How to feed your calf so that it gains weight consistently

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The fattening of bulls is one of the main tasks of the farmer, who is raising animals for meat. Knowing the weight of the calf by months, you can correctly calculate the diet of a representative of the cattle and determine the features of caring for him at all stages of growth.

Calf weight by month

Many breeders believe that the most effective period for gaining weight is in the first few months of their life. During this period, proper care becomes the basis for a strong and healthy body.

The Importance of Feeding the Newborn Calf

The task of every farmer after the calving of the cows is to water the calves with colostrum. This product is an irreplaceable source of vitamins and minerals that create strong and healthy immunity from the first hours of the animal's life. Its distinguishing feature from ordinary milk is its higher protein content, which is the basis for the formation of a strong body.

It is important to feed the newborn bulls with colostrum in the first hour after calving. Every farmer should do this exactly in the first 60 minutes after birth. Any delay in drinking increases the likelihood of bull death and poor performance in the future. Such animals grow poorly and are poorly amenable to weight gain.

How to feed newborn calves

In order for the calf to grow and develop quickly, it is necessary to know about the peculiarities of its feeding. The main task is to create strong immunity, which will create the necessary conditions for the baby to develop faster, because during the first month of life, the animal needs it most of all, therefore, from the first day, the little bull must be fed 5-6 times a day. Special nipple bottles are used for this. It is necessary to correctly select the diameter of the hole in them so that the desoldering does not cause:

• dullness of the sucking reflex;
• cheesy formations in the abomasum;
• swallowing large portions of milk.

It is best to give fresh milk to calves, although frozen milk can also be used. The main thing is that it has a temperature of 37-38 ° C. Many livestock breeders also use bulk milk from different cows for feeding. The antibodies that such a product receives create a strong immunity to infectious diseases. Such methods are also encouraged when the mother of the calves is suffering from mastitis. If the farmer does not know the nuances of how to feed the bull so that he gains weight, there will be no gain, as well as benefits from a calf.

Feeding scheme for calves in the first month from birth

Each newborn calf weighs 30-40 kg. Depending on the built diet and the characteristics of immunity, the animal already by the 30th day gains a weight gain of 10-15 kg. But achieving such indicators is not so easy, much depends on the farmer himself. It is important to consider the nuances of feeding, which include:

• the need to water newborn calves 5-6 times a day;
• a gradual decrease in the frequency of feeding by day 30 to 3-4 times a day;
• use of bulk milk;
• feeding through a nipple (each bull has its own one, and after each feeding it is disinfected);
• use of fortified supplements;
• gradual transition to roughage.

Switching to solid food

The second month of the bull's life differs from the first by the introduction of solid food rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates into the diet. For such purposes, a starter compound feed is used, which is introduced into the daily menu to replace milk feeding. The calf's weight gained during this time can be 1.5 - 2 times higher than its birth weight, but its cicatricial digestive system is still weak, which cannot be ignored. The starter feed allows you to soften the transition to hay, grass and other foods. It contains foods that can be easily digested by the stomach:

• crushed corn, barley and wheat;
• skimmed milk powder;
• meal;
• feed yeast;
• feed fat;
• sugar and salt.

From the second month, such food becomes the main one for the young bull. All the nutrients necessary for good health and active growth, the animal receives from this feed. Already in the second week of using the starting compound feed, cicatricial digestion is normalized, so the farmer should, with the beginning of the transition to solid food, add a small amount of hay to the diet. Its quantity increases daily by 150-200 g. It is equally important to add silage and haylage.

When the calf begins to gain weight quickly

Calves, whose monthly weight depends on the characteristics of the diet, develop faster with a complete transition to solid food. Most often, this period begins from the end of the second or the beginning of the third month. The animal organism by this time becomes ready to digest any food and needs a large amount of protein. The weight of bulls at this age is 90-110 kg. How to feed a young bull so that he gains weight is shown in the table:

Males differ from females by appetite. Bulls do not need to be persuaded to eat all the food, they easily empty any container with food. In order for the calf to gain weight, it is necessary to select the right feed, which will contain a large amount of protein and have a high energy value. The main reason is a decrease in the amount of milk consumed. Soy-based concentrates are a good substitute. These foods are rich in vegetable protein, but have one drawback: poor digestibility. Feed additives can help solve this problem. One portion of such compound feed should contain:

• 22% chopped soybeans;
• 20% corn;
• 23% barley;
• 30% peas;
• 5% minerals and premix.

The protein necessary for mass gain with such a consumption will be useful and completely replace the trace elements contained in milk. In addition, each farmer can make such mixtures on his own, without buying expensive ready-made feed. As a result, the breeder expects a bull's weight gain.

Most often, the main increase in bulls occurs in the period from 6 to 12 months. This is due to the fully formed muscle mass and musculoskeletal system. In just six months, starting from this time, the weight gain increases by 1.5-2 times.

Features of keeping calves from four months to a year

A cattle accustomed to solid food requires a gradual increase in portions. So, from the fourth month, the mass of bulls reaches 140 kg and has a daily increase of 400-500 g. This result is achieved simply: it is enough to increase the mass of compound feed by 1-1.5 kg daily. Constant access to water is also important - even for walking in the pasture, the farmer should choose places near fresh water sources.

During the summer, sun walks are limited to two hours. In winter - 20-30 minutes. The best location is near the barn, on an area free of snow and ice.A platform under a specially equipped canopy is also suitable.

From the seventh month, the bulls are completely transferred to three meals a day. During this period, their muscle mass is completely ready to increase and develop. If from the moment of birth a young bull has been eating properly, then by the 7th month it should weigh up to 200 kg, and those individuals that weigh less than 150 kg require fattening. You can build up the mass faster by increasing the portions of the feed. It is also required to increase the dose of vitamins and minerals.

Basic rules for feeding bulls

Low calf weight is an indicator of inaccuracies in the nutrition and management of the animal. If other peers of the cattle weigh more, and the farmer wants to correct this problem, you should take care of the animal's diet - the processes of feeding and fattening.

Especially often, such methods are used several months before the slaughter of a bull. Some farmers are against the use of foraging (eating grass from pastures) due to the low energy value of consuming such food, which cannot be said about keeping in a stall and abundant feeding with compound feed (fattening).

Feeding types

In order for the bull to gain weight, one of the types of feeding is used for subsequent slaughter and butchering of the carcass:

• Short type. Duration - 1-3 months. It is used for cattle that do not require much weight gain. The most appropriate age for starting the procedure is 1.5 years.
• Medium type. To feed the bull so that it gains weight using this method begins at 1.3-1.6 years. Duration of fattening is 4-7 months. The effect is an increase in weight by 100-150 kg.
• Continuous feeding. Takes 8 to 12 months of moderate feeding. The effect is an increase in weight up to 350 kg.

The choice of the type of feeding depends on how much the representatives of cattle weigh between the ages of 17 and 19 months. The need for such a procedure is determined for the very purpose, because the rearing of calves is carried out to gain meat mass and profit from it.

Basic Rules

The fattening of the bull for slaughter is carried out taking into account such rules as:

• Minimum physical activity of living creatures. The less the bull moves, the faster it will gain mass.
• Abundant intake of foods rich in proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Compound feed, fresh grass, hay, food waste - anything will do. The main thing is to give the animal food in large portions.
• Adding beer grains, vinasse and vitamins to the diet. The healthier the animal is, the faster it gains weight.

In order for a calf or an adult bull to gain weight, it is closed in a stall for 3-4 months. During this period, he must gain 50-100 kg. Sometimes the length of time for such a keeping of the bull is increased to 8 months and even up to one year in order to obtain a higher carcass weight. The well-known phrase "feed for slaughter", and it fully characterizes the process of fattening, because over a period of 12 months, a healthy one should have gained an increase in weight of 200-250 kg.

When slaughter is carried out

When raising cows, every farmer should be guided by the demand for a particular product.

Some livestock breeders keep cattle for milk. Others are meat products. A farmer for keeping livestock for slaughter must do everything in his power to make the finished product tender, healthy and tasty. There are some peculiarities of this ruthless but necessary procedure that the breeders are guided by. All of them relate to the taste of meat.

To obtain a non-fibrous pulp, calves are slaughtered at the age of 1.3-1.5 years. Such a product has a great biological value: it is easy to digest and contains a large amount of amino acids. Young beef is often used to feed the sick and children, and has considerable market value.

The coarse-fibrous, fatty pulp is suitable for preparing rich first courses. A high percentage of fat and a lower quality of the product affects its value.If the main goal is to obtain just such beef, the cattle are slaughtered at the age of 20-24 months.

Both products are in demand on the market, but they differ in cost. For a farmer, the price of meat products is a payment for hard, long work and the money spent on caring for livestock.