Are these f1 Wagyu's looking finished?

[CharleyCap]

Hello, I could really use some feed back . I got F1 wagyu/brangus steers, 4 of them born in the month of November 2022 (the black ones). So what do y'all think? I got one kill date 10/26. Where do y'all think they grade right now?

I been cranking up their feed and allowing them to eat grass too. I have a Hanen automatic feeder set to go off 8 times a day, comes out to about 70-80 pounds of feed a day for 6 head. No signs of any digestion issues. They did go 4.5 months with out wormed. So I wormed them the day I took the pictures, few days ago.

Feed is now a mix of sweet feed (w/50% starch and half of it is sugars), 10 % protein, 4% fat
I been mixing in a little bit of cottonseed mill and rice bran pellets (its got 12% fat); 1 bag of each for every 12 bags of the sweet feed mix.

 

[Down in Dixie]

They should be eating about double the feed. My f1 Wagyu are going to the processor about the same time and they are cleaning up about 22 lbs of feed per head a day. This close to the end I would cut out the cotton seed and pour the corn to them. I will get some pics of mine later. Yours look good but could be a little bit bigger.

 

[farmerjan]

Agree with @Down in Dixie .......Less protein at this point...more corn.... could've been eating twice the feed for the last couple months before butcher...they don't look bad, but could stand a little more body fat.

 

[Down in Dixie]

 

[Mountaintown Creek Ranch]

The blacks look pretty good but as others have said they could use more feed.

A lot depends upon the breed as you probably know wagyu is not a breed.

so if your cross is with a jap black versus a akaushi they have different phenotypes and grow out differently and at different rates.

 

[CharleyCap]

Thanks for the input and pictures.

first kill date is like 10/27 I think, no time to waste

I like that little extra flavor kick in the meat from sweet feed but looks like I am loosing far too much starch when trying to do that. If I want starchy sweet feed, is there a name of a feed or an acronym or buzzword to use when asking for it? I really just need Sweetened cracked corn, The steers are also eating fresh mowed sprouting Bermuda, Bahia, and a bunch of other native grasses (when they are not laying down under the closest tree).

I really struggled trying to find something with both corn and molasses. The starch % content of my available sweet feeds, are never on the label, so I have to call different local manufactures one by one. One said 18-20% starch said "the confused lady on the phone". then another better manufacture that said 26% starch and 24% sugar = 50% total, that was the best (under $11 a bag too!). But then again, I can get plain ole cracked corn thats sitting at 74% starch.

I got 12 more bags of that 50% sweet starch mix, and will mix in about 5 bags of cracked corn with that stuff at top and get them used to it.. then only put just 5 steers (removing the little red heifer from the feeder) on 22 pounds a day-per head. .. I will be sure to take future pictures of the results

About the red breed (Akaushi) they (and the blacks for that matter) do grow a whole lot slower than a like a beef master. I have a show quality beef master heifer I just crossed with a GOOD full blood Akaushi bull (used AI) to see if I can shorten the feeding program of these f1's to 14-16 months, from 24-30 months, that's a lot time taking up real estate and eating 22 pounds of feed per day

 

[M.Magis]

Not sure I understand what the molasses is contributing to flavor, but why not just feed corn and bulk molasses? You can buy it by the barrel.

 

[CharleyCap]

Not sure I understand what the molasses is contributing to flavor, but why not just feed corn and bulk molasses? You can buy it by the barrel.

I am using a automatic feeder so pouring in a syrup might clog up.

I only finished out a hand full of steers over the years, this set up with the electric auto feeder on 50 acres I have now, is pretty new.

I just have some distant (40 years ago) memories of an angus finished out on cracked corn and really good blend of "horse and mule" feed that's not in production anymore. Fed the same thing to 3 pigs (plus table scraps and potatoes) right at the same time and all the meats on all the animals had that molasses kick to it, and dam it was so good.

 

[Little Joe]

Thanks for the input and pictures.

first kill date is like 10/27 I think, no time to waste

I like that little extra flavor kick in the meat from sweet feed but looks like I am loosing far too much starch when trying to do that. If I want starchy sweet feed, is there a name of a feed or an acronym or buzzword to use when asking for it? I really just need Sweetened cracked corn, The steers are also eating fresh mowed sprouting Bermuda, Bahia, and a bunch of other native grasses (when they are not laying down under the closest tree).

I really struggled trying to find something with both corn and molasses. The starch % content of my available sweet feeds, are never on the label, so I have to call different local manufactures one by one. One said 18-20% starch said "the confused lady on the phone". then another better manufacture that said 26% starch and 24% sugar = 50% total, that was the best (under $11 a bag too!). But then again, I can get plain ole cracked corn thats sitting at 74% starch.

I got 12 more bags of that 50% sweet starch mix, and will mix in about 5 bags of cracked corn with that stuff at top and get them used to it.. then only put just 5 steers (removing the little red heifer from the feeder) on 22 pounds a day-per head. .. I will be sure to take future pictures of the results

About the red breed (Akaushi) they (and the blacks for that matter) do grow a whole lot slower than a like a beef master. I have a show quality beef master heifer I just crossed with a GOOD full blood Akaushi bull (used AI) to see if I can shorten the feeding program of these f1's to 14-16 months, from 24-30 months, that's a lot time taking up real estate and eating 22 pounds of feed per day

I've always been told to avoid molasses when finishing cattle because it can give the meat an off taste.

 

[Down in Dixie]

I mix a sweet feed and corn. I vary my mixtures depending on what stage of the feed out I'm in. Just mix corn in with your feed and your good to go.

 

[kenny thomas]

I've always been told to avoid molasses when finishing cattle because it can give the meat an off taste.

Are you sure its molasses and not gluten they told you to avoid?

 

[Little Joe]

Are you sure its molasses and not gluten they told you to avoid?

No, definitely molasses. I've been told that about corn gluten as well.

 

[CharleyCap]

I have a gluten allergy, can't eat wheat. Its called celiacs disease. Corn gluten or oats, rice, has no effect on me. Even corona light has zero effect b/c the wheat protein's are filtered out enough. And if a cow ate wheat, and I ate the cow, still has no effect. People can be really silly about their heath food quirks, very much like a superstition.

One guy insisted that his wife wanted a steer that did not eat any soy because of her allergy. I then asked them if she was allergic to Bermuda grass. Anyway they are no nonsense buyers otherwise so Cotton seed meal it is

 

[kenny thomas]

No, definitely molasses. I've been told that about corn gluten as well.

I ask because its widely thought that gluten can cause a different taste but this is the first time I have heard of molasses causing a bad taste.

 

[CharleyCap]

I've always been told to avoid molasses when finishing cattle because it can give the meat an off taste.

its a taste change no doubt but the word "off" taste. To me its "on" taste. I could see how too much would make the meat taste to far from what is being expected (good taste or bad taste), Its a different taste that was not expected. Several months ago, when my rye grass was in full bloom "March". , I put so whole corn in an empty protein tub, a group of 4 head chowed down on it for a minute and left it after eating less than half to go eat more grass. They would never do that with any feed mixed with molasses. So perhaps some sweet stuff and not too much, would get them to eat all they can while giving the meat a little sweet-bump in flavor