some medication mixed in.

I look at it as a roughage with a little bit of "heat" built into it.

I have never thought of it expanding the gut although I suppose it does?

It's just a really good transitional feed to get them up and going, and keep some "scratch" in their stomach.

It seems to give calves a little bit of bloom. We used it on a show heifer this year and I could really tell a difference in her depth from when we were feeding it and before

I have used it for years, and have had great success with it.
Beware though, as there are two varieties of it. The one I use is the one with a corn cob base.
Calves eat it very readily, gives them a bit of bloom, has medication in it, and does not allow them to "over eat".  When weaning calves, pre-con seems to train them to go to the bunk very quickly, and reduces stress hunger.
I also use it in my bull ration to keep them full and keep them growing, but not allowing them to put on fat.
The down side to it, is the cost per nutrient value. It is high when compared to other feed stuffs on a nutritional level, but in my opinion, still worth it.

I just started our bull calf on this feed. Can this feed be feed throughout time or should eventually he be switched to a different feed? He is going to be a breeder bull. Trying to find the best feed that will make him blossom..

cotourchick said:

I just started our bull calf on this feed. Can this feed be feed throughout time or should eventually he be switched to a different feed? He is going to be a breeder bull. Trying to find the best feed that will make him blossom..

Click to expand...

Theoretically, you could feed it forever.  I certainly wouldn't advise it because of cost.

My Purina dealer is absolutely amazed at how much of this stuff he sells.  Little or none is used for the original purpose, as mentioned earlier, as receiving feed for newly arrived feeder cattle to help them get started.  I don't think you can get certain medications in it anymore.  We feed a little to our cattle pretty much year round, more if they are putting on some condition and less if we want more condition.  I can't say it is the feed ingredient that adds bloom, though.  I assumed the feed actually designed for show cattle would do a better job than pre con for that.

My two main go to rations right now are 1750lbs cracked corn & 250lbs SBM per ton and 1/3, 1/3, 1/3, Precon, cracked corn, & soybean hull pellets.  The 1/3 mix is very economic IMO. Bounces around $200 per ton.

CAB - what is cost of Precon in your area ?

$9.75 per bag without drug.