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.
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.