The Best Way to Bulk Up Calves

Raising calves can be a money-making venture for a landowner. You can buy the calves cheaply at auction, then raise them with minimal investment to resell or slaughter for their meat, saving you a fortune at the grocery store. Knowing how to fatten up calves quickly and cheaply is essential.

  1. Good Health

    • Begin by making sure the calves are in the best health they can be. Worm them, treat any illness they have until they are fully recovered and get them eating solid foods. Once they have passed the young calf stage, are parasite-free and eating well, you can begin a serious plan to get them gaining weight.

    Feed

    • keep feed in front of your calves at all times. A 14 percent creep pellet should be made available to them in a container that keeps it fresh and dry. Also keep good quality hay or forage available at all times. This is important for gut health, and the better your calves can process the food they are eating, the fatter they will get. About 60 days before slaughter, start adding corn to your calves' diet to quickly add fat. Give them about 5 to 10 pounds of corn three times a day to make your calf as big as he can get in the last month.

    Limit Exercise

    • Pen up your calves. You want them to move around so their muscles do not waste, because muscles are good meat, but you do not want them running around and burning off any delicious fat. Use caution when you are in with them, however, as all those calories are going to make the calves frisky and you could easily get hurt.