Table of Contents
Calves will need 4 to 5 pounds of a grain-protein mixture per head daily to average 1.2 pounds daily on winter fescue pastures (Table 3). Forage sorghum, small grain and grass legume silages work well for wintering calves but are lower in energy than corn silage.
How much grain should a 400 lb calf eat?
It takes about 1.1 to 1.3 pounds of a 40 percent protein supplement per head daily to supplement the corn silage intake of 400- to 500-pound calves (Tables 2 and 3). However, 1 pound of soybean meal appeared to be adequate for corn silage used in Kentucky studies with 400-pound steer calves.
How much grain do you give a calf?
Ease weaning stress by ensuring calves eat at least half a pound of grain per day for 4 weeks or a pound per day for 2 weeks and that they reach 2 pounds per day for 3 consecutive days before weaning.
How much grain should I feed my 600 lb calf?
Young calves will eat a little more and heavier cattle will eat a little less. For example, a 600 pound calf will eat 15-18 pounds of dry matter (2.5-3% of body weight) and a 1000 pound calf will eat 20-25 pounds of dry matter per day (2-2.5% of body weight).
How much grain should a 3 month old calf eat?
If limit-fed milk or milk replacer, they need to be encouraged to eat more starter grain. Calves that are limit-fed milk or milk replacer (2 quarts twice daily) will start consuming between 0.5 to 1.5 cups (0.25 to 0.75 lb) of starter grain by the second week of life.
Can a calf eat too much grain?
Grains can accumulate in an animal’s intestines because they lack starch-digesting enzymes. Thus, a high-grain diet can promote an overgrowth of Clostridium perfringens, a bacterium associated with sudden death in feedlot cattle, Russell’s article suggests.
How much do you feed a 500 lb calf?
Unless indicated by the person you purchased the calf from, cattle should be adapted gradually to growing rations rather than abruptly put on high-grain diets. When the calf starts on feed, first provide high-quality grass hay for free choice consumption (3% of body weight; 15 lbs per day for a 500 lb calf).
How much grain should a calf eat per day?
Calves will need 4 to 5 pounds of a grain-protein mixture per head daily to average 1.2 pounds daily on winter fescue pastures (Table 3). Forage sorghum, small grain and grass legume silages work well for wintering calves but are lower in energy than corn silage.
How much should I feed my calf?
Calves should be fed daily approximately 10% of their body weight (1 quart of milk weighs 2 pounds). For example, a Holstein calf weighing 90 pounds at birth would be fed 4.5 quarts (9 pints) of milk daily or 2.25 quarts per feeding when fed twice daily.
How many pounds of grain should a weaned calf eat?
pound calf will need to consume in the neighborhood of 7 to 8 pounds of grain daily. Small amounts of hay will compliment the grain ration for these 8 to 12 week old animals.
When should I introduce calf pellets?
Calves should be weaned at about 8-10 weeks of age, as earlier weaning increases solid feed intake sooner, thus improving growth rates. When a calf is eating 1.5kg of pellets daily, this shows us that the rumen is sufficiently developed and they are ready for weaning.
How much grain should I feed my steer per day?
The steer will consume roughly 15-20 pounds of hay per day or 2 percent of his body weight. Grain is added to the diet three months before taking the steer to the processor. The amount of time on feed can vary from 60-150 days. For a backyard steer, 90 days on grain should be sufficient.
How long does it take a calf to reach 500 lbs?
At 6-9 months of age the calves are weaned off their dams and placed in a field or pen with other calves of a similar age and weight. Most calves will weigh 500-700 lbs at weaning.
How much grain should a 4 month old calf eat?
Do not feed hay until 2 months of age. Feed only a high-quality, leafy forage from 2 to 4 months of age, and limit the amount of forage to no more than 10 percent of the diet, preferably 5 percent. This amounts to about 0.3 to 0.6 pound of hay daily from 2 to 4 months of age.
How much grain should a 6 month old calf eat?
Weaned calves fed high grain diets will have more rapid rumen development than those fed high forage diets. For heifers up to 6-months-old, grain is recommended to a maximum rate of 5 to 6 pounds per head per day. This grain should initially contain 18% crude protein on a dry matter basis (calf starter).
At what age does a calf start eating grass?
When Do Calves Start Eating Grass? Calves normally start to nibble on grass or hay within 1 or 2 days of being born. Calves start ruminating to some degree when they’re about 2 weeks old, with their rumen fully developed by 90 days of age.
Can calves eat just hay?
Calves seem to eat chopped hay more consistently than long hay and will sometimes prefer highly palatable hay over starter. Consumption of low quality chopped hay tends to be quite consistent, and in 3 independent studies intake of chopped straw was about 4% of calves’ total dry feed intake.
How much grain should I feed my beef cow per day?
Cows will voluntarily consume about 2 percent of their body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100 percent dry matter. Grass hays often will be 7 percent to 10 percent moisture.
Do cows need grain everyday?
The grain finished cattle need to be checked regularly and fed daily. They live in the pasture their entire lives and also receive natural grain during the last 6 months of their life.
