1000 lbs for a grass fed (haylage) 11 month old steer!

Help Support CattleToday:

ny_grass

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 27, 2008
Messages
185
Reaction score
0
Location
Upstate NY
Hi all,

Well, we're plugging along and I've decided that I'll need a couple more steers for the coming fall, so today, along with a friend who's bought from him before, I went out to see a cow/calf producer who has some very nice looking calves he says were born in June, July and August. There were 8 of them and they ranged in weight from 645 to 800. 6 of the them went to the friend who brought me. I might buy the remaining two (the 645 and one about 710 lbs). Now, to my still newbie eyes, the conformation on most of these animals looks excellent, but I question whether another 5 months on grass is going to be sufficient to finish them (I only interested in animals that will finish on grass alone).

However, when I asked the farmer whether he had any others for sale he said that he had 3 more, 2 of which were over 1000 lbs! They were born last May! He said their frame score was about a 5 or 5.5.

Now, this is my first time buying feeder/stockers but 1000 lbs seems pretty darn big for an 11 month old beefer; especially one that's been solely fed haylage over the winter.

So, my question is? Are there any problems with buying 1000 lb feeders? He wants $1.25/lb.

Thanks
JR
 
On good pasture, you should be able to put almost 2 lbs a day on them. So add 300 lbs to the 700 pounder so I would say no, you can't get them finished by fall. You could the thousand pounder. I would offer 90 cents and if he says no, he says no. There are a lot of heavy steers out there. :)
 
1000lb. steers generally receive a large discount in price.

The determination of the finishing on grass part is largely dependent on whether the animal has the genetics and frame capable of finishing on grass. What was the weight of his momma cow, if it's 1000-1100 and she is a thick and well fleshed animal then you are likely to be able to finish on grass as long as the energy is there. Animals finish at a percent of their cows weight and heavily influence by genetics, assuming you aren not going to implant and supplement with a high energy feed like you would do in a feedlot type setting. If it's a really large frame cow you may have greater difficulty in putting on that finishing weight if your feed isn't high enough energy.

Will your feed have the quality to put on the final finishing pounds and fat heading into the Fall or is your highest energy feed right now?
 

Latest posts

Top