Steer calf needing some weight...

[ia girl]

I have a May steer calf that is not gaining much weight.  In Dec he weighed  460.  What could I give him to help him take off?  Fair is at the end of July.  Winter has been tough on him here in Iowa but would like to help get him going.  Any help or thought are appreciated.

 

[SlickTxMaine]

Has he been wormed recently?  How much and what are you feeding him?  I have found there are some very knowledgeable people on SP that are willing to help, but they will probably need more info..  Good luck!

 

[ia girl]

He is in a pen of five getting 2 50lbs bags of complete feed daily and there is a big round bale of hay for them.    I bought him in early Dec and have not wormed him.

 

[ia girl]

He is out of Invincible and Angus Cross cow.

 

[TNorlan]

Are you watching him eat, if they're all eating out of the same bunk he may be getting rooted out by bigger calves.  I used to feed calves like that seperately to ensure they were getting their fair share.  You might also want to limit the hay consumption, he may be tanking up on the hay and then not have an appetite for grain.  If the steer has a small appetite you might want to try putting some molases in the feed. Just some thoughts hope they help.

 

[braunvieh]

Some calves are slow eaters and if he is in a group he may not be getting his fill before the grain is gone. You might try feeding him first and let him get his fill and then let the others back in. Same thing if he is smaller, they usually get the least to get and get pushed around. I agree on the hay, limit what you offer then you can see who is eating it and how much. Good luck!

 

[AAOK]

I have a doc. for you that I'll copy and paste into a PM.  Try the ration if you want, but pay particular attention to the Feed Program.

 

[Chap34]

AAOK,  I would be interested in the same info that you are sharing.  Thanks

 

[OH Breeder]

An implant might do him some good. We have a May as well that we implanted last month. You are going to be pusing it to make weight in July. Hot summer months like we have are hard on weight gain. We use simple Ralgro implants and they ahve done the trick. Every 60 days til finish or there abouts. Also evaluating your feed ration doesn't hurt.