8 steers and feed ?

[tncattle]

Eight steers averaging 700 pds. getting 100 pds. of feed a day and have so-so grass to eat. Will they fatten up by fall? Maybe mid October?

 

[bigbull338]

by mid oct they should weigh 900 to 1000lbs.alot depends on the weight you want to butcher them at.if they are converting the feed good.they should be gaining 2 to 2.5lbs a day.

 

[msscamp]

Eight steers averaging 700 pds. getting 100 pds. of feed a day and have so-so grass to eat.

What kind of feed? If hay, what type and what is the quality? I'm assuming you're also feeding some grain - what kind, and how much/day/animal? Are you feeding once a day, or twice? Do they have a good loose mineral available free choice? You stated they have pasture available - how big is the pasture, and how far do they have to travel to water?

 

[tncattle]

Eight steers averaging 700 pds. getting 100 pds. of feed a day and have so-so grass to eat.

What kind of feed? If hay, what type and what is the quality? I'm assuming you're also feeding some grain - what kind, and how much/day/animal? Are you feeding once a day, or twice? Do they have a good loose mineral available free choice? You stated they have pasture available - how big is the pasture, and how far do they have to travel to water?

The feed is "Bruton's special" it contains corn,corn gluten, cottonseed hull, soybean hull and minerals/vitamins. I'm leaving out some other ingredients but I don't have a tag in front of me. Plenty of fresh water from a spring, pasture is about 15 acres with average grass.

 

[mitch2]

700 pounds now, don't know what breed you are taking about, but let's say avg beef, avg frame. They are only half way there. To get to finished weight, I'd say you are talking about 7 more months. Thats at 3/day gain. Obviously there are a lot of variables to consider, so I am talking AVG, if they are implanted could be sooner. But in reality 14 months finished is really pushing it. You'd have to have them penned so they can't graze, pushing them hard. Meat that we sell to individuals, I don't see them going to the processor usually anytime before 16 months, and probably 17 months is more avg for me. BUT - we don't push hard and we let them graze in the grass months. But they always have free choice grain available at this time also.

Michele

PS that doesn't mean you can't send them off before "finished" but you can't beat a properly finished animal when it comes to product.

 

[tncattle]

700 pounds now, don't know what breed you are taking about, but let's say avg beef, avg frame. They are only half way there. To get to finished weight, I'd say you are talking about 7 more months. Thats at 3/day gain. Obviously there are a lot of variables to consider, so I am talking AVG, if they are implanted could be sooner. But in reality 14 months finished is really pushing it. You'd have to have them penned so they can't graze, pushing them hard. Meat that we sell to individuals, I don't see them going to the processor usually anytime before 16 months, and probably 17 months is more avg for me. BUT - we don't push hard and we let them graze in the grass months. But they always have free choice grain available at this time also.

Michele

PS that doesn't mean you can't send them off before "finished" but you can't beat a properly finished animal when it comes to product.

I was planning on taking to the processor at 1000 pds. but maybe I should wait longer, decisions, decisions.

 

[mitch2]

700 pounds now, don't know what breed you are taking about, but let's say avg beef, avg frame. They are only half way there. To get to finished weight, I'd say you are talking about 7 more months. Thats at 3/day gain. Obviously there are a lot of variables to consider, so I am talking AVG, if they are implanted could be sooner. But in reality 14 months finished is really pushing it. You'd have to have them penned so they can't graze, pushing them hard. Meat that we sell to individuals, I don't see them going to the processor usually anytime before 16 months, and probably 17 months is more avg for me. BUT - we don't push hard and we let them graze in the grass months. But they always have free choice grain available at this time also.

Michele

PS that doesn't mean you can't send them off before "finished" but you can't beat a properly finished animal when it comes to product.

I was planning on taking to the processor at 1000 pds. but maybe I should wait longer, decisions, decisions.

My opinion here again, but I think at 1000 pounds you put all the hard work into the animal by building the frame, once you have that done, the easy part is the final stage and filling out that frame.

 

[ROB]

feeding 100# per day for 8 seven hundred pounders is about 1.78% bodyweight. full feed should be near 2% body wt., so right now you would need to work them on up to 14 lbs./day (112 lbs total). i'd probably add a little bean meal to the ration to get it up to about 14% (if its not there already). as they're growing and gaining, adjust the protein level back and increase the feed, keeping them at 2 to 2.5% bodyweight. at 700 pounds, they're frame and muscle should be growing - don't skimp on the protein. once they've gotten up to 850 to 900 lbs then you can throttle back the protein and work on the fat cover. to be sure your feeding them enough, throw a little extra grain in the trough once every few days. if they don't quite clean it all up - you know your about right.

for my fats - i figure 3.5lbs/day gain. at that rate you should finish out in about 180 days, and they'll be eating close to 35 lbs./day / per hd.

ROB

edited: i thought it read 7 steers instead of 8