another feeding out question
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llcupit
Well-known member
I would think he could be ready 12 to 14 months 1200 lbs at least.
Thanks! They're 500lbs now; my folks liked the last calf we butchered, so I thought I'd finish both of these out, eat one, sell one. They'll be yearlings in June/July, so a gain of 700lbs in 180-210 days... um, nope, it'll probably be closer to September before they're butchered. :lol: 
aplusmnt
Well-known member
I would have guessed a little longer (15 + months) and above 1.300 lbs. Most all steers I have finished out have been moderate framed show calves that were eating 25lbs or more feed a day. They were in the 1,250 lb range and finished good at 15 months. Did have a Limi steer once that was a little bigger framed that got to 1,275 lb and good finish on him in 14 months. He won Rate of Gain Champ at the fair. He would sure put away the groceries though.
Well, the pair of them have been doing an ADG of 2.5lbs on just milk and hay... they aren't weaned yet. Probably in another week or two. In terms of economics, I'd prefer to keep them on just hay until they're 800lbs+ before I put them on grain. It's a no-brainer that they'll grow slower though. Any comments on if there'll be a noticable difference (for better or for worse) in the way the meat tastes if I push them to finish at 12-14 months versus letting them go to 16-18 months?
We finish out holstein/angus. We start them on creep feed before they are weaned and then slowly work their grain up until they are on full feed. We look at about 16 months and the higher end of 1300# when finished. Especially if they are strong holstein. You are right that it will take much longer if just grass fed. As to taste, we prefer grain fed but that is an individual preference.
aplusmnt
Well-known member
Farmhand":3umeyv2i said:
Do you think the taste would be much different if they were grass fed and then put on grain for the last 300-400 lbs vs Grain fed from 500 lbs to 1,300 lbs?
I'll finish them on grain for sure -- we don't have enough grass to finish anything on grass, and certainly not a holstein-influenced animal. :lol: The last one I butchered was about 2 years old and was pretty tender. Just wasn't sure if these steers would be better as yearlings or at 18 months, or if it made that much difference. I'd just hold off on the grain until they're about 800lbs, then work on finishing them.
Comments?
The last one I butchered was about 2 years old and was pretty tender. Just wasn't sure if these steers would be better as yearlings or at 18 months, or if it made that much difference. I'd just hold off on the grain until they're about 800lbs, then work on finishing them.Comments?
I honestly couldn't tell you. We've always done the grain thing from the start. Could be why I prefer the taste because that is what I was raised on. It just seems to me that it would make a difference. If you start out on grass, the meat is developing a certain way. Then you try to change that meat by adding grain at the end. Whereas, feeding grain all the way through, that meat is developing the same all the time. You also have to be careful about introducing grain. It takes awhile to work into so you don't make them sick. You may not have enough time to make a difference if you don't start them soon enough. You could also end up taking longer to finish out if introducing something new puts them off feed for whatever reason.
aplusmnt
Well-known member
We had a steer one year that we were going to show and he fell apart, he got grain from 500 lbs to 800 lbs and then I turned him out in pasture till he was about 1,100 lbs brought up and fed him grain for 2 months before butchering and he tasted great and was good and tender.
I by no means am an expert on the science of feeding out a calf besides full feed for a show steer. But I always thought that feeding corn the last few months or few hundred pounds before butchering was enough to give them a good marbling and taste. That the feeding grain from weaned was more for finishing in a quick time frame.
I would be interested to know if I am off on my thinking of this?
I by no means am an expert on the science of feeding out a calf besides full feed for a show steer. But I always thought that feeding corn the last few months or few hundred pounds before butchering was enough to give them a good marbling and taste. That the feeding grain from weaned was more for finishing in a quick time frame.
I would be interested to know if I am off on my thinking of this?
I'm not an expert either. I just think that marbling potential is there for the life of the animal - not just in the last couple months. If marbling potential is always there then I would think I would maximize the marbling by giving grain it's entire life. Just my thoughts. I'm sure others know better than I do.
Farmhand":3ilgbbrm said:
I don't know either, but... the only thing that comes to mind is that if it IS best for a calf to have a steady diet of grain from pre-weaning to finishing, then the feedlots would prefer creep-fed calves to range-raised calves. Anyone know if that is true?
Farmhand":1jnp9h20 said:
Is that the only reason they prefer creep-fed/bunk-broke calves? I know I'm not concerned about mine going off feed; they're all eating hay out of a manger and have been for several months. They'll wean and transition easy.
It's not just being bunk broke. Feedlots don't feed straight hay. There is always some type of grain be it corn, silage, distillers etc. We have an easy time getting calves to take hay/grass but it takes a little effort to get them on grain. They will stay out of the bunk if they have never had grain before. The grain is all ground up/mixed in with the hay at a feedlot so they won't eat if not used to grain.
That makes sense. Hadn't thought of that.
Mine get a few mouthfuls of grain when I feed 'ol 311 her grain, so they know what it is and like it, but they aren't getting enough to make a difference. Perhaps half a pound of grain a week. That cow doesn't like to share.
What do you finish your holstein/angus crosses on? have a favorite feed ration? and what kind of ADG do you generally get out of your calves when you're feeding them out? I'm used to raising them from birth to 400lbs+, but not the finishing part of it.
Mine get a few mouthfuls of grain when I feed 'ol 311 her grain, so they know what it is and like it, but they aren't getting enough to make a difference. Perhaps half a pound of grain a week. That cow doesn't like to share.
What do you finish your holstein/angus crosses on? have a favorite feed ration? and what kind of ADG do you generally get out of your calves when you're feeding them out? I'm used to raising them from birth to 400lbs+, but not the finishing part of it.
Never have had luck trying to feed grain to a calf where momma can get to it. She'll slick up more than her fair share.
We finish on free choice ground ear corn and soybean protein. Free choice grass hay in the hay ring. We suffer a little on daily gain at just a little over 2# but we keep our feed costs down that way.
We finish on free choice ground ear corn and soybean protein. Free choice grass hay in the hay ring. We suffer a little on daily gain at just a little over 2# but we keep our feed costs down that way.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
MM - the biggest thing is their "growth curve". Calves have a growth curve, and if their nutrition level is not kept up, you flatten our their curve. Yes, when you put them BACK on good feed, their growth curve will start up again, but will never achieve the high growth curve it would have had - if that makes sense.
Taste is achieved the last 60-90 days of feed, but Farmhand is correct - started on grain at a young age & kept on grain thru finish - they will have MORE marbling. Also, if you put them on a "holding - slow growth" stage, they will grow FRAME, not muscle, and therefore would need to be heavier at finish than if you kept them at a steady growth.
So, you will save money from the weaning time to the 800# wt, but you will lose that gain by needing more grain to get to the "finish" weight. So, in my opinion, you will be losing the time (and $$) from WW to 800#.
This is the same thing the old large framed Simm steers ran into. People would put them on a background program after weaning, than put into the feedlot and they ended up with 1700# finished steers at around 2 yrs old. But if they had put the 800# weaned calf right on the feedlot, they would have finished around 1300#-1400# at 15-16 months old.
Taste is achieved the last 60-90 days of feed, but Farmhand is correct - started on grain at a young age & kept on grain thru finish - they will have MORE marbling. Also, if you put them on a "holding - slow growth" stage, they will grow FRAME, not muscle, and therefore would need to be heavier at finish than if you kept them at a steady growth.
So, you will save money from the weaning time to the 800# wt, but you will lose that gain by needing more grain to get to the "finish" weight. So, in my opinion, you will be losing the time (and $$) from WW to 800#.
This is the same thing the old large framed Simm steers ran into. People would put them on a background program after weaning, than put into the feedlot and they ended up with 1700# finished steers at around 2 yrs old. But if they had put the 800# weaned calf right on the feedlot, they would have finished around 1300#-1400# at 15-16 months old.
