Wintering Calves

[C Thompson]

This is the year where selling light weaned calves just doesn't make sense.We have sold our heavies off and sent a load of heifers to the feedlot to feed to finish for a Value added beef outfit.We are keeping about 150 light steers and heifers and plan to grass them next year.We have roughed calves through the winter on odd years then sold into the grass market due to only having grass for the next years pairs.Most years we have been lucky to get our feed costs out of doing it this way but ocaisionally it worked which kept us in that nasty groove.This year we will have grass for pairs plus the yearlings so would welcome any ideas on cost effective wintering approximately 450 weight calves.We only have grass hay in abundance and grain costs about 245 per tonne for rolled barley landed here.We are interested in ideas to get the feed to the calves in the most cost effective way and could even bucket feed barley in troughs if that made more sense than only hay.We have limmit fed cows the last few years and used nifty feed wheels to feed grain when it was cheaper than hay.Last year hay was cheaper so we bought hay and bale grazed.This is pretty exciting stuff and saves time and fuel but calves seem to waste more so we are wondering if anyone has fed them sucsessfully outside of a feed bunk situation and if bale grazing is an option even.That is enough background for now so we will see what this stirs up. Thanks for the interest Clint.

 

[cowzilla]

Feed test the hay to see what you got first. probiblily 4lbs of barley would do the trick if you already have the bunks and don't mind pailing once a day.

 

[BRG]

We winter our replacement heifers on ground grass/alfalfa hay and force feed a couple pounds of Lumix. We mix it all in the mixer wagon. It seems to work out great and when they go on grass they keep right on going. We actually winter our coming two year old bulls the first winter with it as well. They gain the same as they did or maybe even a little better than when we used to feed them a little corn. It is cheaper as well. We really like it.

 

[elwapo]

We use "bullseye" screening pellets from landmark feeds and hay to background. They are cheaper than rolled grain and have a supplement and rumensin package. The oil content really makes the calves shine and healthy. Many companies sell comparable product, but make sure you get a nutritional profile and, like cowzilla says, test your hay. When feed costs are up testing your feed and utilizing the expertise of a nutritionist will always save you money.

 

[ANGUS327]

We wean our calves for about a month in the corral on just good quality grass hay then turn them back out with their mothers. They have to rustle grass and then when the snow comes we just feed the whole works together. They have plenty of shelter and we feed good quality hay when they need it. Good way to pick your replacement heifers!!