Steer won't eat!!!!!!!

[Goinbroke]

I have a 8 mth old Angus steer. He has been at my place since the day he weaned, so we should be over any type of seperation issue.  My problem is that he only "picks" at his feed and hay.  I have tried different types of feeds even got a feed recipe from a longtime steerjock friend of mine and this steer still only picks at it.  I have exhausted all the resouces I have, so now I am going to turn to the experts on this forum.  Many people on here have been a huge help to me in the past and hopefully someone will have the answer I am lookin for to get this steer to turn onto his feed.  Just to add....he has not lost any weight and doesn't look like he is starving, I just think that he needs to be putting on more weight than he is.  This is our first steer as  we have only shown heifers in the past and I know how they need to look.  I am just really struggling with the steer.  I am including a pic of him taken yesterday, he just got bathed and blown out and was just standing there.  So please tell me what I can do to increase his feed intake.  Thanks

 

[tcole_KOFFA]

I've heard vitaferm works. And you can add molasses.

 

[Goinbroke]

His feed already has molasses added and I add Vitafirm to it.  Still just picks.  But thanks for the input.  I have heard of Ral-gro any input on that?

 

[PSC]

try the surechamp by vitafirm and give him a week on that it work wonder

 

[obie105]

If he picks at it he may not like something that is in it. I had a heifer that would pick through her feed and after switching brands a couple of times we did find one she loved and then she would stay on feed. What all is in your feed? Is he on free choice hay? He could also be tanking up on hay and just not wanting his feed. Hopefully this helps. Vita ferm does work to keep them on feed but if hes not eating only picking at it hes pry not eating enough to make a difference.

 

[OH Breeder]

Two things-
1- implant Revalor implant you can do 2 to start TSC carries them they are reasonably priced, easy to implant and have worked great for us on weight gain
2- Appetite express from sullivans or fast fat also works well. Moorman's makes fast fat and their is another brand similar that helps with weight gain and appetite.

Are you feeding free choice hay?

 

[Shorthorns4us]

What are his feeding times and routines?  Does he have feed in front of him at all times?

 

[twistedhshowstock]

If he is not going backwards and doesnt necessarily look bad, but you say he is only picking, I am going to assume you are leaving feed in front of him and giving him free choice hay.  When you feed, put feed in front of him, give him 20-30 minutes to clean it up.  If you have been leaving feed and hay in front of him, pull it wait 12 hours or so, and start by giving him a couple scoops.  If he cleans that up, then increase him the next feeding, increase him everyfeeding until he starts to leave feed.  Remember 20-30 minutes and pull the pan.  Feed morning and night, as close to 12 hours apart as possible, more importantly find times that consistantly work for you to feed, keeping them on a schedule and routine helps a lot.  During the day I dont allow mine access to hay or grass, only water, at night I turn them out and if there is no grass I just throw them a flake or 2 of hay.  If they are on a complete feed they dont really need any nutrient value from the hay, all they need is just enough grass hay to keep their gut healthy.  Its ok to let them get HUNGRY between feedings, if you let them get hungry then they will eat more voraciously and actually take in more feed.  What your steer is doing sounds pretty common for calves that have free choice feed available all the time.  Everytime they feel a little hungry they will go nibble a little bit, but if they dont get really hungry then they wont clean it up voraciosly.  This is the reason many diet plans tell you to eat more small meals throughout the day and never let you get hungry, you actually consume less calories that way ussually, but if you let yourself get really hungry and eat only a few meals a day, then you typically eat more. Same concept here.  Also I dont know what type of pen situation you have, but if he has free access to pasture around the clock, he will fill himself up on grass and not eat as much feed. 

 

[cowcrazy]

Is your steer in a pen by himself? Sometimes putting another steer or heifer in makes them compete for feed. <cowboy> Good luck!

 

[Goinbroke]

I appreciate all the inputs, but here is my routine and I will try and answer all the questions that have been brought up:

1) Feed 1/2 daily ration at 6 am.
    --I pull all three heifers and the steer out of their pens and their feed is placed for 20 min.  At which time I pull feed.
2) They all have free roam of their pens for several hours after this with nothing but water available to them.
3) They are tied to stand for a few hours at 3 pm.
4) Feed 1/2 daily ration at 6 pm.
    --They are again given 20 min to eat all tied together outside their pens.
5) They are excersied and brushed then turned out in the runs for the rest of the evening, at which time they are given 1 flake of hay for the heifers and 2 flakes for the steer.
    --The steer will have atleast 1 1/2 flakes left in the morning at 6 am.

I do feed Surechamp (8 oz per feeding), and my feed consist of the following; cracked corn, cotton seed hull, whole oats, soybean meal and molasses.  This is the current feed ration that he is on and it is the third different one I have tried. 

We try to stay on this schedule as much as possible, we never vary by more than 30 min either way.

Once again thanks for all the input!

 

[Goinbroke]

Is your steer in a pen by himself? Sometimes putting another steer or heifer in makes them compete for feed. <cowboy> Good luck!

He is in a pen by himself but all my calves are pulled out and fed toegther to get them used to the show enviroment.

 

[twistedhshowstock]

Is there grass growing in their runs...like enough for them to graze on and fill up? If not then try turning him and a heifer loose in a pen together to eat, make them compete for the same pan of feed, that will increase desire sometimes.

 

[OH Breeder]

Not sure what your worming regimen has been and when was the last time he had probiotics?

 

[Goinbroke]

Not sure what your worming regimen has been and when was the last time he had probiotics?

Every 45 days

 

[rackranch]

A lot of good advice here and I  agree with the implant and some appettite express paste to get him going.  I would also stop changeing his feed so much.  Pick a feed and stick with it.  Its not uncommon for a calve to pick at his feed when its changed or additives are added.  With some calves it takes time for them to get adjusted to feed changes.  I like to skip one feeding a week to keep them honest...G-Luck

 

[t42]

Vita Charge from the makers of Sure Champ.

I had the same exact problem with my heifer last year, she'd just pick and pick and pick and I also bought her off the Mom. I started her on the powder and I notced a difference almost immediately. If you don't think you could get him to eat the powder when you put it in his grain, get him started on the paste then switch over to the powder once he starts eating again.

I can't stress this enough -- this stuff works wonders.

 

[Clark Club Calves]

Have you seen him chewing his cud?

 

[simmyman67]

Try vita charge

 

[cowcrazy]

We also give some oral B-12 to stimulate appetite.

 

[rtmcc]

If you haven't ran him on Corid for coccideosis do that for 5 days.  You can drench him daily with the liquid form if he is not eating good enough to consume the pelleted form.  If the calves are watered in a stock tank instead of an automatic water cup you can treat the water with Corid for a week.  Your ration does not mention including any Bovatec or other coccidiostat.  Cocci affects a lot more young stock than people realize. They don't  necessarily have to have runny bloody manure to infected with cocci.

It's sure a cheep and easy  treatment.  You can also take a manure sample to your vet and have them check it for parasites and cocci.  If one has it, treat the hole group.

Just going off experience.
Ron
<cowboy>