Sunglo Epic and Full Tank

Help Support Steer Planet:

PLKR

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 13, 2008
Messages
353
We haven't bought any Full Tank for a few months, but in the past it has been lower priced than beet pulp, and "a little goes a long ways." I'm sure the price of bp varies quite a bit across the country due to transportation costs, etc.        As for Epic, I think it is a bit cheaper than Shag.
 

rookie

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
77
Location
Jefferson City, MO
We fed epic the last year or so and i'm NOT convinced that it works! I used it on my steer, my brother's steer and my cousins. My steer was never great haired in the winter so i didnt expect him to be great haired in the summer, so i tried epic and kept him in a cooler and worked my a$$ off. I rinsed him 3 times a day and brushed him dry rarely used a blower all summer and he just had decent hair. My brother's steer was always hairy and in the summer he was in the cool room and got epic and he was really really hairy at state fair, i'm talking like 4 inches of hair, but he was always a shaggy calf. My cousins steer was fed epic and not put in the cooler and it was rinsed 2 times a day and kept under fans and it didnt have much hair at all. So to answer your question does epic work? I say if your calf has the genetics to be hairy, it'll be hairy and if it dont you can feed it w/e you want and rinse it all you want like i did and your still just gunna be as hairy as that calf's genetics allows it to be. I myself would rather spend the money on meletonin than epic or shag....
 

coachmac

Well-known member
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
1,006
Location
SW Missouri
rookie said:
We fed epic the last year or so and i'm NOT convinced that it works! I used it on my steer, my brother's steer and my cousins. My steer was never great haired in the winter so i didnt expect him to be great haired in the summer, so i tried epic and kept him in a cooler and worked my a$$ off. I rinsed him 3 times a day and brushed him dry rarely used a blower all summer and he just had decent hair. My brother's steer was always hairy and in the summer he was in the cool room and got epic and he was really really hairy at state fair, i'm talking like 4 inches of hair, but he was always a shaggy calf. My cousins steer was fed epic and not put in the cooler and it was rinsed 2 times a day and kept under fans and it didnt have much hair at all. So to answer your question does epic work? I say if your calf has the genetics to be hairy, it'll be hairy and if it dont you can feed it w/e you want and rinse it all you want like i did and your still just gunna be as hairy as that calf's genetics allows it to be. I myself would rather spend the money on meletonin than epic or shag....

Thanks for the words.  Have you, or anyone else, heard of long term effects of melatonin on breeding cattle? 
 

rookie

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
77
Location
Jefferson City, MO
I have used meletonin on a couple of my show heifer of mine and havent seen any effects from doing it, but I know for the meletonin implants the guy says not to use them on heifers because of the high levels of meletonin effect their breeding patterns... Hope the helps
 

stangs13

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
662
Location
Friendswood,Tx
Meletonin looses potency after 90 or so days..it needs to be cycled.  But I feel your biggest problem is leaving them wet all of the time...they need to be blown out in the morning, and and atleast semi dry at night. A layer of water in between a hair coat acts just like a wet suit for divers and surfers..
 

aggiegal

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2008
Messages
119
Location
Central Texas
We have used Full Tank daily for the last 3 years, used Beet Pulp prior to that.  Full Tank is a fabulous product and works great.  It is much easier to handle (not having to soak) and is very palatable to the calves.  It runs us about $17 per bag here (Central TX).  We feed about 2 pounds per feeding year round.  We do up this prior to shows and while we are at shows.  I use it on the hogs too and it REALLY works to fill one out in a pinch.  We would not feed without it.  It's always fresh and available, where beet pulp isn't.
We used Epic this year for the first time.  We started it 90 days before county (Jan show) and did see pretty remarkable results.  We had one calf with marginally good hair that ended up with great hair.  He had a TON of leg hair after using it.  Simi had NO hair and he ended up with several inches to work with.  Probably saw the best results on our American heifers.  They have great hair.  Probably saw the greatest benefit in being able to get some leg hair where there was none.  It is expensive, but we will use it again.  We do not have a cool room and keep all in stalls in the barn during the day under fans.  We do use 90% shade cloth to keep it darker.  Would definitely recommend both products.
 

CMB

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 13, 2009
Messages
243
Location
Etna Green, Indiana
coachmac said:
I meant to call today and ask, but how much $ do they ask for Epic and Full Tank?  
It runs around $100 for 50lbs of Epic here. We use a full tank copy feed called full body, made by a local mill, runs about $12 for 50lbs, has the exact same ingredients.
 

coachmac

Well-known member
Joined
May 18, 2009
Messages
1,006
Location
SW Missouri
Purchased the Full Tank for one of my daughters heifers.  She has been on it for the last few days.  Doing great so far and seems to have increased her appetite.  So far so good.  Hoping she keeps the "full" look she has since she has been on it.  Did have another question....Is there a time limit on how long to feed it and if so how many days is it?
 

stangs13

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Messages
662
Location
Friendswood,Tx
coachmac said:
Purchased the Full Tank for one of my daughters heifers.  She has been on it for the last few days.  Doing great so far and seems to have increased her appetite.  So far so good.   Hoping she keeps the "full" look she has since she has been on it.  Did have another question....Is there a time limit on how long to feed it and if so how many days is it?

We only feed it a week out from show, and while they are there, any longer and they dont seem to keep the smae appetite. But others do feed it 24/7 just fine!
 

Latest posts

Top