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*UPDATED* Just over 4 months to go.........

R

Ranchy

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Apr 14, 2006
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Location
scenic mountains of western New Mexico
until our fair. Al's steer only gained 2# last week (it was cold like January down here :shock: and it just took almost all he was eating, to stay warm). He weighed in at 622# on Sunday morning. He's got to hit 1,000# to make the minimum........
Al's feeding him right at 16# of finisher a day, plus some soybean meal mixed in.......Wheez is eating almost all he gets in the morning, by chore time at night, and vice-versa, so he's right about where he needs to be there. Today I got him some rolled corn and Show Bloom (it's supposed to increase appetite, among other things). I also invested in some 7-way vaccine to give him (and probably wouldn't hurt the heifer, too) a booster, as our CA suggested.

Is there anything else you can think of that might help him gain more weight? Thanks in advance!
 
When we were buyin feedstore show feeds....when Lil Lilly first started with the Commercial heifer class.....we noticed right away that the first ingredient on the bag tag was "roughage" That's when we went to the mixture we are usin now. On the other feed the heifers weren't eatin much hay...because it had all the roughage they needed mixed into the feed. My question was, why am I payin for roughage when I can supply them with all the hay they need...I needed a feed that was gonna put weight on and make them grow.
What she feeds now is Cotton seed, rice bran, a little corn, and corn glutten pellets. It's recommended to feed 7 to 10 lbs per head per day. (cotton seed is 38% to 40% protein.) Last year and the year before..feedin 7 lbs a day and free choice hay, they gained 3.4 lbs per head per day. It's a grower, not a finisher. But sure does make em look nice. It's a whole lot more economical than the store bought feed. We get it from a feedlot, that sells their feed to the public. But you might be able to get some cottonseed meal or seeds somewhere if you ask around. THat'll up your protein content a bunch if you just added some into what your feedin now. I wouldnt know the amount you need to add, but I'm sure you could ask the extention agent, or an Ag teacher, and they could steer you in the right direction. Also a good mineral for them is a must, sure helps with their coat, their weight gain, etc.
The show feed was costin us right at 9.00 a 50# bag...this feed we are feedin now is right at 4.00 a bag and they do so much better on it.
 
You have a long way to go but it's not impossible. You need to gain 378 pounds in about 130 +/- days or 2.91 lbs/day. Our show steers get corn, oats and molasis at a rate of 3% of their weight (600lb calf=18 lbs of feed per day). We also top dress with calfmanna (protein supplement) and show bloom. Show bloom is a fat based supplement that helps hair coat and has some minerals. Sullivans sells a priobotic additive called appetite express that helps stimulate a calves appetite. I've used it with some success but it takes about 3 times the dosage listed per day to have much affect. Something else you can do a couple of weeks before the show is get some "Refresh" from Sullivans, it's and additive that makes a calf retain water which means more weight. I have added as much as 60 lbs in a week. Like anything sometimes it works sometimes it doesn't. When you come down to it you have to have the genetics, good feed and clean water to succeed.
 
Ranchy, here's a really good site from Texas A&M on feedin show cattle.
Scroll down to the area that says feed and nutrition.

http://www.google.com/search?q=cache:UZWbDlNEdZ8J:texas4-h.tamu.edu/publications/AS12.pdf+Best+show+steer+feed+ration.&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=3&gl=us
 
I can't believe this!!!!!!!!! I typed a whole long list of ingredients, guaranteed analysis, etc.......and it's gone........vanished into thin cyber-space! :evil:

Ok, trying again......... :roll:

Cowboykevin, are ya sure you're gettin the "light" variety? :shock: :wink: :lol:

BudE, I think Wheez can do it, if the weather will warm up. Today is another cold windy day, with a few flakes of white stuff thrown in just to be nasty. One of our neighbors whose kids have shown steers since they got old enough for 4-H (later switched to FFA when they were old enough for that) and she's the one who turned us on to the Show Bloom, and said that the appetite express wasn't overly effective in their experience. Al told me that they've kicked Wheezy's feed up to where he's eating about 42# a day, top dressed with about a half cup of soybean meal and the recommended amount of Show Bloom. Wheezy's not real fond of the Bloom, though he's eating it better now than he did at first. We go weigh the calves again tomorrow, and hopefully, they will have gained more than last time, and the heifer won't have lost from 556# down to 494# again...... :shock: We do have an advantage in the fact that it doesn't get very hot here in the summer, so they won't be fighting the heat like they are the cold right now.

FH, the ingredients in the finisher he's feeding right now, are:
Grain products, roughage products, plant protein products, molasses products, forage products, fat products (feed grade), high fructose corn syrup, calcium carbonate, ammonium chloride, salt, vegetable oil, Vitamin A supplement, sodium selenite, Vitamin E supplement, zinc sulfate, copper chloride, manganese sulfate, magnesium oxide, sodium selenate, ferrous carbonate, cobalt sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide, mineral oil, propylene glycol, polysorbate 60, glycerin, sulfuric acid, xanthan gum, ethoxquin, propionic acid, acetic acid.

Guaranteed analysis:
Crude protein, min 12.0%
Crude fat, min 4.0%
Crude fiber, max 12.5%
Calcium, min 0.5%, max 0.9%
Phosphorus, min 0.3%
Salt, min 0.2%, max 0.7%
Potassium, min 0.8%
Vitamin A, min 5,000 IU/LB

Manufactured by Hi-Pro, Friona, TX

loomixguy, thanks for the links! There are some really great animals in the cellerator site.........I just clicked on Champions, and got pages and pages of great critters (and great kids, too!).

Lilly, I think that's the same thing that TTB pm'ed me a while back. I printed it out and we've read and re-read it. Awesome info in there! Thanks!
 
Is his hay being fed free choice-if it is you might have to cut it back so he'll eat more grain-our April calves are eating about 24lbs of grain right now. Some calves won't eat that much though if hay is in front of them steady. Our 4H calves have to contend with -40 weather so he should be able to gain in the cold.
 
NR, he gets just about 1/3 flake of hay every couple or three days, so it's not that he's filling up on hay.

After weighing them last night (guys were going riding today, and no time for the usual Sunday morning weigh-in), Wheez hadn't lost anything, but he hadn't gained anything either, still at 622#. Bandita, on the other hand, is within 1# of being back to where she was before she lost all the weight a couple of weeks ago (555# on the same scale).

So, we've come up with a new game plan......Al's going to go back to the way he was doing him when we first brought him back home......and the same way he's been doing the heifer. Wheez is going to get a certain amount to eat in the morning, then go out to the pasture when he's finished that, come back in at night, and do the same thing. I honestly think just lying around the corral has really zapped his appetite, made him loose muscle mass, or something. He's just not going to make weight at this rate.

One other thing we're fighting against, is that he'll only be 13 months old (to the day even) when they weigh in at the fair.......Bandi will be 13 1/2 months old, so they're both going to be pretty young, compared to the others at the show.

I was talking to our CA's kids at shooting practice the other night, and Kacy told me that one of their steers is already 1250. :shock: But he's going to be almost 2 years old at the fair, too.

Don't know what's going to happen, but it's definately going to be a challenge to see if we :oops: (uh.....Al) can get him up there in time.

Thanks for all your great ideas, input and suggestions. They are very much appreciated! :D
 
It's tough showing against calves alot older than yours-our show is only 6 weeks away-pretty tough for April/May calves to compete it's lucky the showring is the least important part of 4H for the kids. Gives the Dad's and Grampas a reason to puff up but the kids get alot more oput of the other activities they do. You do the best with what you have and go on from there. The kids are out haltering calves right as I speak-we've got eight to get domesticated by show day-as always there's couple that might be a challenge lol.
 
Some individuals will gain 3# per day out on grass with a pretty good feed morning and night. Some will gain more but some will gain less. Like NR said , do your best and dont worry about it.
 
Actually, it's Hubby and I that are stressing over the weight issue with Wheez.......Al's taking it all in stride, just like he does everything. He says that if Wheez makes weight, ok; if not, then he just won't get to go to town before he goes in the freezer, and it'll be our freezer instead of someone else's. No matter what happens, Al will be ok with it.

I honestly don't have a clue as to how we ended up with such a good kid, maybe the good Lord decided to give us a break, after Hubby's first three turned out so great........ :roll:
 

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