Processing Date Dec 12, 2024 what do you think?

Gather App
W

Walking W

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 19, 2016
Messages
230
City & State/Province
near Ft Worth, Texas
My steer is about 12or 13 months old. Mosty Charolais, I would guess. Finishing for a processing date December 12, 2024.
Right now feeding 18 lb/day (50% whole corn, 30% cracked corn, 20% of 12% sweet feed) plus 1lb/day 40% cotton seed meal and prebiotic. He has green bermuda pasture for grazing. My plan is to increase feed rates as he gets bigger and can tolerate.
Any suggestions are welcomed.20240918_101051.jpg20240918_100954.jpg20240918_101035.jpg
 
Walking W said:
My steer is about 12or 13 months old. Mosty Charolais, I would guess. Finishing for a processing date December 12, 2024.
Right now feeding 18 lb/day (50% whole corn, 30% cracked corn, 20% of 12% sweet feed) plus 1lb/day 40% cotton seed meal and prebiotic. He has green bermuda pasture for grazing. My plan is to increase feed rates as he gets bigger and can tolerate.
Any suggestions are welcomed.View attachment 49636View attachment 49637View attachment 49638
Click to expand...
Looks good to me...

I'm not a "push the grain" fan. I usually feed a coffee can of 16% dairy feed twice a day for a couple of months to an "easy keeper" type of animal and call it good... and I get good results for my tastes.

I have wondered if there is a Law of Diminishing Returns in feeding. I suspect that the first 50% of feed does 80% of the good results and every pound after does far less as a percentile. But I don't know of any studies that would test that hypothesis.

When you get a fat cushion around the tailhead I'd ease off a little on the grain.
 
I would suggest a weigh tape, but I don’t really think they’re much more accurate than a decent guestimate. He looks like he’ll fill out decent with 3 months to go. We feed our 4H market steers similar to what you’re feeding, usually top out around 25 lbs/day for the last few months. In cooler weather they might eat more but we’re finishing up in the middle of summer.
 
Looking good with a very good start. Did you worm before feeding? I wouldn't change much. It's hard to tell when you see them everyday. Only someone that has done several can see the results. Post pics in another 4 weeks for another eye.
 
circlebllc said:
Looking good with a very good start. Did you worm before feeding? I wouldn't change much. It's hard to tell when you see them everyday. Only someone that has done several can see the results. Post pics in another 4 weeks for another eye.
Click to expand...
Thanks. Yes, I wormed with Safeguard right before I started increasing supplemental feed about a month ago. It may not be evident in the pictures but the fat lumps on either side of the tailhead started showing up a couple of weeks ago. Will do on the pictures. Thanks again.
 
M.Magis said:
I would suggest a weigh tape, but I don't really think they're much more accurate than a decent guestimate. He looks like he'll fill out decent with 3 months to go. We feed our 4H market steers similar to what you're feeding, usually top out around 25 lbs/day for the last few months. In cooler weather they might eat more but we're finishing up in the middle of summer.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the input! No way is this guy going to let me put a tape around him. He's not halter trained. I had an angus approximately the same size that I sold a couple of months ago that weighed 795 lbs at the sale. BTW- my 9 yr old grandson is in 4H in Dickens County, Texas. His guess at the angus weight was 800 lbs based on his show calves. I am constantly amazed at what 4H-ers learn and can do.

Attached picture of my grandson with the 1st place spring heifer at the Tri-State fair.
 

Attachments

  • Henry @ TriState Fair.jpg
    Henry @ TriState Fair.jpg
    45.1 KB
Travlr said:
Looks good to me...

I'm not a "push the grain" fan. I usually feed a coffee can of 16% dairy feed twice a day for a couple of months to an "easy keeper" type of animal and call it good... and I get good results for my tastes.

I have wondered if there is a Law of Diminishing Returns in feeding. I suspect that the first 50% of feed does 80% of the good results and every pound after does far less as a percentile. But I don't know of any studies that would test that hypothesis.

When you get a fat cushion around the tailhead I'd ease off a little on the grain.
Click to expand...
The diminishing returns would be interesting to know. Have butchered grass fed only the past few years and was thinking about putting some grain on one this year to see the flavor difference. Haven’t had real good marbling in the steaks but the flavor has been excellent. Some grain would change the marbling problem, wonder about genetics as well. Finding a butcher that is honest as well.
 
blackladies said:
The diminishing returns would be interesting to know. Have butchered grass fed only the past few years and was thinking about putting some grain on one this year to see the flavor difference. Haven't had real good marbling in the steaks but the flavor has been excellent. Some grain would change the marbling problem, wonder about genetics as well. Finding a butcher that is honest as well.
Click to expand...
I've had animals processed at two places recently and the results have been terrible. I wonder if they've had any training at all, or just opened up a place because there is demand.

This last time I took in three lambs, asking for one to be processed completely into stew meat. I got six one pound packaged labeled stew meat and the first one I opened had what looked like four cross sections of the neck including the bone. There are two other processors within twenty miles so I will be trying one of them next.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top