what to feed a calf after weaning

1. Use Cattle Lick Tubs When Weaning Calves. Cattle lick tubs can be used as a free-choice supplement in calf receiving pens. ...
2. Offer Palatable Calf Starter Feed. When calves search for feed, make sure there’s a palatable feed in the bunk. ...
3. Select a Feed That Supports the Immune System of Weaning Calves. It’s critical to support the immune system of weaning calves during high stress. ...
4. Find the Right Feed Form. The physical feed form can influence consumption. Bigger pellets tend to work best for calf starter feeds because they are softer.
5. Prioritize Starter Feed Quality. Evaluate your feed quality and don’t settle for the least expensive option – it might be cheaper up front, but it could also be less ...

How much grain should our weaned calves eat?

There are guidelines on how much grain a calf should be eating in order to have a functional rumen and be weaned. The rule of thumb is that calves should be consuming about 2 pounds (about 4 cups) of starter per day for three days in a row to be weaned onto all-solid feed (Jones, and Heinrichs 2017).

What is the best way to wean calves?

• Requires additional pasture/drylot space to isolate calves from cows
• Bawling Calves
• Requires more feed to condition calves in drylot/pasture setting

How to raise a feeder calf?

• It's easy to over-react when you hear your calf cough for some reason or other. ...
• Not keeping regular scheduled feedings will cause a calf's stomach to get upset and make him get scours. Keeping a routine will prevent this.
• Check the calf for ticks, fleas, lice and other bugs that can spread disease. Spray to alleviate flies and mosquitoes as well.

When is the best time to wean?

Your baby is ready to wean if they can:

• Stay in a sitting position and are able to hold their head steady.
• Co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth, can look at food, grab it, and put it in their mouths all by themselves.
• Swallow their food. Babies who are not ready will often push their food back out, so get more around their faces than they do in their mouths.

How much grain should a weaned calf eat?

So, the calf is offered half of 1.0 or 0.5 percent of body weight of a weaning ration or pellet and half of 1 percent of body weight of good quality grass hay. * Positioning the feed is as important as the feed itself. Put the hay the calves are most familiar with on top of the feed ration on the first day.

When should I start feeding grain to my calves?

In early weaning systems calves need to begin eating some grain by 2 weeks of age to allow enough rumen development to occur before weaning at 5 or 6 weeks of age. If we do a good job of managing grain intake, it is possible to wean calves at 6 weeks, even when milk feeding rates are high.

How long does it take a cow to dry up after weaning calf?

General Guideline. A cow should not be reunited with her calf less than 30 days following weaning, according to veterinarian Gary Kaufman of Scottsdale, Arizona. At least 30 days are necessary for the cow's milk to dry up.

What do you feed a weaning calf?

Calves are adapted to grass; so long stem hay for the first 3-7 days is a normal recommendation. Calves usually prefer a dry grain mix at first, but will quickly adapt to high moisture feeds, including corn silage over a 1-2 week period.

How long should calves be on starter feed?

It is suggested that calves should be consuming a minimum of 2 lb/day of a high quality calf starter before weaning. Calves can be maintained on the starter for 2 to 3 weeks postweaning and then transition to a grower diet offered with long forage.

How much corn should a calf eat per day?

Calves that are gaining at a moderate rate (2 to 3 lbs/day) need about 1.5% of their body weight as grains (800 lb calf = 12 lbs of grain), whereas calves gaining at a greater rate (+ 3 lbs/day) need more grain in their diet and should consume up to 2.0 to 2.25% of their body weight as grain (800 lb calf = 16 to 20 lbs ...

What should I feed my 6 month old calf?

From grouping to 6 months, feed 5 pounds of calf grower daily and free-choice, high-quality hay. You may substitute pasture when it is available. From 6 months to 1 year, feed 0-7 pounds of herd concentrate daily; limit fed-silage, greenchop, or free-choice hay. You may substitute pasture when it is available.

Is corn good for calves?

Corn is an excellent energy source for cattle, too. From a plant perspective, corn is a grass – it just happens to be a much more nutritious grass than the stuff that's growing in your yard. The starch and protein that the corn kernel provides help cattle grow and thrive.

What should I feed my 4 month old calf?

Treat calves more like piglets up to 4 months of age. Feed them a diet high in corn that is not restricted. 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.

Is dairy meal good for calves?

Especially during the first three weeks of life, calves should be fed a milk replacer that contains all milk proteins made from dried skim milk or whey products. Whey products can include whey protein concentrates, dried whey, and delactosed whey.

Why is it important to keep calves eating?

“It is important to keep the calves eating because there are many times where we create more problems for ourselves in a weaning program by getting ahead of the calves and offering them too much feed ,” Waggoner said.

What is a weanling's diet?

Weanlings are often used to feedstuffs such as grass and hay, which are not rich in nutrients, so producers must find a way to balance the familiar feedstuff with new, nutrient-rich feeds.

What happens if you don't feed your cows?

If they do not eat properly there’s an increased risk of disease. * Feeding both cows and calves a small amount of a supplement or the weaning ration out of a bunk prior to weaning when the calves are with the cows can be a good way to acclimate them to those feeds.

What is the K-state Hays weaning protocol?

Waggoner referenced a series of studies called the K-State Hays weaning feed management protocol, a step-by-step process used to wean calves so it would be standardized across different treatment groups. It transitioned the calves from a grass and milk diet to some sort of a total mix ration.

How old should a calf be after weaning?

After weaning, calves should receive free-choice calf starter until 3 mo old. If hay is fed during this period, it should be of excellent quality and fed in limited amounts. Energy requirements for adequate growth in calves 3–15 mo old may be derived largely from good quality forage. Meeting protein requirements during this period is challenging, ...

What is the crude protein requirement of animals?

The crude protein requirements of animals <150 kg are relatively high and could be reduced by the use of protein sources with higher RUP proportions. DMI, dry matter intake; RUP, rumen undegradable protein; RDP, rumen degradable protein; ME, metabolizable energy.

What are the goals of raising calves to weaning age?

The goals of raising calves to weaning age are optimizing growth and minimizing health problems. We do this by understanding the digestive system, immune system, nutrient needs, and feed options.

Why is constant feeding not good for calf?

This is not the case, because calves with different body weights have different maintenance energy requirements. A constant feeding level will meet the needs of an average calf, but exceed the needs of smaller calves and fall short of the needs of larger calves, resulting in different rates of gain.

How much of a calf's stomach is omasum?

The stomach compartments grow in proportion to the calf's body size. By 12 weeks of age, the reticulum and rumen will make up more than two-thirds of the total stomach capacity. The omasum still makes up about the same proportion at 10 percent. In contrast, the abomasum comprises only 20 percent.

What is the digestive system of a dairy calf?

The Digestive System. At birth, the dairy calf's digestive system is underdeveloped. From birth to about 2 weeks of age, the calf is a monogastric, or simple-stomached, animal. The abomasum is the only stomach compartment actively involved in digestion, and milk or milk replacer provides nutrients.

How old do calfs have to be to digest?

By three weeks of age, there is a marked improvement in the calf's ability to digest carbohydrates, although the digestion of starch varies according to its origin and processing methods.As the calf's digestive enzymes become more active, there is also an increased ability to digest vegetable proteins in feeds.

What is the stomach of a calf?

Anatomy. At birth, the calf's stomach contains the same four compartments found in adult ruminants. However, the calf's reticulum, rumen, and omasum are inactive and undeveloped. The newborn's functional stomach, the abomasum, is similar to a human's stomach.

Does a newborn calf digest starch?

Again, the newborn's limited digestive capacity aids the calf by enabling rapid absorption of the immunoglobulins that it needs. With the exception of lactose ( milk sugar ), the newborn calf cannot effectively digest sugars or starches.

How much protein should I feed my calves in 2020?

Oct 29, 2020. #5. Calves in the 400-700# range should get 14-15% protein. Against what a lot of people do - I feed whole shell corn, with a protein pellet added to get the protein level needed. Yes, their manure will have WSC in it. But, WSC is only about 8% lower efficiency than cracked corn.

Can you feed straight corn to prevent acidosis?

I generally don't feed straight corn to prevent acidosis since they are grazing and getting grain, was told the high levels of starch in straight corn while grazing was more likely to cause acidosis.

How long before weaning should cows be exposed to feed?

We know that the sooner calves consume feed after weaning, the lower the morbidity and mortality. This may mean that two to three weeks before weaning, start calves on a creep feed or offer cows a couple pounds of cubes three to four times a week.

How old do beef calves have to be to be weaned from dams?

There are data that indicates that beef calves can be successfully weaned from their dams when they are 45 days old. So when the youngest calf is between 45 to 60 days old, you could consider weaning them from their dams. It is important that waters and feed bunks are at a level that calves of this age can easily access them.

What is the importance of feeding bunks and waters?

It is important that waters and feed bunks are at a level that calves of this age can easily access them. Also, consult your veterinarian as to herd health strategies. Calves at this young age are still responding to passive immunity that they received through colostrum. Your vet will help you with this component.

How long do cows stay at fences?

The first day, calves and cows will stay at the fence, after four days , they both will be content in their pastures. Continue to feed the calves or have the creep feeders available for them.

Do calves have rumen?

These calves have a small rumen and to keep them growing at an acceptable rate, the diets need to be well designed. Also, these diets need to be high quality, dust free, and particle size needs to be uniform so that calves cannot sort the rations.

How to keep calves hydrated?

Until then, one way to keep calves hydrated is to place some additional water tanks or tubs in the pen. Like feed bunk placement, water tanks or tubs should be placed along the fence line so calves will quickly find them and start drinking. Cleanliness is also paramount to water consumption.

How much bunk space do calfs need?

If you’re using a calf starter feed with intake control properties in a self-feeder, each calf only needs six to eight inches of bunk space because they won’t all eat at once.

Can you wean cattle?

Weaning calves can be a stressful time for you and your beef cattle. But, the sooner you can get your calves to eat, the less likely they are to get sick. A few adjustments to your nutrition program can make a huge difference. 1.

Can you walk a calf out of a waterer?

If your calves are suddenly moved into a pen with an automatic waterer and they’ve never used one before, you can’t expect them to walk right up and drink out of one. It will take some time for calves to adapt to their surroundings and navigate the facilities with ease.

Do calves have enough bunk space?

If some calves are standing away from the feed bunk or are fighting to gain access to feed, you might not have enough bunk space. Additional bunk best practices include making sure fresh feed is available consistently, cleaning out uneaten or spoiled feed and gradually making any shifts in the amount of feed delivered.

How to care for a calf?

1. The calves should be placed in a small pen with shelter available . The feed bunk and water source should be easily accessible and recognizable. 2. The ration needs to be high in energy and protein and highly palatable.

What is the best protein for a young calves?

Soybean meal or alfalfa is a preferable protein source over cottonseed meal for young calves, and Lalman says the ration labeled Diet B is well tested and favored by producers starting lightweight calves. 5.

Why are the first two weeks after weaning important?

That paper notes the first two weeks after weaning are critical because stress can be high and calves need to learn how to eat and drink.

How many calves per pen?

To insure that smaller and more timid calves get a chance at feed and water, limit 20 calves per pen during the critical first few days on the starter ration. Placing one or two older calves that are accustomed to eating and drinking in with the early-weaned calves helps to reduce stress on the weaned calves and give them someone to follow to ...

Does Oklahoma State University have a confined cow operation?

Oklahoma State University has for several years now maintained a confined-cow operation and therefore has calves on feed. Beef Producer asked OSU beef specialist Dave Lalman if he has any new lessons or thoughts from those experiences he would share. This is his answer:

Can silage be used in early weaning?

If silages and other fermented feeds will be used in an early weaning program, Rick Rasby, University of Nebraska beef specialist, says in another paper on early weaning those forages should be introduced gradually into the diets of young calves that are inexperienced with such feeds.