Backgrounding Holstein Steers

[inbredredneck]

My experience with Holstiens is not to "background" them at all. I've had best results by putting them on full feed of a high energy finishing ration right after weaning. If they are allowed to grow out to 700-800# in a traditional backgrounding operation then put on a finishing ration, they will weigh 1600# plus before they begin to get any fat cover at all. However, by starting them on finishing at 300#, when they are very young and their feed efficiency is at its highest, they will have enough fat cover on them at 1100-1200# to MAYBE grade select and have a much more marketable carcass. Remember, these are very big dairy animals bred for milk production only. Not moderately framed animals bred for meat.

I understand the grain ration but what about the total ration. Addition of roughage to the diet can increase intake and reduce the chance of metabolic disorders such as acidosis. Feeding zero or extremely low roughage diets increases risk, as does any means to increase the energy density of the diet. Don't know for certain but betcha IBR uses corn silage or some other "high quality" source of roughage in his operation.

none in the dairy breed ration. They do chew on the cornstover bedding.

 

[TexasBred]

Nothing but corn/supplement pellet?? You must be the exception to every rule of feeding ruminants and are making it work. I'm surprised they can walk to the feeder, let alone want to eat any of it.

 

[Massey135]

You're behind the curve TB. Here is a link to the GroFast program I used: It can be implemented with or without roughage.
http://www.admani.com/Dairy%20Beef/Dair ... 0Index.htm

The addition of the Prosponse yeast in the supplement stimulates rumen development and feed intake.

 

[TexasBred]

You're behind the curve TB. Here is a link to the GroFast program I used: It can be implemented with or without roughage.
http://www.admani.com/Dairy%20Beef/Dair ... 0Index.htm

The addition of the Prosponse yeast in the supplement stimulates rumen development and feed intake.

Why would you choose the no roughage program?? And yeast is not a buffer. Simply creates a better environment for microbial activity.

Research; (From the Site you Recommended)

The Roughage Factor Research consistently shows improved average daily gains (ADG) when low amounts of roughage are fed to growing/finishing dairy beef. Feeding 2 lb/head/day of hay resulted in an ADG increase of 0.2 to 0.3 over a no roughage program. This increased gain can reduce the number of days to market by 30 days or more.

 

[Mid South Guy]

I understand the grain ration but what about the total ration. Addition of roughage to the diet can increase intake and reduce the chance of metabolic disorders such as acidosis. Feeding zero or extremely low roughage diets increases risk, as does any means to increase the energy density of the diet. Don't know for certain but betcha IBR uses corn silage or some other "high quality" source of roughage in his operation.

When I use the term "finishing ration" I mean that to include everything the animal eats. It does have a roughage component to it, wheather it is a TMR or free choice hay. The last group I fed out was done on a self feeder with whole shelled corn and a Moormans supplement pellet, and free chocie average quality grass hay and mineral. They averaged eating about 2% of their body weight in the grain mix and about 0.5% or less in hay (which equals 20% roughage). They stayed full on the grain mix and nibbled at the hay. The grain is much more palatable to them than the hay. I suppose if you offered them really good high quality hay, they may eat more hay and less grain, which is not what I wanted them to do. If I was feeding a TMR I would look to use a higher quality roughage ingredient and balance it out with everything else. They way I did it was simple and effective, and it worked for me, as the capability to do a TMR was not feasible for me and I suspect not feasible for most people in small, on farm feeding operations.

 

[TexasBred]

Cattle will almost always eat a grain ration before eating hay even when they have lush grazing available. A higher quality hay would not necessarily mean higher hay consumption but would have provided more nutrients per pound which may have given same finish weight many days earlier. I guess it's not that critical in small groups but I'd think a large operation would really be watching the pennies and half pennies.

 

[Massey135]

The reason I opted for the no roughage program was because I don't know of a way to limit feed (only 2lbs per GroFast) hay when all I have is round bales. Perhaps gains would have been better but at what cost$$. Square bales are outrageous$ not to mention the labor of rationing it out. I used a self feeder like mentioned above.

 

[TexasBred]

The reason I opted for the no roughage program was because I don't know of a way to limit feed (only 2lbs per GroFast) hay when all I have is round bales. Perhaps gains would have been better but at what cost$$. Square bales are outrageous$ not to mention the labor of rationing it out. I used a self feeder like mentioned above.

Your link gave you the gain using modest amount of roughage. Woudn't be hard to figure what the cost would have been -vs- high price of feed-vs- extra gain. By the way in the TMR I would use the lower quality hay knowing that by getting the great mix you can force them to eat what you want them to eat in order to get what they want to eat.

 

[inbredredneck]

Nothing but corn/supplement pellet?? You must be the exception to every rule of feeding ruminants and are making it work. I'm surprised they can walk to the feeder, let alone want to eat any of it.

500 grams monensin and 250g tylosin per ton in the protein pellet TB. Feeding 1.5 pounds per day. it is a 40-22 pellet.

 

[TexasBred]

Nothing but corn/supplement pellet?? You must be the exception to every rule of feeding ruminants and are making it work. I'm surprised they can walk to the feeder, let alone want to eat any of it.

500 grams monensin and 250g tylosin per ton in the protein pellet TB. Feeding 1.5 pounds per day. it is a 40-22 pellet.

IBR (God that sound like a disease ;-) )That will help....AND with those densities I'm sure you have some NPN in it which is another good move. Cost savings, energy conserving and something so many folks are afraid of but ALL good bottom line operators use.

BTW, don't worry too much about your approach to folks. You have a lot to give. Just takes reading a few post to figure you out. (Not totally unlike a freaking drill sergeant) :lol:

 

[inbredredneck]

22% of the 40% is by way of urea.

 

[holsteincowboy]

It's hard to go wrong with the Moorman's or the like pellet with the whole shelled corn in a self-feeder approach to raising holstein steers, but have you seen the price of corn lately? I'd be willing to spend a little extra time and effort to save a few bucks on the total feed costs by using some other sort of byproduct or method. I've been doing some research on corn stover treated with calcium hydroxide combined with ddgs and supplements in a tmr. The studies I've seen make it look attractive versus the high energy, self-feeder diet mentioned above, but I'm not sure if it would be profitable with the steins. Anybody using something along these lines with the dairy steers?

 

[WIBADGER]

get rid of the hay. get some corn silage. They are getting way too much protein. not enough energy.

 

[chukar]

What about mixing a 14%pellet with rolled barley fed at 1.5% of bw per day plus all they grass hay they can eat?

 

[denvermartinfarms]

What about mixing a 14%pellet with rolled barley fed at 1.5% of bw per day plus all they grass hay they can eat?

Sounds plenty good to me.

 

[TexasBred]

It's hard to go wrong with the Moorman's or the like pellet with the whole shelled corn in a self-feeder approach to raising holstein steers, but have you seen the price of corn lately? I'd be willing to spend a little extra time and effort to save a few bucks on the total feed costs by using some other sort of byproduct or method. I've been doing some research on corn stover treated with calcium hydroxide combined with ddgs and supplements in a tmr. The studies I've seen make it look attractive versus the high energy, self-feeder diet mentioned above, but I'm not sure if it would be profitable with the steins. Anybody using something along these lines with the dairy steers?

Calcium hydroxide does nothing but limit intake and run up the cost. The topic was about "backgrounding" the steers which to me means feeding the rumen in order to prepare it for the high concentrate, high grain diet in the feedlot. For that I'd just feed something pretty mellow like a creep pellet containing a medium amount of grain.