Looking for a bit of help with weight gains. Have a shed full of dairy cross aax and hex all from the same farm. On straw beds plenty water 2 large open water troughs. Good ventilation. All doses for back leg pneumonia and wormed 2 weeks before housing. All eating well about a round bale ever 2 days plenty head space can all feed at once with no fighting for space. 10month old cattle average age. Daily gains are around 0.6kg ( some way below some nicely above) but the most are in and around 0.5 to 0.6, getting 25kg morning feed and 25kg evening feed of 19% protein premium ration. 30animals in total. Is it down to not having fantastic silage this year due to the bad summer. Or am I missing something. All animals are healthy in appearance except for ring worm. This is my second year rearing cattle on my own. Should I be happy with that 0.6kg average.
Young stock weight gains.
- Thread starter Pa O
- Start date
Ozzy Scott
Well-Known Member
That's about the run of it at this time of the year given the type of animals, and if there aren't been overly pushed. you will hear plenty of super hero weight gains, but I would take them with a pinch of salt, I would be more targeting the yearly weight gain. Good silage is very subjective to individual farmers, but its an absolute must to make money at cattle to have outstanding silage
I think many are in same boat this year with silage. Did you test your silage to see what it is like quality wise.
We never tested for years, but I was miffed by their gains over last few years. Poor silage is a killer in all livestock businesses. Turns out the soil indexes in our silage fields had depleted as well as cutting on the late side so we have to work on them this year.
Your ADG looks fine for AAx and Hex. I think Teagasc states 0.7kg/day at this stage, so you're not a million miles away.
We never tested for years, but I was miffed by their gains over last few years. Poor silage is a killer in all livestock businesses. Turns out the soil indexes in our silage fields had depleted as well as cutting on the late side so we have to work on them this year.
Your ADG looks fine for AAx and Hex. I think Teagasc states 0.7kg/day at this stage, so you're not a million miles away.
We've always had similar stock, but higher weight gains than the above. I'd put it down to good silage. We've always had great silage due to having our own way of making it. The silage is very mediocre this year, I'd say that's a lot of it.
Have you tested the silage? It's one thing knowing it's not great by looking at it, but it's another to have it tested
Seedsower
Well-Known Member
I don't think that's a fair appraisal.
Ideally they would be weighed 2 weeks after housing to allow for changing diets and surroundings,then at least 6 weeks later.
A weighing interval of a month or less is easily skewed.
For here with continental weanlings on good bale silage and around 2kgs meal .8kg gain is the normal.
Actually feeding more meal this year,haven't been weighing much but.by the appearance of the cattle they.arent doing anything great
I think the weighing period above in my reply was 2 months.
I wasn’t putting it out there thinking it’s great I should have expanded more.
My point being that even with nearly 3kg of meal and good silage the ADG was only .85
Seedsower
Well-Known Member
My apologies, I read it as the 10 Nov housing date for some stupid reason.
2 months is a good time frame.
I don't know how much more than. 85 would be generally achieved with small.animals on silage and.meal.
Only guessing but its not like a really young calf on a cows milk plus creep feed.
I don't think gains in excess of 1 kg per day would be possible unless they were compensating for a lean period before,which is more likely with older stock.
I am giving 3 kgs since they are settled in late November but i think i will halve it now.they are mostly bucket reared early maturing stock so pushing them won't pay the same as continentals long term I think.
Thanks for imput people. Ya tested some of the silage poor quality kinda knew this myself just the year that was in it i either baled it wet or else it was gone to head by the time it was knocked and baled. But I'm kinda stuck with it so I'll be hoping they do better when I get them to grass.
mixed fleet
Well-Known Member
What is there average weight.
I suppose it’s all about the breeding. As they say an ounce of feeding is worth a ton of feeding!!!
No comparison in dairy stock to continentals on the cow. But it’s amazing that I have some doing 1.2 a day and others doing .3 They got everything the same since day one. Just shows how there can be such a difference
About 250kg would be average. Between 8months and 10months. Few hanging around 200kg and a few tipping the 300kg but majority is around the 250kg
Ya seems to similar to mine
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Green Grass
Well-Known Member
I am just wondering here but are the cattle actually bunched acording to weight like a 200kg animal will be bullied by a 260kg animal ,would this account for the difference with weight gain the 260kg animal would be gulping more then double the ration of the smaller lad
Bullying doesn't seem to be a problem as they can all line up at the feed barrier at the same time to feed and there's a small bit extra space even for them. I feed the ration into troughs on top of the silage and take them off when finished so they all seem to get the same amount of ration.
mixed fleet
Well-Known Member
That's alright for their age,
I'd say you're silage is letting you down.
30 weans @ 250kg should be eating nearly a bale a day.
I think your right. Ya they've plenty in front of them so access to it isn't the problem just rubbish silage I guess. Would you think I should bump up ration or is this just adding an unnecessary cost.
Yes your right there. Hard to get good suckler weanlings and mega bucks. But they do become serious cattle compared to the dairy beef.
Green Grass
Well-Known Member
My point is some cattle are just slow eating the ration while the animal next to them can gulp it down fast ,like the lite 200kg angus lad who is adg only .2kg might not be getting his fair share of meal
mixed fleet
Well-Known Member
Your feeding 50kg/day to 30 weans, I wouldn't increase it at this stage.
Get them out as soon as you can even if you could put out a few of the smaller ones and give them the ration outside.
Thanks
That's probably true I see your point there. Thanks I might split them up.
Horses n Cattle
Well-Known Member
They’ll do a good thrive when they get out, liked mixed said even getting out the smaller ones asap will give them a good start. You won’t know them stock come July assuming they going out on good land