Melatonin\weight gain

[Wildmustang777]

Here he is!!

 

[Tallcool1]

I am an old pro with Melatonin.  We have used it in pretty much every combination that I know of.  Implants, Grow & Shine, top dress, bolus, and dissolved in a solvent solution.

Melatonin will not cause a steer to stop gaining weight.  If you have an "edgy" steer, it will actually help them gain weight because they chill out a little bit.

If you are feeding that steer 3% of his body weight (30 pounds) in feed, he will get to the desired weight.

If you are going to go the Melatonin route, I would recommend Shag Secrets.  It is a bolus that you give the steer like once a week and then every 10 days or so.  It is so much less work.  Grow and Shine is just too messy for me, and honestly I grew tired of getting my hand chewed on every day.

You are a little early for Melatonin.  100 days was always my target.

Here is the reality.  If you really want to put hair on that steer, just buy the full product line up of Show Coat.  Shampoo, conditioner, and Show Coat.  Keep him under fans and in a dark place.  You will have hair like nothing else you can do. 

 

[Wildmustang777]

Thanks!!! Looked up shag secrets.. There is single and then 20!! Which one should I get? And also could you please explain how I would exactly use it? Please 

Thanks again for helping me!!  <beer>

 

[Wildmustang777]

He does eat 30 lbs a day.. He didn't eat it all today  :-\



If this helps, my routine for him is: he goes out at night in about 7-10 acres Monday, Wednesday, and Friday... I feed him morning and night, 2 flakes of hay and free choice to water. He is in the stall with a heifer...
he is under fans all day and I rinse him off 4 times a day and do his hair in the evening when it's cooler! He is on and off with eating, this morning he left 2 scoops and this evening he left 4 scoops.. Sometimes he will eat it all though

Thanks for the responses  ;D <beer>

 

[Wildmustang777]

The reason I care so much is because Sept. 12 at our first weigh in he was 890.. We are going on 2 months and He only gained 80 lbs!!  :-\

 

[Medium Rare]

What has led up to him only weighing 970 pounds at 16 months?

 

[Wildmustang777]

I don't know  :-\

That's why I asked!!! Our other steer weighs the same at 14 months old!!

 

[Wildmustang777]

Just ran him through the chute and gave him multimin , wormer, B12, and ralgro!! He left 4 scoops of grain last night and 3 scoops this morning!!  :-\

 

[Medium Rare]

I was wondering if the steer had been held back for maturing reasons, to try to hit a certain show date, or if his weight was just a result of his actual ability.

Without knowing the calf, I guess I'd suggest giving him a more consistent routine. Finishing fats, be it in the real world or the show ring, is all about the details. Doing the exact same thing at the exact same time every day and making adjustments in small steps is always best. A steer does't need turned out into 7-10 acres. Assuming this is a grass paddock, he really doesn't need that either. Allowing him to have that forage source every other day is giving him the choice of what and when he eats and causing his rumen populations to fluctuate. The microbe populations used to process forage are not the same as the populations used to properly digest a high starch ration. You've got to build the population you want to use over time, which leads back to consistency being the key to pushing gains. Even the flakes of hay should only be given in an amount that's just enough to provide adequate scratch factor, rumen flow, and gut health.

Rinsing him 4 times a day could even be affecting his performance. Cattle naturally have a graze/rest cycle they establish throughout the day. It even fluctuates depending on the time of the year. You're replaced the graze with the bucket, but if you're getting him up to rinse too often, or at the wrong time, the rumen and the body in general aren't being allowed to settle into a proper somewhat natural routine.

Feeding cattle is a bit of an art form derived from a bunch of science. It's why so many "my steer won't eat" questions basically go unanswered online even though some very experienced feeders probably read the question. No mater how many hours of ruminant nutrition you've sit through or how many years you've read bunks in the real world, if you can't see the animal/routine in person you're often basically left making a wild ass guess.

 

[Wildmustang777]

Ohhh ok!! No he wasn't held back! Ok I won't turn him out in 7-10 acres... Is a round pen ok? He was in the 7-10 acres because he came in cooler in the mornings 

He is super hot.. It's Florida..  (lol). I will rinse him when he I see him standing up!!

I WILL definitely be more consistent  ;D ;D

Thanks!!!

 

[Medium Rare]

I always liked to use a 1/4 to 1/2 acre or so paddock that I kept grazed down tight with heifers during the day. Good clean dry turf the steers could try to graze on, but really couldn't get any grass out of it. A lot of people use dirt lots that they keep loose and clean so it's soft on their joints as they get older after being penned up under fans all day. They definitely need to be let out to stretch and take advantage of the cooler temps, but you just can't let it affect the balance of the ration on the steers that are not packing the pounds on.

 

[Wildmustang777]

Yes definitely!! The round pen has an arena attached to it with golf course grass  (lol)


Also forgot to ask... Is 12% protein and 2.5% fat ok for him? I forgot what the fiber is... I will look tomorrow!!
Thanks 

 

[Wildmustang777]

Fiber is 10%..


Also just found out his sire is out of eye candy!!!  (clapping)

 

[CAB]

With 10% fiber built into the ration IMO you don't need to be feeding him any other source of roughage.

 

[IDM Farms]

Take my opinion for what it’s worth, but seems to me like he never gets a break! Let him relax and maybe only rinse him once a day or every other day. And up his fat content. And like medium rare said don’t turn him out in a big lot, he will burn to much energy

 

[Wildmustang777]

Ok!! Put him in the round pen tonight.. Will see how he's eating tommorow!! Only rinsed him once today 

Is 2.5 fat ok? And do I need to change anything when I'm trying to finish him out? Just trying to figure it out now before it's to late!!  ;D

Thanks for the responses!!!  <beer>

 

[IDM Farms]

Sometimes when you change a steers routine they might go off feed for a little, but will get adjusted, depends on your steer if he needs higher fat% , I start to finishing my steers 120 days out from show that way I can make adjustments as needed. If he doesn’t seem to have enough fat cover bump it up some later

 

[aj]

I take it every night before I go to bed.

 

[Wildmustang777]

Yes!! It does help with sleep 

In my opinion he doesn't have enough fat cover... So He would need a 3.5% fat feed?

Thanks  ;D

 

[IDM Farms]

I feed a 4%