weight gain stopped

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Bearfoot cowboy

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Feb 9, 2016
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4
Hello all, Help needed....

I have two steers that show March 1 that have finished and stopped gaining. The need around 50-60 pounds more. Their intake has dropped thus so has the gain. I have: added molasses, sugar, wet corn, dry corn, sure champ, show bloom, sumo, higher protein feeds, higher fat feeds, baking soda, probias, have even tried leaving the feed alone, put them on hay; which they eat like candy, even removed the hay, even mixed hay in the feed. Not all at once of course, this was all over the past two months. We have wet them before feeding, run the fans 24/7, wet the feed, soaked the feed, and we exercise them twice a day. They eat the same amount no matter what. I have run out of ideas.

Any suggestions?
 

shortybreeder

Well-known member
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Feb 23, 2015
Messages
476
Appetite Igniter or a similar product... I know someone who used it daily on a market steer (definitely NOT recommended) and they averaged nearly 5lbs ADG from February through August.
 

rrblack78

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Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Messages
168
I had to seek advice on holding one but on pushing one or getting one back to eating I can give a couple of suggestions. Leave off all the stuff you are trying to add and go back to your basic feed ration. You can add some stabilized rice bran. It may not have much time to do them any good but the steers love it and it can be an attractant. It's really easy to get at tractor supply. It could possibly solve your problem and get them back on feed. The other thing I would try is vita charge liquid boost. It is designed specifically for this kind of situation. Keep in mind with three weeks left to go this may be their way of letting you know they are done. Good luck!!!
 

vc

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Jul 24, 2007
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Do they need the added weight or are you trying to hit a certain weight?
Are your weights on the calves when their full or after they have been tied all day and empty?
 

Bearfoot cowboy

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Feb 9, 2016
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"Do they need the added weight or are you trying to hit a certain weight?
Thank you for the advices. I am starting the Vita charge tomorrow.

Are your weights on the calves when their full or after they have been tied all day and empty?"

Just trying to meet their final necessary weights for weigh in, and these weights are before food. Empty stomachs.

 

vc

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Weigh them full and see where your at, there can be a 40 - 60 pound swing between empty and full, full they may be right where you are trying to be.

We had a steer we were going to need to shrink we weighed him full in the morning he weighed 1420, after being tied in the barn under the fans all day we weighed him again he weighed 1360, that's sixty pounds of just natural swing. We shrunk him down to 1337 for the fair with no problem and filled right back up by the next morning (we have no weigh back)

Calves can drink any where from 10 to 30 gallons of water a day, 10 gallons=83.7 pounds

So if your calves are empty from just being tied that can be 40 pounds of water or more plus another 15 pounds of feed easy.

See where your at full you may be surprised.
 

Bearfoot cowboy

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Feb 9, 2016
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That's a great idea! You know, I knew that..., thanks for reminding me. I have been so young out on this low weight, I forgot all about it. Thanks for the tip. I'll let you k of the difference!
 

Bearfoot cowboy

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Feb 9, 2016
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Vc: you see correct sir. I had a swing of as much as 50 pounds! Thanks for the advice. I feel much better now.
 

vc

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Make sure you have him bucket trained (where he is used to drinking from a bucket) and if you really are worried about his weight take about 10 gallons of water with you from home. We would water them in the stall prior to tying high in the afternoon. You may find your calf will drink like a madman but once he empties the bucket not drink anymore, we used the bigger tubs, the ones as or bigger than a mineral tub, so they were full before they ran out of water. We kept the tubs full at all times (lets the water air out if it has an odder from treatment) and offered it to them first thing in the morning, after the morning feeding, prior to fitting, before they went to the ring, after they came back from the ring, before evening feeding, then one more time before we called it a night. Tubs were behind calves far enough they did not dump in it, we would just untie and walk to the water, (same thing we would do at home).

It is all of the little routines you do at home that can help you at the show as far as keeping the calf on track eating and drinking.
 
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