Feeding weaned calves

[Obi Wan]

Hi - I'm wondering what people are to feeding weaned bucket calves? Hereford x fresian heifer for breeding. I've looked read up as much as possible and most places say 2kg calf rear/beef stock nut per day over 2feed up to 7months - just wondering what others are doing - outside on good grass all summer. Also after the 7 months what should they get? Have some good haylage but not sure will they need anything else. Cheers in advance

 

[HarryB97]

If they're out at grass I would just feed them once a day, twice becomes more hassle than it's worth. If you are looking to calve them at 24 months then you want to push them on. They may want a little more feed in the back end if grass quality is poor. Get your haylage tested and weigh them regularly and go from there. Just make sure they don't get to fat!

 

[gwi1890]

Sorry to highjack the thread but got theese 4 months old on 1kg a day and strip grazing on italian ryegrass reeseding would the be suitable to outwinter on kale and good silage ? The are AAX

 

[Obi Wan]

No worries bud, will pick it up again later ?

 

[gwi1890]

Im feeding for farmers 18% rearer nut and they seem to do well on it, its £260 a t , neighbour of mine gets his feed from midland feed @ 200 a t calfs do well on it Im tepmted to swich this group to this and keep the younger calfs on the for farmers one, I fed my young heifers last year till they where 8 months and bulles them @ 18/19 months if that helps after 8 month they where o good quaility silage only if that helps

 

[HarryB97]

Sorry to highjack the thread but got theese 4 months old on 1kg a day and strip grazing on italian ryegrass reeseding would the be suitable to outwinter on kale and good silage ? The are AAX

I would be cautious about outwintering them especially if it's a harsh winter. You will have to give them a lot of extra feed to get any sort of meaningful and profitable growth

 

[ffukedfarmer]

Straw, good hay, bad hay, good silage or bad haylage (i've got it all) for AAX steers 6+ months this winter? With rearer nuts.

 

[gone up the hill]

Straw, good hay, bad hay, good silage or bad haylage (i've got it all) for AAX steers 6+ months this winter? With rearer nuts.

Ad lib straw and the best silage you have adlib alongside 2/3 kilos head a day of rearer nuts.

 

[gwi1890]

I would be cautious about outwintering them especially if it's a harsh winter. You will have to give them a lot of extra feed to get any sort of meaningful and profitable growth

Mabey bring them in about december would possibly be safer? We dont get snow or ice here but wind and rain can sometimes be as harsh if not more

 

[Obi Wan]

If they're out at grass I would just feed them once a day, twice becomes more hassle than it's worth. If you are looking to calve them at 24 months then you want to push them on. They may want a little more feed in the back end if grass quality is poor. Get your haylage tested and weigh them regularly and go from there. Just make sure they don't get to fat!

Thanks - there's a 3 month range of ages so split feeds so smaller ones are still getting their share. Will be calving about 26 months, so I'll probably give them a little beef stock nuts to keep growing rather than barley - not put of haylage sample yet but have some cracking hay from last year to use up first when the ring feeder goes out. I don't have scales so will just monitor condition - planning pelvis checks before bulling also.

Im feeding for farmers 18% rearer nut and they seem to do well on it, its £260 a t , neighbour of mine gets his feed from midland feed @ 200 a t calfs do well on it Im tepmted to swich this group to this and keep the younger calfs on the for farmers one, I fed my young heifers last year till they where 8 months and bulles them @ 18/19 months if that helps after 8 month they where o good quaility silage only if that helps

Thanks for the advice - ours are looking well, I'll see the haylage results and monitor condition as said above - planning to leave out as long as possible, have some dry ground with docs in old stackyard - plan to trash that.

Thanks