“Calf Growing Rations”
by Chris Reinhardt, feedlot specialist
After weaning and deciding to hold the calf on the ranch for a few months prior to selling, finishing out at home, or shipping to the feedlot, you’ll need to determine what your goals are for the growing phase. This decision should be driven by the markets (fed cattle, feeder cattle, and corn), the weather, your facilities, and available feed supplies. These factors will determine how long you decide to feed the calves, and at what rate of gain.
Assuming that you have an abundant supply of low-cost forage available, the question of desired rate of gain will drive your decision of how much grain and/or grain byproducts to incorporate. Generally, for growing or forage-based diets, we can assume grain byproducts to have nearly equivalent energy value to cracked corn, although some have more value than others. Typically it can be said that distillers grains (wet or dry) have about 105% the energy value of corn, corn gluten feed about 95%, soyhulls about 80%, wheat midds about 75%, and should be priced accordingly. These numbers will vary depending on the feeding situation and ingredients making up the rest of the diet. If silage is used, a higher inclusion rate of dry byproducts can be considered; if only dry forage is used, wet byproducts are an attractive alternative.
If you are feeding corn or sorghum silage and your goal is for the calves to gain about 1.80-2 lb per day, you will need a ratio of 50:50 forage:grain (as-fed basis); if your goal is 2.5 lb per day, you’ll need roughly a 65:35 ratio. Using a blend of alfalfa/grass hays, you’ll need a forage:grain ratio of 70:30 to achieve 1.80-2 lb ADG and a 50:50 ratio for 2.5 lb ADG. Distillers grains or corn gluten feed can help balance protein needs; otherwise you’ll need an additional protein source such as soybean meal, cottonseed meal, or a commercial protein supplement. You may also need to balance for additional Calcium, vitamins, and trace minerals. If you do not have excellent mixing equipment you should consider purchasing and blending a commercial base mix or supplement to ensure that all cattle receive a balanced diet and performance is optimized; this is also an excellent way to provide an ionophore.
