- A step-up period of increasing grain availability is a must, cattle should be acclimated to the high concentrate diets during at least 20 days;
- Utilize palatable, high-quality hay, silage or roughage source;
- Limit-feed concentrate and practice good feed bunk management;
How much to feed a steer calf?
Approximate Feeding chart Steer Weight % of body weight eaten per day approximate feed amounts 500 3% 12 lbs grain 3 lbs hay 800 3% 20 lbs grain 4 lbs hay 1100 2.5% 24 lbs grain 4 lbs hay HAIR CARE Comb your calf as much as possible. Not only will this help calm him but it will keep his hair coat and skin healthy.
Do steers eat grass or grain?
Steers also receive more profitable nutrients from the grain in a much smaller package. A steer can only consume grass until the rumen is full. Once the rumen is full, the steer cannot consume (or utilize) any more feed until the existing feed is digested.
Are beef cattle good feeder steers?
While these cattle are not bred to have high efficiency for turning feed into meat, they can make excellent feeder steers when fed the proper nutrition.
Do feeder steers need mineral supplements?
The easiest way to supply feeder steers with a mineral supplement is in block form. Professionally balanced mineral supplements are available at your local feed store for a very reasonable price. These balanced mineral blocks are worth it.
What Should I feed My beef steer?
Best Healthy Feed for Beef Cattle1) Grain Supplement. Grain can get cattle growing quickly and can help cattle get fat. ... 2) Hay. Hay can provide every important nutrient for cattle, but it has to be picked at the height of its nutrient richness À” that is, before it becomes too dry. ... 3) Pasture and Forage. ... 4) Concentrates.
What is the best grain to feed a steer?
Corn, oats, and barley are the primary grains fed to cattle. Oats, which has a lower energy value due to its high fiber content, is considered the "safest" grain in regards to potential digestive disturbances.
What do you feed Feeder steers?
Cattle weighing 700 pounds or more should be fed a ration containing 11 percent crude protein in a ration composed of grain (usually corn, but barley and wheat are often also used), protein sources, and roughage.
How much grain should a steer get per day?
The steer will consume roughly 15-20 pounds of hay per day or 2 percent of his body weight. Grain is added to the diet three months before taking the steer to the processor. The amount of time on feed can vary from 60-150 days. For a backyard steer, 90 days on grain should be sufficient.
How do you fatten up a steer?
0:090:40What to Feed Cattle to Fatten Them Up - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThe fitters edge that's. That's a universal feed. I can feed a steer that and tweak it to get in fatMoreThe fitters edge that's. That's a universal feed. I can feed a steer that and tweak it to get in fat. Or. I can I can add a little fiber to it like non-medicated pre-con to a heifer.
How much corn do you feed a steer?
To maintain maximal forage utilization, corn should not be supplemented at more than 0.25% of body weight. This equates to 2.5 lb for a 1000-lb cow, 3 lb for a 1200- lb cow, and 3.5 lb for a 1400-lb cow. These recommen- dations are based on whole shelled corn.
Is cracked corn or whole corn better for cattle?
Processing Corn Even though corn can be fed whole with satisfactory results, cracking or rolling prior to feeding will increase digestibility by 5 to 10 percent. In most instances, grinding or rolling corn will not markedly improve average daily gain, but proper processing will improve feed conversion efficiency.
What can I feed my steer to gain weight?
To gain 2.75 pounds a day, a diet with 80% TDN will need to be provided. Steers need to be placed on a 70% to 85% grain diet to finish adequately. During the last 100 pounds of gain, the diet may approach 85% grain content.
How much hay does a steer eat per day?
Cows will voluntarily consume 2.0% of body weight or 24 pounds per day. The 24 pounds is based on 100% dry matter. Grass hays will often be 7 to 10% moisture. If we assume that the hay is 92% dry matter or 8% moisture, then the cows will consume about 26 pounds per day on an “as-fed basis”.
Is it cheaper to raise your own beef?
Price-While the cost of feed can be a lot up front, the cost of natural grass fed beef is much cheaper to raise than to buy in the store.
What do you feed steers before butchering?
For finishing beef cattle prior to slaughter, most are fed a mixture of ground, shelled corn or millet. These grains are inexpensive, nutritious and add fat to the meat to make it tender.
How many bushels of corn does it take to finish a steer?
Corn production requirements Depending on the size and weight of the cattle, the amount of forage available for growing lighter calves, access to low-priced byproducts and other factors, 50 to 80 bushels are typically required to finish one steer.
What grain should I feed my calf?
Calves will need 4 to 5 pounds of a grain-protein mixture per head daily to average 1.2 pounds daily on winter fescue pastures (Table 3). Forage sorghum, small grain and grass legume silages work well for wintering calves but are lower in energy than corn silage.
When should I start graining my steer?
6:179:32How We Finish Steers on the Ranch - Grass Fed, Grain Finished - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipThey still have access to hay which will compose a major part of their diet. After a few weeks ofMoreThey still have access to hay which will compose a major part of their diet. After a few weeks of transition time these steers will then be switched to their grain ration.
Is Cracked corn good for cattle?
Corn can be fed whole with excellent results, but cracking or rolling it will increase digestibility by 5-10%. Although this improvement in digestibility can be important, it may not be enough to pay for the cost of processing the grain.
How much grain should I feed my 600 lb calf?
For example, a 600 pound calf will eat 15-18 pounds of dry matter (2.5-3% of body weight) and a 1000 pound calf will eat 20-25 pounds of dry matter per day (2-2.5% of body weight). A few other tips: - change rations gradually over several days, and never more than about a half- pound increase over a couple days.
What do cows eat?
Most of a cow’s life is spent eating grasses and hay. During the spring and summer, when the grass grows plentifully, beef cattle eat more pasture grasses. During the late fall and through the winter cattle are fed hay. In a perfect world, this rotation—grass in the growing season and hay through the fall and winter—would be enough.
What to do if cattle have insufficient forage?
With insufficient forage, cattle need feed. You should take action right away if you know that your herd’s grazing will be limited. You could simply reduce the number of cows in your herd, which would immediately reduce the amount of supplemental feeding the remaining cows require.
What happens when cattle eat less forage?
In short, when the forage is depleted and they eat less of it, the need to give your cattle supplemental feed increases dramatically.
Why do cows need cubes?
Cattle Cubes. Cattle cubes help your herd maintain both their weight and condition because they are formulated to supplement fair and low-quality forage. Cattle cubes provide the protein, minerals, and vitamins a cow’s forage sometimes lacks. Cattle cubes come in several different sizes, making them easier for your cattle to eat.
Why do cattle need supplemental feed?
Protein and nutrient deficiencies are the other main reasons your herd may need supplemental feed. Low-quality forage is defined as forage that contains less than 7% crude protein (CP) and has lower than 50% total digestible nutrients (TDN).
What is textured feed?
Textured cattle feed is made from flaked corn, molasses, protein pellets, and several other energy sources. It is also fortified with macro and micronutrients, vitamins, and other natural ingredients. Because it contains molasses, textured cattle feed is often referred to as “sweet feed.” Today’s textured cattle feed, which uses less molasses than in the past, still provides an advantage; it makes the feed more palatable, which is good news for your cattle.
What are cattle cubes?
Cattle cubes come in several different sizes, making them easier for your cattle to eat. Most cattle cubes contain 20% crude protein but also can be found in higher protein percentages. TIP: To reduce competition among your herd, your best choice is to feed them with ground, free-choice cattle cubes.
When should I supplement my steer?
The second time I recommend supplementing grain is during the finishing period. I usually define finishing as about 90 days before slaughter, but the amount of time is really determined by the farmer.
What breed of steer should I raise?
Most breeds we are familiar with are specific for dairy production or beef production. A few of the breeds that are specific to beef production are Black Angus, Red Angus, Hereford, Limousin, and Charolais .
Why do cattle finish faster?
This is one of the reasons why grain-fed cattle finish more quickly than grassfed cattle. Since we are raising our cattle mostly on pasture grass, which is a largely unenergetic feed, supplying steers with a grain supplement will increase their energy efficiency and slightly speed up the finishing process.
What is Texas Longhorn cattle?
Texas Longhorn cattle, or herds with Longhorn genetics in the mix, are rangy and valued for their reproductive abilities and overall hardiness in beef operations. Chris Corsino, of Four Mile River Farm in Connecticut, with his grassfed herd.
What are the stages of raising feeder steers?
There are two stages to raising feeder steers: growing and finishing. The growing stage is exactly what it sounds like; the steer is still growing structurally. The finishing stage happens when the steer is finished growing structurally and will start to put on fat and muscle weight more quickly.
What are the traits of cattle?
This includes traits like high rate of gain, good marbling, good feed efficiency, compact body structure, calving ease, etc.
Where does cattle digest food?
The majority of digestion for cattle takes place in the rumen, and from there into the reticulum and omasum. The action and digestion of the rumen is carried out by smooth muscle contractions and the working action of papillae, tiny fingerlike projections on the inner wall of the rumen .
