what to feed calves 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.

What is the best feed for weaned calves?

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 does a calf need starter feed?

2 to 3 weeksCalves can be maintained on the starter for 2 to 3 weeks postweaning and then transition to a grower diet offered with long forage.

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.

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.

When should I switch from calf starter to grower feed?

Eight to 12 weeks old Don't limit intake at this stage of development and don't allow calves to go periods of time without calf starter. Once calves reach 12 weeks old, introduce a calf grower feed. Grower feeds can help calves transition more easily to a high-fiber diet.

When should I stop feeding my calves grain?

She suggested calves weaned at 6 weeks of age or less should be consuming 2.0 to 3.0 pounds of starter grain per head per day for three consecutive days before weaning. Larger calves that are weaned later or have been on an intensive milk-feeding program need to be eating 4.0 to 5.0 pounds/head/day.

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 ...

How long do you feed calves pellets?

Within a few days of weaning, the pellet consumption of the calf will rapidly increase and its growth rate will rise. Continue to house calves off pasture and feed unrestricted pellets, straw and water until 10-12 weeks of age.

What is a good calf starter feed?

Calves prefer soybean meal over other protein meals. They can adjust to cottonseed or canola meal, but during changeover, intake may decrease and be variable. Calves do not like fish meal, blood meal, and even distillers or corn gluten feed or meal. Corn and oats must be clean and without mold or mycotoxins.

What does a 6 month old calf eat?

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.

What age can a calf eat grass?

about 2 weeks oldWhen 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.

Do calves Need grain?

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.

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.

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.

Does manure have WSC?

Yes, their manure will have WSC in it. But, WSC is only about 8% lower efficiency than cracked corn. If you can buy WSC for less than 8% difference, you are wasting your money paying for processing and it is healthier. They do NOT need anything with molasses.

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 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.