Growth Performance and Economic Comparisons of Two Starter Rations by Weaned Beef Calves

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Justin Kelley, Beth Leubbering, and Shannon Klepper.
Dr. Glenn Wehner, Faculty Mentor.

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Weight gain of newly weaned beef calves can have long term effects on total performance through harvest age. Faster gaining calves tend to maintain their edge until processing but the cost of this early gain is influenced by feed costs and efficiencies. Twenty newly weaned Gelbvieh calves were randomly assigned by sex and weight to one of two commercial rations. Weights were obtained biweekly for a 28 day trial. Total pen feed consumption was measured weekly and combined for the trial. Rations were proprietary and varied slightly in energy and protein content. Performance was similar for heifers (P>0.25) but differed for steers (P<0.05). Feed efficiency was similar (P<0.27) but cost of gain revealed a two-fold differential (P<0.05) between the two rations. It would appear that the rate of gain, although significantly different for steers, was not great enough overall to offset a two times higher cost of that gain.