Question: I am feeding 6 pigs, 2 per pen show pig grower, I love it! My concern is Chester gilt, Poland gilt both have swollen joints. I walk them daily on grass. Is it too much protein? They weigh 145 lbs. I am a firm believer in your products, just need your guidance!

Answer: Brad,

Thank you for your question and for choosing Honor Show Chow.

Protein either high or low will not cause swelling in joints. That is normally caused by an infection. In pigs the size of yours it is usually caused by mycoplasma pneumonia which manifests itself as arthritis. I suggest contacting your local veterinarian immediately.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon
Honor Show Chow Nutritionist

Question: What does Fitter 35 do for a lamb?

Answer: Amy,

Thank you for your question.

High Octane Fitter 35 is designed to help burn fat and promote muscle. It also does a nice job of hardening muscle.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon
Honor Show Chow Nutritionist

Question: Feeding a Berkshire Gilt for show. She was born January 9th. She is on L200 19%. She weighs 160 lbs. She is eating a little over 6 lbs a day. She has good muscling and had been putting on a little less than 2 lbs a day. She has dropped to about a pound and a quarter. I would like to keep her gain up and maintain her good shape and muscling. Any suggestions?

Answer: Michael,

Thank you for your question and for choosing Honor Show Chow.

If you are not currently on a regular deworming schedule, I suggest deworming once per month, about every 30 days. I also suggest transitioning to our Showpig Finisher product. This product will more closely meet the nutrient requirements of your gilt.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon
Honor Show Chow Nutritionist

Question: We have a 175 lb barrow we want to show in 2 weeks and the pig is meaty enough and relatively deep sided but want to get more mass (fill) to the rib. He is on SHOW PIG FINISHER now.

Answer: Gary,

Thank you for your question and for choosing HONOR Show Chow.

I suggest adding High Octane Depth Charge at 8 oz per day. In 2 to 3 days, increase to 1 lb per day (along with the regular diet).

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist

Question: I have a few questions. I emailed you about a group of lambs that I wanted to push for a sale in the beginning of June. They are on full feed and getting 2 oz/hd/day of power fuel and 8 oz/hd/day of champion drive. Growing well and looking good. I have a couple that are still a little spongy. Granted they are young but is there anything I can do to harden them up? I doubt it since they are still young but I thought I would ask. Secondly, we have a wether we are trying to hold for a bit. My friend is doing as you recommended but I wanted to ask you why you did not suggest fitter 35 in the ration but the feeding strategies? Just curious. Lastly, when it comes to electrolytes in the drinking water what is your recommendation? Does it matter if it has 60% in the electrolytes and do you recommend lactic bacteria or yeast in the electrolytes for rumen health?

Answer: Derek,

You can use Fitter 35 to harden the lambs. However, it is designed to burn fat. In the last communication you were wanting to add cover. So, it would have been counter productive.

However, for the lamb that have enough cover, and you do wish to harden them up a bit, yes High Octane Fitter 35 would be very useful. I suggest 4 to 8 oz per day along with regular diet.

I suggest using a dilute electrolyte solution. That is one that per foil pack would make 2 to 3 gallons of electrolyte water.

There is already Diamond V Yeast culture in the Showlamb Grower DX and Power Fuel.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist

Question: I have a 12 month old Red Angus heifer that my daughter is showing and we are using Fitters Edge Show Chow. She has put on weight and looks great, she loves it because its the sweetest feed we can find. We are wanting to AI here within the next few months. Which feed should we switch to after these two last shows? Are we even using the correct feed on her now to get the most bang? I think she needs to gain more weight. This is our second year in showing and with all the unwanted advice we get I want to make sure we are doing the right thing for the heifer and my daughter.

Answer: Melissa,

Thanks for the pictures!

I agree, the heifer has made some significant changes (for the better).

I think you need to be careful as she could get overly conditioned on you real quick. She looks great condition wise to me. In the DSCN0007 picture, she is starting to get some condition deposited in her brisket.

With that in mind, I would transition her from the HSC Fitters Edge to the HSC Full Control as follows:

75% HSC Fitters Edge:25% HSC Full Control for 3 to 5 days
50% HSC Fitters Edge:50% HSC Full Control for 3 to 5 days
25% HSC Fitters Edge:75% HSC Full Control for 3 to 5 days
100% HSC Full Control

I would target 15 to 18 lbs/hd/d feeding rate. Offer free choice medium quality grass hay.

If you think she needs more gain, topdress 8 to 10 oz/hd/d of our High Octane Power Fuel.

Please take a look at the 60# stress tub. This is an excellent source of mineral and quality nutrition that you can place in her pen/trap. Consumption will be fairly low (3 to 5 oz/hd/d), so it will last a long time. This might be beneficial since you will be breeding her soon.

For future reference, feed the HSC Fitters Edge until the heifers have the desired amount of condition (10 to 14 months of age roughly; this will vary with breed type), then move to the HSC Full Control to maintain them.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

THANK YOU,

Steven E. Myers, Ph.D.
Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC
Consulting Beef Nutritionist

Question: We have 3 show heifers on feed. One heifer will be a year old on June 23. The other two are 6 months old. I do not want to get the older heifer to fat but I would like to get more volume to her. We have one more show in June then off until August or September. The two little heifers do not seem to be gaining or filling out like they should. I know this is not the best way to make feed but this is what we mix every evening.
Crack Corn 24 lbs
Whole Oats 15 lbs
Cottonseed Hulls 7 lbs
Grand 4T Fyer 9 lbs
Alfala Pellets 4 lbs
Oil 3 qts that weight 2 lbs each.
I got everything weigh out but how much we feed each heifer. They all get the same 3 scoops each which is a 3qt scoop morning and evening. What do I need to change up? I need more gain and volume out of the little heifers but not on other heifer.

Answer: Stephanie,

Thank you for contacting the HONOR Show Chow website!

Please take a look at the attached pdf file.

You should always use the HSC Grand 4T Fyer at a 20% inclusion. You might be trying to save on cost, but it is costing you more in the long run (not getting the performance).

Are you positive that you are feeding 6 lbs of oil? As you can see, the Crude Fat of your current ration is EXTREMELY high.

Please consider the use of my recommended ration.

Ideally, you need to sort the big heifer from the two smaller heifers at the time of feeding.

I would also recommend adding 2 to 3 lbs/hd/d of our High Octane Depth Charge to the ration to get the additional volume you are seeking. Introduce this slowly at 0.5 lb/hd/d, and increase by 0.5 lb/hd/d every 3 to 5 days (up to the 2 to 3 lb/hd/d feeding rate).

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Steven E. Myers, Ph.D.
Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC
Consulting Beef Nutritionist

Question: This is our first year showing a steer. He is an FFA project and bought through the school. All of the Charolais came to us with pneumonia and are currently being treated for it. At arrival he weighed 528 lbs. The show is the end of January 2013. Currently, we cannot get him to eat feed. He will eat hay, and sometimes alfalfa, but not his feed. He is drinking water. My concern is we are approaching the very hot summer months when cattle tend not to eat much due to the extreme summer heat. Can you please give us some feeding suggestions to get him to eat his feed as well as a guide for continued feeding and any supplements we should administer in order to be successful with this animal?

Answer: Trisha,

Thank you for contacting the HONOR Show Chow website!

Congratulations on your new FFA project! Unfortunately, these things happen.

Considering his health challenges, we have to try to overcome those issues first.

1. Make sure his water is clean (cleaned daily).
2. Please see 60# Stress Tub. I would offer one of these in his pen. It will last a long time, as consumption will only be 3 to 6 oz/hd/d.
3. Lets try to start him on our Preconditioning/Receiving Chow. Start with 8 to 10 lb/hd/d. Work him up to 15 to 17 lb/hd/d. Feed this for 18 to 21 days. DO NOT OFFER ANY HAY during this time.
4. Then transition him over to our HSC Fitters Edge as follows:
75% Preconditioning/Receiving Chow:25% HSC Fitters Edge for 3 to 5 days
50% Preconditioning/Receiving Chow:50% HSC Fitters Edge for 3 to 5 days
25% Preconditioning/Receiving Chow:75% HSC Fitters Edge for 3 to 5 days
100% HSC Fitters Edge for 3 to 5 days
5. When you begin the transitions, offer free choice medium quality grass hay (NOT ALFALFA).
6. After he is on the HSC Fitters Edge for 21 days, then start topdressing the High Octane Heavy Weight. Start slow at 2 oz/hd/d and increase slowly at 2 oz every 3 to 5 days. PLEASE FOLLOW THIS STEP UP PROCEDURE. Work him up to 12 oz/hd/d.

Please let me know if you have any questions or problems.

Thank you,

Steven E. Myers, Ph.D.
Land O’Lakes Purina Feed LLC
Consulting Beef Nutritionist

Question: I have two great looking hogs, one is heavily muscled and the other is sound and large framed so two different kinds of hogs. One weighs 124 lbs and other weighs 120 lbs, they get fed about 3 lbs of the show pig grower 19.5% and 1 lb of oats each feeding and full time water access. I was wondering if the weights of these pigs are too large or too small. My fair is the third week of July and the weight limit is 220 to 300 lbs.

Answer: Ben,

Thank you for your question and for your choice of HONOR Show Chow.

If you desire your pigs to be at 280 lbs or so, they can average a little over 2 lbs per day gain between now and your show. So, weight wise they are on track.

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist

Question: We show Hampshire ewe and ram lambs and would like to get maximum growth with out too much body condition, some ewe lambs seem to get fat at 120 to 140 lbs and have occasional rectal prolapse, can we feed to help prevent this problem?

Answer: Bill,

Thank you for your question.

Pushing lambs takes energy (calories). Unfortunately, that extra energy can also deposit excess body fat, both externally and internally. My experience with rectal prolapsing is that coughing is the number one cause. However, the accumulation of internal fat aggravates this condition brought on by coughing and shortens the amount of time it takes for the lamb to actually prolapse.

On our feeding program, I suggest our HONOR Show Chow Showlamb Grower DX. This is an 18% crude protein feed that will result in rapid growth but not excessive fat accumulation. Feed 3 to 4% of the lambs bodyweight per day along with some good quality alfalfa hay (double handful at minimum about 1/4 lbs per day).

To increase growth rate by adding supplemental energy, I suggest adding our High Octane Power Fuel to the regular feed, beginning at 4 oz per day per lamb. By adding Power Fuel you can speed up growth rate, and have control over the amount of energy in the lambs diet. If you notice that the lambs are getting a little fat, you can decrease Power Fuel. If the lambs are not getting fat, you might consider increasing Power Fuel to 8 oz per day.

If the lambs do get too fat, you can also add High Octane Fitter 35 at 8 to 12 oz per day along with the regular feed. Fitter 35 will help burn fat and decrease the amount of body fat, and harden muscle. Allow 21 to 28 days or so, for Fitter 35 to accomplish this should you need it.

The key to growth is energy. However, excess energy results in an accumulation of body fat. Again, if that happens Fitter 35 is a valuable tool.

Also, for the prolapse problem. I would be remiss if I did not mention that genetics also plays a role. But, reducing or preventing coughing is the number one thing you can do to prevent this. (keep dust to minimum, stay on a regular deworming program as migrating larvae can cause coughing).

Thanks again,

Dr. Kevin Burgoon
HONOR Show Chow Nutritionist