With cattle prices still reaching historic heights, every calf that walks through the sale ring represents a sizable investment. At the Sioux Falls Regional Cattle Auction on September 28, 2026, the USDA reported steers at 442 pounds bringing $489 per hundredweight and 511-pound steers bringing $392.50. At those values, a live, healthy calf is worth protecting, and the first days around weaning, shipping, or receiving are not the time to leave nutrition to chance.
Stress can quickly reduce feed intake just when a calf needs energy, protein, vitamins, and trace minerals most. The goal of a good starter program is simple: get calves to the bunk, keep them eating, and support their natural defenses. Purina offers several options so producers can match the program to their forage, facilities, labor, and cattle.
Stress Care 5: Use the Forage You Have
Purina® Stress Care® 5 Supplement is a practical fit for producers with good-quality forage or pasture. Fed at 5 pounds per head per day with free-choice forage, this palatable pellet delivers concentrated protein, vitamins, and minerals in a small daily package. It contains RX3® Immune Support Technology and is designed to encourage intake, restore nutrients, and support calves through the stress of weaning or shipping. Top dress for just three weeks before continuing with your normal rations.
Precon: A Complete, Straightforward Ration
Purina® Precon® Complete is a highly palatable, nutrient-dense complete feed that already includes roughage. It can be fed as the sole ration, which makes it especially useful for freshly weaned, newly purchased, or higher-risk calves when simplicity and consistent nutrition matter. Precon also includes RX3 Immune Support Technology and is formulated to help calves begin eating dry feed quickly while rebuilding nutrients lost during stress.
Stress Tubs: Convenient, Low Labor Support
Purina® Stress Tubs offer a free-choice option for calves before or after stressful events, including pre-weaning, receiving, and hospital pens. They provide nutrients that support normal immune function when hand-feeding every calf is difficult. Purina recommends one tub per 20 head and at least two tubs per pen or pasture so timid calves have access. Because intake can vary, tubs should be monitored and used as part of a complete management plan; they do not contain RX3 technology.
The Most Expensive Calf Is the One You Lose
A sound starter cannot replace clean water, dry bedding, vaccination, low-stress handling, or timely treatment. But it can help calves maintain intake and stay on track. In today’s market, the comparison is not simply the price of feed versus feeding nothing. It is the manageable cost of a starter program versus the potential loss of performance, treatment expenses, or a calf worth well over $2,000. Visit with your feed consultant and veterinarian to build a program that fits your operation, because protecting calf health helps protect the value you worked all year to produce.
Call your local FCS feed consultant for more information and help choosing the right starter program for your calves.