Beef Steer

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Anonymous

I posted this on the Feedyard board but no one responded. I want to raise a calf for slaughter and I want the beef to be very tender and good. After asking several people involved with cattle, I was told to take a steer when it gets to be about 800 to 1,000 pounds and confine to a small area. Starting with 3 pounds of corn the first day, add 3 pounds of corn a day until feeding approximately 30 pounds of corn a day. Feed at this rate for not less than 6 and not more than 8 weeks (with, of course, plenty of fresh water and a salt block.) Then cut off food and water 48 hours before slaughter. Can someone on this board advise me as to whether this method would work, and is there a better method.

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It is pretty good advice, but you cannot feed the steer just corn. When the steer is around 900 pounds, put him in a small lot or a big one if you have no other use for it. Start him off with a steerbuster mix of feed as opposed to straight corn. Start with a handful and slowley double every 2-4 days until you get up to about a five gallon bucket a day (whatever that weighs). Also, KEEP THE STEER IN GOOD HAY! He needs roughage to operate correctly and you will have a real messy, loose situation without it. Bovines need stalk and leaf, not just the seed. 6 weeks would be the absolute minimum. I would say 9 to 10 weeks for one you are eating yourself (don't want to cut corners, hey). That is my two cents. Just keep roughage in front of him with plenty of good, clean water. I would NOT cut off water from anything for two days. One day would not be so bad. Some say that helps the beef quality, but I have never noticed a difference. Good luck. Everyone has a different way to fatten an 'ole butchering steer.



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Any bovine (ruminant) MUST have adequate roughage (hay, grass) daily to keep their gut (rumen) working. Straight grain diet is asking for digestive and health problems big time. Any change in food (for any animal) should be done gradually as sudden changes can also cause serious digestive upsets.

Also, forget about withholding water. All animals should have free access to clean water daily.

There are numerous quality bagged feeds from various manufacturers that have a balanced diet within along with needed vitamins and minerals.

If in doubt, check with your Vet. Read the nutrition information on the bagged feeds. A 5 gallon or 30 lb diet of grains is way too much of this stuff in my opinion. Quality hay along with 10 lbs or so of balanced nutrition bagged feed, minerals, salt, and water should go a long way to conditioning your animal.



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> It is pretty good advice, but you
> cannot feed the steer just corn.
> When the steer is around 900
> pounds, put him in a small lot or
> a big one if you have no other use
> for it. Start him off with a
> steerbuster mix of feed as opposed
> to straight corn. Start with a
> handful and slowley double every
> 2-4 days until you get up to about
> a five gallon bucket a day
> (whatever that weighs). Also, KEEP
> THE STEER IN GOOD HAY! He needs
> roughage to operate correctly and
> you will have a real messy, loose
> situation without it. Bovines need
> stalk and leaf, not just the seed.
> 6 weeks would be the absolute
> minimum. I would say 9 to 10 weeks
> for one you are eating yourself
> (don't want to cut corners, hey).
> That is my two cents. Just keep
> roughage in front of him with
> plenty of good, clean water. I
> would NOT cut off water from
> anything for two days. One day
> would not be so bad. Some say that
> helps the beef quality, but I have
> never noticed a difference. Good
> luck. Everyone has a different way
> to fatten an 'ole butchering
> steer.

In packing plants the longest animals can be without water is 24 hours by law. The USDA or your state inspectors will issue sitations if found in inhuman conditions. Withholding water for over twenty four hours is inhuman. If you don't think so, go with anything to drink for 24 hours and see.

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Hey, I agree compeletely. I would not let an animal of any sort go without for an hour if I could help it. I was just saying that one day sure seemed better than two. Witholding the blood of life (i.e. water) is unacceptable to me in any situation. Perhaps there are other views, but no beef flavor is going to get me to dehydrate a beef.

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I was hoping someone would say that because I would not have been able to cut off the water for more than a few hours either (48 is way to long on the food also)...I am still pretty green (Thus the "Greenhorn"), so I just posted what little I had been told in order to get responses from people who may know. I am still pretty confused though. I've been told that any more than 8 weeks of grain feeding produces no added benefit...Then I've been told that 3 to 5 months producse the best result...Also been told that the grain and confinement to a small area is what makes the beef tender...Then was told that the tenderness is 100% genetics and the grain is only to add a fat cover to give the meat a better flavor...Even had one guy tell me that the ONLY thing grain did is to change the color of the fat from yellow to white.



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The answer is pretty uch all of the above. Depending on the genetics and what grains you're feeding there will be a difference in tenderness and amount of fat. Grass hay and 2% of the steers body weight will get you a well finished steer and anywhere from 30-60 days. The steers age also makes a difference. And still, with all that it's a crap shoot. but the odds are better as to the final quality. A day before butcher don't feed any grain but keep the water and hay. Remove salt 2 days before the butcher date. With a british breed you should be alright, with a continental you will need to tend to the longer time frame. But these are just "guidelines". Unless somethine really screwy happens you'll still end up with a wole lot better flavor and quality meat then you can by at retail.

dun

> I was hoping someone would say
> that because I would not have been
> able to cut off the water for more
> than a few hours either (48 is way
> to long on the food also)...I am
> still pretty green (Thus the
> "Greenhorn"), so I just
> posted what little I had been told
> in order to get responses from
> people who may know. I am still
> pretty confused though. I've been
> told that any more than 8 weeks of
> grain feeding produces no added
> benefit...Then I've been told that
> 3 to 5 months producse the best
> result...Also been told that the
> grain and confinement to a small
> area is what makes the beef
> tender...Then was told that the
> tenderness is 100% genetics and
> the grain is only to add a fat
> cover to give the meat a better
> flavor...Even had one guy tell me
> that the ONLY thing grain did is
> to change the color of the fat
> from yellow to white.



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