Beef Steers on Winter Oat Pasture

[OK Jeanne]

Took some photos today - steers on winter oat field; they should be ready by late January:

(the one on the right is a steer---on the left is a young bull)

 

[LimousinGirl]

Good lookin' steers, I'm jealous of that grass, is it rye?

 

[LimousinGirl]

Good lookin' steers, I'm jealous of that grass, is it rye?

**don't know why it posted 2 times, tried to delete it but it wouldn't. :?

 

[bigbull338]

those are some fat goodlooking steers.an they will be ready for the freezer in jan.

 

[OK Jeanne]

thanks big bull...and limogirl:

It's oats---sweetie planted the seed about Sept 15th. We will take all animals off it by March 1st, then make hay in early May.

 

[RafterD]

Jeanne:

Where can I find out more about the origination of Murray Greys? They are very nice looking cattle.

 

[c farmer]

How much do they weight? To me they look like buchering weight now.

 

[OK Jeanne]

Jeanne:

Where can I find out more about the origination of Murray Greys? They are very nice looking cattle.

Our association site, with some history, is located at: www.murraygrey.org

However, the best place is the website of the son of the founder of the breed, Murray Sutherland's site:

home page: http://www.michaelong.com.au/

Click on the "history" tab at the left side of the page.

-------------------------

c farmer: The electronics to our weight scale shorted out last month & we don't have it fixed yet. There's one steer that looks close
to ready now, but the others still need to put on some weight....we look for a full brisket and fat pads around the tail head.
Plus, when we butcher in late January, people are just about ready to get their tax refunds.

 

[Keren]

How old are they, Jeanne?

 

[skyline]

Plus, when we butcher in late January, people are just about ready to get their tax refunds.

Now that's some good thinking there! Sounds like ya'll have got your system down.

Those are some great looking steers and I'm very envious of your oats. My cattle wouldn't know what to do in that lush green stuff!

If you don't mind, could you describe how you finished these steers? Rations and what did you have them on before the oats came in? How old are they? Can you describe the whole process from weaning up until now?

 

[1982vett]

Ok Jeanne, now you have really depressed me.
This is was planted September 20.

Amazing what water can do for a crop.

Looks like your steers are ready now. :nod:

 

[OK Jeanne]

These steers were born in spring 07; we like to calve in late march through april. They spent the first summer on their moms on pasture...weaned in Oct 07. They then went on a winter wheat pasture until mid-March 08. Then back to the native pasture through the summer,early fall of 08. They went onto the winter oat field about the 3d week of Oct.

We have been told that finishing out an animal on wheat can give the meat an "off" flavor---so we just use the wheat for the newly
weaned males. We don't allow the heifers on winter wheat as they would get too fat. The wheat field is more cold-hardy than the
oats, but the oats do have a wider leaf and they love it. I think it makes better hay. Even if the oats do get some frost damage,
it just comes right back out after a few sunny, warmer days. We've never had it absolutely winter-kill.

For some reason, this thread is not "notifying" me when a response is posted...anyone else or is it just me??

 

[alexfarms]

These steers were born in spring 07; we like to calve in late march through april. They spent the first summer on their moms on pasture...weaned in Oct 07. They then went on a winter wheat pasture until mid-March 08. Then back to the native pasture through the summer,early fall of 08. They went onto the winter oat field about the 3d week of Oct.

We have been told that finishing out an animal on wheat can give the meat an "off" flavor---so we just use the wheat for the newly
weaned males. We don't allow the heifers on winter wheat as they would get too fat. The wheat field is more cold-hardy than the
oats, but the oats do have a wider leaf and they love it. I think it makes better hay. Even if the oats do get some frost damage,
it just comes right back out after a few sunny, warmer days. We've never had it absolutely winter-kill.

For some reason, this thread is not "notifying" me when a response is posted...anyone else or is it just me??

Nice looking steers. I like your feeding program. I am surprised you can keep the oats alive all winter. It appears you have the right genetics to fit what you are doing, alot of todays cattle wouldn't work that way and yours is a very practical set up.

 

[RafterD]

So did I read that correctly that they originated from the old aberdeen angus? What is the availability of seedstock, semen and embryos in the US?

 

[OK Jeanne]

We sell semen and embryos. We are going to put two bulls and one heifer on our website "for sale" page--around the end of this
month when we can get our son to do the update. There are also some other of our members that have various animals for sale
in different parts of the usa. i.e. two bred heifers in Missouri, a very promising bull calf in Wisconsin, and so on.

----------

The original cross was said to be a light roan shorthorn cow--mated with several different aberdeen angus bulls; and she
only had "mulberry" grey calves. Of course, that was over 100 years ago.

 

[LimousinGirl]

It's oats---

Sorry, I just missed that the title said "Oat Pasture".

 

[Limomike]

Wow. those look like yearlings already. Never knew that oat could have that kind of affect on them. Very nice Jeanne.

 

[hrbelgians]

We have been told that finishing out an animal on wheat can give the meat an "off" flavor---

Nice looking cattle and pastures!
Question on your comment. Is this really so or is it just someones oppinion?? I am NOT trying to pick a fight but rather trying to figure out how much truth there is to it as I have been seriously thinking of using some wheat.

 

[Eagle33]

OK Jeanne,
Those are some mighty fine looking steers. Do you need to fertilize to get that nice oats crop?

 

[S&S Farms]

Are you guys north or south of I 40 and east or west of I 35. I am trying to figure if they would survive in central Kansas. I have never heard of anybody planting oats in the fall. How much N did you put out?

Jeff