Backgrounding Calves by Mike Mehren Ph.D.

Backgrounding Calves
BY MIKE MEHREN

Many calves are weaned onto a truck and sent to a backgrounding feedlot to grow them prior to finishing. The time in the backgrounding lot can be broken into three periods. (1) Receiving, (2) Starting, and (3) Growing.

During the Receiving period we could describe our goals for the calves in 4 broad areas. One is to manage the stress of shipping, a second is to correct nutrient deficiencies, third might be parasite management, and finally immunization against diseases to which they will be exposed in our facility.

Pens should be scraped and well-mounded during the summer months. This preparation not only makes a better environment for the calves during the fall and winter by reducing mud problems, but also helps to reduce some of the organisms in the soil that cause health problems. Spreading some hydrated lime around water troughs has been beneficial when fighting consistent footrot problems. Dust control is a big part of
reducing stress. Remember, the calves haven’t been exposed to heavy dust ever. The pen can be watered down to help reduce dust. Crowding calves the first 24 to 30 hr. in a small pen helps to reduce dust, because there isn’t much room to walk the fence and bawl. Bales of straw can be put in the pen next to the fence to also provide an obstacle to walking the fence.

Two huge stressing factors are lack of water and feed. The calves probably didn’t get a chance to eat this morning at the best; at the worst it may be 24 hr. or more. During this time, not only did they not get a chance to drink water, but also their fear and stress caused them to ‘shrink’ or lose weight during their trip.

Our goal is to correct that situation as soon as possible. All other needs are secondary to getting the calves to eat and drink. This is done many different ways. For example, a feedlot may have a receiving pen, which is used just for this purpose. Water is left running in the trough. Calves not only need to smell water, but they need to hear it as well. For many of them, this will be there first drink out of a trough, or in a pen. The water trough should be as clean as possible. Drain it, and scrub with a mixture of 5 % bleach and water to sanitize. Rinse and fill and you’re ready for the calves.

The feed bunk should have fresh hay waiting for the calves. The ideal hay is grass, because it smells and looks about like the feed they were eating before this trip began. A grassy/alfalfa, grain hay, or clean pea hay are also good choices. High quality alfalfa hay (20% protein or more) should be avoided because it seems to cause digestive upset and diarrhea. Some people topdress a mixture of grain and supplement on top of the hay shortly after the cattle are put in the pen, while others prefer to feed only hay for the first day or two.

Starting the cattle. This period follows the first 24 to 30 hr. and should extend to the first 30 days the calves are in the lot. In a finishing lot, moving the cattle as rapidly as possible onto the final finish ration is standard practice. This is because the finish ration has the highest energy available for gain and costs the least per unit gain. This practice isn’t warranted in the backgrounding lot. Changing rations and moving the cattle up to the growing ration are stresses, I believe that frequent ration changes in the first 3 weeks add to stress. During that time, cattle have viruses and other disease causing agents that are trying to develop into a full-blown disease. Our vaccination program is fighting against them to prevent this outbreak.

The receiving ration is a more concentrated source of nutrition than the growing ration, because at least in the beginning, calves aren’t eating much at all. We attempt to feed them a very palatable ration that is heavily fortified with vitamins and minerals. It may also include things such as chelated minerals, probiotics, yeast, and possibly an additive to prevent coccidiosis. The ration doesn’t have to be a fancy mix from a feed manufacturer. It can be as simple as your grain, your hay, and a supplement that contains all of the fortifying ingredients mentioned above. If you don’t have grain, it can be a mix of grain and supplement from a feed manufacturer. It isn’t cost effective to buy hay, grain, and supplement all from a feed manufacturer. Hopefully you have your own hay; if not send the calves to someone else to feed! The receiving ration is usually high in dry matter and doesn’t contain fermented feeds. Some calves just don’t recognize the silage smell and won’t eat for a few days. Some high moisture feeds that seem to really attract calves to the feedbunk are carrots and apple pomace.

After about 30 days on the Receiving ration, the calves are moved onto Starter ration. This ration is used to increase the amount of energy (TDN) in the feed and also to introduce by-products and fermented feeds such as potato waste, corn silage, or grass seed screenings. If your goal is about 2 lb/day gain, this ration may be the final one used while the calves are in your lot. If gains of 3 lb/day are desired, then a Grower ration will be fed. Any ration change that you make should be done slowly! This is really important. A simple way to change rations is to feed current ration in the morning and new ration in the afternoon for three days before feeding new ration all of the time.

In backgrounding lots we are asked to produce gains from 1 to 3 lb/day. One ration won’t do this very well. Generally speaking, the more gain is desired the more grain or grain substitute will be fed. The following table gives you a rough idea of some rations that would work within the 1 to 3 lb gain range.

Our calves arrive weighing 500 lb; some customers want them to weigh 600 lb in the 100 days they are under our care; while some want them to weigh 700 lb. and others want them to weigh 800 lb. Our hay is valued at $150.00/ ton fed to the cattle. Our grain costs $170/ton fed, and the Vit/Min is $700/ton (It is loaded for bear...maybe even griz!!)

Feed	Cost/lb	Ave Daily Feed, lb	Gain Daily, lb.	Feed Cost/lb gain
Alfalfa Hay .	075	18	1-1.25	.
Vit/Min	.35	1.5 oz		$1.24

Alfalfa Hay	.075	16	1.5
Corn	.085	3
Vit/Min	35	1.5 oz		$.99

Alfalfa Hay	.075	14	2.0
Corn	.085	6
Vit/Min	.35	1.5 oz		$.80

Alfalfa Hay	.075	10	3.0
Corn	.085	12
Vit/Min	.35	1.5 oz		$.60

Alfalfa $150/ton, Corn $170/ton, Vit/Min $700/ton.

Notes:
1. We expect the calves to get compensatory gain. This happens when feed quality has not been optimum while they were still on the cow.
2. The cost of gain is just for feed. To get total cost you would at least need to add yardage, death loss, medicine, and other costs associated with feeding cattle.
3. If you have silage or other high moisture feed that replaces the corn shown, be certain to correct for moisture when you estimate how much the calves will eat.
For instance, a ration for 2 lb daily gain using alfalfa hay and corn silage would be: Alfalfa Hay $.075 7 lb
Corn Silage $.02 46 lb ($40/ton)
Vit/Min $.35 1.5 oz $.74

I’d like to pass an ‘atta boy’ along to the many ranchers that are out beating the brush right now looking for substitutes for hay and grain. Those that wait until October to get feed bought may find it’s tough to find at any price.

ERGOT ALERT. I have received word from Experiment Station Scientists and an Extension Service Agent regarding high levels of ergot in feeds coming from the Grande Ronde valley and surrounding areas (possibly Baker Co and Wallowa Co). Ergot is a fungus that grows in the seed head of bluegrass, different ryegrasses, fescues, and grain. It may be concentrated in grain screenings. It looks like little black or purple grains of rice. Ergot is not evenly distributed around a field; it may all be concentrated in a corner or some other location. Therefore, getting an ergot test does not mean you’re home free. You should still inspect the suspect grain, hay, or screenings. To have a suspect feed tested, send it to University of Missouri Plant Pathology Lab, P O Box 6023, Columbia, MO 65202-6023. The lab phone number is 573-882-6811. Dr. Tim Evans is in charge of the lab. There are no labs in the Pacific Northwest that test for ergot toxin at present.

The ergot fungus produces a toxin that causes gangrene. This means that the tissue dies and that dead tissue eventually falls or sloughs off. The reduced blood supply may also affect the fetus of pregnant cows. It is cumulative. That means that each day’s consumption of the toxin adds to the day before. So a little can build up into a major problem. Obviously, a big dose will cause immediate damage. It only takes 100 to 200 parts per billion to cause health and performance problems. If you have some infected feed, it is recommended that you feed your livestock no more than 0.1% of their dry matter daily. A cow eating 30 lbs of dry matter could be fed about ½ oz daily!
Bottom line: don’t feed it if there is ergot present at a level greater than 100 ppb.

Thanks to Drs. David Bohnert, Tim DelCurto, and Mr. Cory Parson for their warning about this potential feed toxicity problem.

Michael J. Mehren, Ph.D. is a livestock nutritionist who checked the BACKGROUND of his sister and found she was born to our mother, not found in the desert like her brother and I told her while growing up. He may be contacted in his laboratory at mehrens@eotnet.net.