It is the time of the year when we bangs vaccinate the heifer calves. So today we had the vet come up and get the job done. We ran them through the chute, and things went pretty well. Some of the heifers weren't crazy about going into the squeeze chute. I was surprised about that as they have never been caught in one before. The other times we worked them, they got their shots and went right through, without being caught. The calves are getting about a pound and a half of cake, and 7 or so pounds of alfalfa hay. Then they need to graze for the balance of their ration. They seem to be doing pretty fair, and they are out where they get lots of exercise in a decent sized pasture. It sure has eliminated the sickness so far. That is always a plus.
I don't think they need to put of lots of weight over the winter, but they need to grow frame so they can catch up next summer. I think it has worked as they have weighed just as much by the next fall as they did when we used to winter them in the lot.
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I've been running my replacement heifers the same way as this forever. My dad did it that way and I do too.
Cake, Hay and pasture raises a better heifer than the feed lot does. They kearn how to walk and grub for grass and survive in the world that you will be asking them too. They don't learn this in a feedlot.
Also, you can bring all kinds of diseases home from a feedlot. I've watched all my neighbors do the modern thing and send their calves to a feedlot and every one of them has had some kind of disease outbreak that they traced back to the feedlot.
It's a lot cheaper way to raise them too. Always a plus.
I agree with you Sam, that the cost is a big factor. We used to have a better feed base, and we wintered calves in our own lot on the ranch. That was when we ran quite a few yearlings, and it actually rained once in a while. But the calves are a lot more prone to get sick when they are locked up. That is for sure.
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