You need to feed grain mix with corn and or barley in it. Start gradually and work up to full feed. Contrary to popular opinion, Holsteins do make satisfactory beef but it takes longer.
What should I Feed my steer to finish it off?
If you are going to feed your steer some higher energy feeds, he will finish faster. Most people feeding steers are using some grain, if not primarily grain, to finish their beef. I’m not recommending grain, merely stating that most beef producers are feeding it.
What do you feed your cattle on grain?
Beeman one thing that hasn't been mentioned is the cattle will need access to roughage while on grain. Straw or some kind of long hay such as sorghum, or lower quality grass unless your feeding a TMR ( totally mixed ration) which will already have a roughage product mixed in.
How do you know when a calf is ready to eat?
They naturally become interested in the grain and hay themselves and start nibbling out of curiosity. Read the instructions on the starter grain for amounts to feed, because too much too fast can cause digestive issues. Usually, at 6 to 8 weeks of age, calves are ready to start eating roughage and solids.
What do you need to raise bull calves?
However, calves also need good ventilation otherwise they end up with respiratory disorders early on. If you have a small barn or shed you can create all kinds of little cubbies inside for your bull calves. Another option is calf hutches, which can be pricey, but if you plan on raising beef calves yearly, you may find them useful.
What is the best feed to finish a steer?
per day of corn, oats or barley fed to grazing cattle is a good finishing ration. This fed to a 900-1000 pound steer for 3-4 months should will you a nicely finished animal. If you do not have access to pasture or if you are finishing during the winter, you might increase the amount of grain to 15-18 lbs. per day.
How much do you feed a butcher calf?
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 old should a calf be to butcher?
Age at slaughter “typically” can be from 12 to 22 months of age for the high quality grade market. The reason for the range in age is that some calves are weaned and go directly to a feeding facility and are finished for slaughter.
How do you prepare a steer for slaughter?
Your steer is finished (ready to be butchered) when he has fully filled out his brisket (fatty area between his front legs as viewed from the front) and has fat rolls at his tail head. Steers on full feed (all they can eat grain with hay) will be butcher ready at 14-18 months of age.
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.
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.
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.
How old is a 500 pound calf?
During this time their primary source of food is milk from their dam, and the grass or roughage (hay) that is available. At 6-9 months of age the calves are weaned off their dams and placed in a field or pen with other calves of a similar age and weight. Most calves will weigh 500-700 lbs at weaning.
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 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 is the ideal weight to butcher a steer?
1. Weigh more than 500 pounds at 7 months of age. 2. Average more than 2.5 pounds daily gain from weaning to slaughter.
How can I fatten up my steer fast?
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 feed does a calf need per day?
Calves should be fed daily approximately 10% of their body weight (1 quart of milk weighs 2 pounds). For example, a Holstein calf weighing 90 pounds at birth would be fed 4.5 quarts (9 pints) of milk daily or 2.25 quarts per feeding when fed twice daily.
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.
How much grain should a 400 lb calf eat?
pound calf will need to consume in the neighborhood of 7 to 8 pounds of grain daily. Small amounts of hay will compliment the grain ration for these 8 to 12 week old animals.
How much grain should a 3 month old calf eat?
There are guidelines on how much grain a calf should be eating in order to have a functional rumen and be weaned. The rule of thumb is that calves should be consuming about 2 pounds (about 4 cups) of starter per day for three days in a row to be weaned onto all-solid feed (Jones, and Heinrichs 2017).
How to feed a calves?
Mimicking feedlot diets may not be practical when finishing calves on-farm; however, similar steps used in the commercial feeding industry should be adopted including: 1 Calves should be transitioned from a roughage diet to the final high concentrate diet over a three-week period. This is called a step-up program. 2 Feed calves at least twice per day when the final diet does not contain built in roughage or is not formulated to be self-fed or self-limiting. 3 Include 10% to 15% roughage in the final diet for increased rumen health and reduced acidosis. 4 Feed calves a balanced diet (protein, minerals, mineral ratios and vitamins). 5 Adjust feed amount as calves grow.
What is finishing calves?
Finishing (forage- or grainfinishing) and marketing goals (personal use or sale) will determine the land and facilities needed. Whether finishing calves on pasture or in dry lot confinement, calves will be more comfortable if they have access to shade during summer and a wind break during winter.
What is forage finishing?
Forage finishing capitalizes on the beef animal’s ability to convert forage into muscle protein through the aid of microbial breakdown of forage celluloses in the rumen. Since cattle are naturally grazing animals, some consumers seek out beef from cattle reared in their “natural environment”.
What is the flavor of ground beef?
In general, the typical beef consumer of the U.S. prefers the flavor of grain-fed beef. By comparison, ground beef from cattle finished on forage has been characterized as having a ‘grassy’ flavor. Grass-fed ground beef also can have a cooking odor that differs from grain-fed beef.
Why is it important to raise your own beef?
Advantages to raising your own beef include having control over calf quality and choice of how the calf is finished out. Calves can be finished on grass, grain and grass, or high concentrate diets. There are disadvantages to consider when fattening your own beef.
What is confinement feeding?
Confinement feeding in early America also was a mechanism to concentrate manure for fertilizer. Unlike forage-finishing, grain-finishing requires less land. Depending on soil type and topography, as little as 150 square feet per calf of pen space with a feed and water trough is sufficient.
Why is it important to keep feed troughs clean?
Feed troughs also should be kept clean to minimize leftover feed spoilage and buildup of uneaten portions due to mixing fresh feed with spoiled feed in troughs. Hay used in forage-finished beef programs should be high in quality.
When is a steer ready to butcher?
Steers on full feed (all they can eat grain with hay) will be butcher ready at 14-18 months of age.
What to do if your steer is not finished?
If you are a month away from the appointment and your steer is not finished, you don’t have the time to fix much now. Call the butcher and see if you can reschedule. If you can’t reschedule, you can still butcher this steer. You’ll just be short on marbling, which means short on juiciness and tenderness of the meat.
How long does it take for a steer to be butchered?
Steers on grass only will take 26-28 months to be butcher ready. Congratulations! Raising your own beef is huge! To make sure you and your family get the best eating experience and make the best use of that beautiful steer you are raising, you’ll need to have him butchered at the right time.
What happens if you don't see a full brisket?
If you do not see a full brisket, your steer has not yet reached the ideal fat covering and marbling for his body. He needs a few more months of a high quality diet to deposit that last bit of fat needed for great eating beef.
How long before butchering date should you adjust your steer?
If you have checked your steer and not liked the finish you are seeing, if you have 3-4 months left before the butchering date, you have time to adjust his ration to help him put on fat.
Where is the brisket on a steer?
Look at the steer’s brisket for finish. For anyone who’s new: the brisket is located between the front legs of the steer. You’ll need to see the steer from the front to evaluate the brisket properly. The brisket should be full, you should be able to see a filled out padding of fat.
Which is better, a large framed steer or a smaller framed steer?
Generally speaking, a large framed steer is going to take longer to finish than a smaller framed steer. Short and wide will finish faster than tall and wide or short and thin. Keep in mind the finishing time of the steer is determined by diet as well.
How long does it take to finish cattle?
This time can range from 80-300 days.
Why is it important to take inventory of feeds?
Even through hay will make up a small portion of the ration, it is important to know the quality and the nutrients it will be contributing to the overall diet.
Do ranchers sell beef?
A trend that has become more prominent in recent years is for ranchers to finish a few animals and sell beef directly to the consumer. Consumers have a desire to know where their beef comes from, value the story and are seeking ranchers to purchase beef from. At the same time, ranchers have been seeking opportunities to add value to their cattle and reduce their exposure to market swings.
What is chop corn?
chop corn is exactly what it is called , chopped corn , you can get this from any farmers feed outlets. It is not cleaned , has a lot of meal in it. there have been a multitude of studies that the animal extracts the starches and nutrients regardless of the input , whole , cracked , chopped. I do not use the other feeds as I have ample hay and lush pasture so no need for the feed supplements. If your penning then you need the supplements plus the availability of good hay. Need to keep track of that pocketbook also , you can spend away all of the profit / benefit pretty easily. Good hay and minerals are less expensive than bag feeds to raise your calves up to the finishing point. Bag feeds have jumped so high this year that they have made the process darn expensive. Just control your costs where you can.I have found that the 90 day period is as important as the total poundage. It takes time to have an impact on taste and marbling. We figure a steer is worth about 1200 dollars to us at the end , selling as butcher beef unless you doing it just for fun you have to watch your inputs. I'm seeing folks selling 1/4's and 1/2 's for 4 bucks a lb , or trying anyway , seems like a tough sell but probably is an accurate price if you want a profit on your beef. We raise about 15 or so a year and its a good deal for family and friends but I'd be hard pressed to think you can make a living doing it with today's ridiculous feed prices.#N#Good luck with it !
How long does it take for cattle to fatten up?
Typically finishing cattle are put on a ration of 85% grain and 15% roughage to fatten them up in 90 to 120 days. Ground up corn, more common in your area, is fed along with silage to have the cattle put on weight quickly.
How long to feed hay to get finish?
To get the finish you want you'll have to get them up 2 to 3% of their body weight daily in grain for 90 to 120 days.
How long do cattle stay in feedlots?
Depending on how heavy the cattle are when they start their finishing ration, the larger cattle (~900 lbs) are only in the feedlot for 15 to 30 days, whereas the smaller cattle (weanlings ~750 lbs) are in for the average 100 days. Both wt. sizes are fed the same high grain, low forage diet. Save. Share.
What to do if a farmer sends bull calves to auction?
If you have a neighborhood farmer that sends his or her bull calves to auction (or worse) establish a relationship and ask to purchase a bull calf or two at market price.
How long should beef calves be in a cage?
Adequate Fencing for Raising Beef Calves. When raising beef calves, they should spend the first 6-8 weeks of their lives in a small, breeze-free area. However, calves also need good ventilation otherwise they end up with respiratory disorders early on.
What is the best way to get rid of a bull calf?
Auctions are an easy way for the farmer to get rid of a bull calf, and still make a few bucks. Now, the bad thing about auction houses is that you have no background information on the bull calves being presented. You get the chance to see them for a minute or two, and then the next calf is brought out.
Why are fairs fun?
Fairs are a fun place to shop for cattle because you will see some of the healthiest, choicest, steers here. Some will be for sale, and some not…and depending on how they place, they could go for a small fortune as well.
How long does it take to butcher a steer?
Depending on what you have decided to feed your steers (grass-fed, cornfed, grain-fed) and what breed of steer you raise, it may take anywhere from 12 months to 36 months.
How many acres per steer?
1. Acreage. As a rule of thumb, you need about 2 acres per steer. However, if you are planning on grass-fed beef, you will need a lot more. Now, the cattle raised in small lots can be raised well, and healthily, however, if you want to ensure the happiness of your cattle…give them some elbow room and keep ’em clean. 2.
When should I introduce my calves to pasture?
When your calves are about 12 weeks old , they can be slowly introduced to pasture. I say slowly because too much green pasture at once can be a punch to the gut for calves. They will bloat on the rich greens and can easily die.