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| I have a small herd of cows, bl/blwf,my wife and I run together usually around 10- 20 head. Our calves are generally born December to January. We do this for a couple reasons 1 our son shows a calf or two in 4H at the local fair and this is when they need to be born. 2 I am usually laid off from my construction job by then and can be home to help if we have any problems, but she's been doing a great job with it, and I think she'll be fine with out me, probably better, lol. We feed Purina stockergrower in a creep feeder starting about February 1st or so and let them get used to it . They're eating a little free choice hay with their mommas at the same time, and buy the time we ween around May 1st I move creep feeder with them and they are eating a round bale with no problem. Our Purina dealer suggested that we switch to Accuration 70/30 corn mix, and we did, the calves seemed slow to take to it.I realize I didn't slowly convert them over, and could of been some of the problem. When they finally cleaned up that load I sent the wife to pick up more Accu., to mix at 80/20 corn, she accidentally got stocker grower, I didn't realize it till I opened a bag next to the grinder mixer on Sunday, thought oh well it is what it is and mixed it. The calves ran through it like candy. By the time they had it cleaned up it was June 1st and that's the week I like to ship to local sale barn. Ending weights were 400-600#. I have read on here that you guys won't buy them if they were on the Accu. I am wondering why and if you feel the same about the stocker grower. We were feeding same rations with Cattle Charge, but it was $2 a bag more than Purina, that's one reason we switched (main reason).I have always fence line weaned the calves for a minimum 30 days along with 1st round vacs. some years 45 days depending on schedule and hay season going. We have never had any complaints from the sale barn and we seem to bring 10-20 cents higher than average sales. Always looking to improve the operation. We have fed out cattle and shipped to Dodge Kansas and the sheets have always come back choice plus or prime, so I think the genetics are there. What are your thoughts and opinions | |
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To the guys who buy calves, what's your opinion?
