Help, need 45lbs on steer in 12 days!!!

[mommacow]

THIS IS A CROSS POST FROM THE OTHER BOARD NOBODY HAS ANSWERED HER SO I AM CROSS POSTING. THIS IS MY NEICE AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO TELL HER.

My daughter has a steer that has given us nothing but trouble since the beginning, from being wild, respiratory thing, lumpy jaw, large vet bill for lumpy jaw, and now not gaining enough weight.
We have 12 days until weigh-in at fair. He weighs 1005 and we need to weigh 1050 by fair to make the minimum weight and be able to sell in the auction.

He is eating 25.85 lbs of grain a day, 9lbs of corn chops/day, 4 oz of vegetable oil as a top dressing and as much hay as he can eat. He is also getting about 1/2lb to 1 lb of soaked beet pulp per day. The steer loves to eat but doesn't seem to like to gain weight. I think it is the lasting effects of the lumpy jaw.

Anyone have any ideas???? We are up to trying just about anything.

Thanks
Sarah

What more can we do?

 

[red]

1. 4 oz of vegtable oil is too much in my opinion. I'd cut that back to 2 oz.
2. give a probiotic for a couple of days to keep the rumen working
3. give plenty of water on weigh in day
4. pray he gets through it!!!

Red

 

[Jill]

Get rid of the beet pulp, it is a filler, if he has hay he doesn't need beet pulp at all that should increase his feed intake some.  Put some table salt in his mouth a little before weigh in to make sure he tanks up on water it weighs 5lbs per gallon so the more he will drink it will add some.  There is not much more that can be done in that short of a time period, Good luck.

 

[Clubcalfshowgirl]

whatever he'll eat more of feed him more of!! If he likes feed fed him more, of he likes corn add more,i would say take him off hay and give him more beet pulp. (not sure if it will help but, i feed dry beet pulp so it seems that they will drink more water), get crushed trace mineral and start adding that on his feed or get an electroyote and that will also make him drink water.

THIS IS A CROSS POST FROM THE OTHER BOARD NOBODY HAS ANSWERED HER SO I AM CROSS POSTING. THIS IS MY NEICE AND I DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO TELL HER.

My daughter has a steer that has given us nothing but trouble since the beginning, from being wild, respiratory thing, lumpy jaw, large vet bill for lumpy jaw, and now not gaining enough weight.
We have 12 days until weigh-in at fair. He weighs 1005 and we need to weigh 1050 by fair to make the minimum weight and be able to sell in the auction.

He is eating 25.85 lbs of grain a day, 9lbs of corn chops/day, 4 oz of vegetable oil as a top dressing and as much hay as he can eat. He is also getting about 1/2lb to 1 lb of soaked beet pulp per day. The steer loves to eat but doesn't seem to like to gain weight. I think it is the lasting effects of the lumpy jaw.

Anyone have any ideas???? We are up to trying just about anything.

Thanks
Sarah

What more can we do?

 

[Jill]

Do NOT feed him more beet pulp.  Beet pulp is a filler for holding cattle, it is also fed to make the guts explode, it will not put weight on a calf, push the feed not the beet pulp.

 

[chambero]

Definitely pull all hay and beet pulp.  You want dense feed. 

If the calf is still eating at all you should easily gain half of what you need.

Water is the answer to the rest of it.  Water weight 8.3 lbs per gallon, so if you can get five gallons in him right before weigh in you should have a little margin for error.  Salt his feed heavily or put salt straight in his mouth the night before.  Pumping is always an option if its not against your rules.  5 gallons of liquid is not a dangerous amount to pump a full grown steer with.

If you have to haul it very far the calf will lose some weight.  If you weigh in right as you arrive at your show, make sure you feed him at home first.  There is always a chance they won't eat at first when they arrive.

 

[TJ]

Definitely pull all hay and beet pulp.  You want dense feed. 

If the calf is still eating at all you should easily gain half of what you need.

Water is the answer to the rest of it.  Water weight 8.3 lbs per gallon, so if you can get five gallons in him right before weigh in you should have a little margin for error.  Salt his feed heavily or put salt straight in his mouth the night before.  Pumping is always an option if its not against your rules.  5 gallons of liquid is not a dangerous amount to pump a full grown steer with.

If you have to haul it very far the calf will lose some weight.  If you weigh in right as you arrive at your show, make sure you feed him at home first.  There is always a chance they won't eat at first when they arrive.

I agree, I'd cut way back on the hay & I would get rid of the beet pulp for now.  HOWEVER, on the morning of the weigh in I would...

Feed him what you normally give him & mix in a couple of lbs. of dry beet pulp.  If he cleans all that up, let him eat a couple more lbs. of dry beet pulp.  This will encourage drinking, it will also give him fill for the show. 

I would also give him electrolytes. 

I would not salt the feed, because it may restrict him from eating & he needs to eat lots, but I would salt the calf pretty good a little bit before you offer the water & hope that between the dry beet & the salt that he drinks a lot of water.  Pumping would do the trick, but I personally don't like the idea of pumping a calf just to make it gain weight.  if you do decide to pump him, make sure you absolutely know what you are doing & double check the rule book 1st.   

Arrive as early as possible & give the calf plenty of time to get over the trip & plenty of time to eat.  Feeding him at home & then hauling him could upset his system, but he will most likely eat better at home than he will at the show.  Once he has eaten & is at the facility, let him have all the hay he wants.  If he didn't eat all his feed the 1st time, offer it to him again. Once he drinks his water, get him to the scales ASAP & take a bucket with you in case he wants to drink more.  As Chambero said, a 5 gallon bucket of water will weigh approx. 40 lbs. & that 5 gallons of water just might be the difference between making weight & not making weight.     

 

 

[TJ]

Definitely pull all hay and beet pulp.  You want dense feed. 

If the calf is still eating at all you should easily gain half of what you need.

Water is the answer to the rest of it.  Water weight 8.3 lbs per gallon, so if you can get five gallons in him right before weigh in you should have a little margin for error.  Salt his feed heavily or put salt straight in his mouth the night before.  Pumping is always an option if its not against your rules.  5 gallons of liquid is not a dangerous amount to pump a full grown steer with.

If you have to haul it very far the calf will lose some weight.  If you weigh in right as you arrive at your show, make sure you feed him at home first.  There is always a chance they won't eat at first when they arrive.

I agree, I'd cut way back on the hay & I would get rid of the beet pulp for now.  HOWEVER, on the morning of the weigh in I would...

Feed him what you normally give him & mix in a couple of lbs. of dry beet pulp.  If he cleans all that up, let him eat a couple more lbs. of dry beet pulp.  This will encourage drinking, it will also give him fill for the show. 

I would also give him electrolytes. 

I would not salt the feed, because it may restrict him from eating & he needs to eat lots, but I would salt the calf pretty good a little bit before you offer the water & hope that between the dry beet & the salt that he drinks a lot of water.  Pumping would do the trick, but I personally don't like the idea of pumping a calf just to make it gain weight.  if you do decide to pump him, make sure you absolutely know what you are doing & double check the rule book 1st.     

Arrive as early as possible & give the calf plenty of time to get over the trip & plenty of time to eat.  Feeding him at home & then hauling him could upset his system, but he will most likely eat better at home than he will at the show.  Once he has eaten & is at the facility, let him have all the hay he wants.  If he didn't eat all his feed the 1st time, offer it to him again. Once he drinks his water, get him to the scales ASAP & take a bucket with you in case he wants to drink more.  As Chambero said, a 5 gallon bucket of water will weigh approx. 40 lbs. & that 5 gallons of water just might be the difference between making weight & not making weight.     

   

I forgot, get a Revelor implant & put in in ASAP!!  Every little bit will help. 

 

[OH Breeder]

one gallon of water =8.3 #'s if you can get him to drink 5 gallons of water prior to weigh in then you will have 40#'s right there. Hold water til right before weigh in and let him drink all he can.