Bottle to market

[Rmc]

Stop feeding them Roughage. Holstein cattle don't need it.

A cow without roughage is a death waiting to happen.
If Holsteins don't need roughage why do dairies still feed it and still buy and feed sodium bicarbonate by the ton as a buffer to try to negate the effects of not enough roughage in the diet?

 

[Rmc]

Stop feeding them Roughage. Holstein cattle don't need it. Corn, more corn, then give them some more corn. Shelled not ground.

You can tell who has never fed Holsteins in this thread. The quickest way to lose money on them is to feed hay or put them on pasture.

Kind of shows who has never feed out Holsteins . A Holstein or any other cow feed a no roughage grain only diet will be dead in no time.

 

[Allenw]

Key search words 'dairy beef'.

 

[Davemk]

Kind of shows who has never feed out Holsteins . A Holstein or any other cow feed a no roughage grain only diet will be dead in no time.

We started feeding Holsteins in 1978 with the Tend R Lean program. We don't use Tend R Lean anymore but we still use shelled corn and a protein supplement made for dairy beef.

 

[Travlr]

We started feeding Holsteins in 1978 with the Tend R Lean program. We don't use Tend R Lean anymore but we still use shelled corn and a protein supplement made for dairy beef.

Do you use it from cradle to grave? Do you feed that kind of diet to Holsteins from bottle calf to when they are finished? Sorry... but there is no way you could make money on them if you do. I'm betting you started them on it at about 1200 pounds. Anything before that was hay, pasture, and minimal grain.

 

[Son of Butch]

Holsteins were 20.4% of Fed Cattle slaughtered in 2016.* (over 3 million head)
* source Hoard's Dairyman - Tara Felix, Penn State.

Somebody is making money on them.
Holstein fed cattle have intensive feeding programs with slaughter goal at 17
or less months.

Only 2% of grocery beef department managers could examine and correctly identify unlabeled steaks from a holstein vs steaks from an angus in a display cases.
hint: holstein steaks tend to be slightly longer and narrower per pound.

 

[Rmc]

Yes some can make money on Holsteins but let's take a closer look at the numbers. A large percentage of dairy animals are cull milk cows marking close to 50 percent of all cull cows

The Impact of Dairy Cow Slaughter on Cull Cow Markets

There has been much discussion about beef cow slaughter this year. Dry weather, rising input costs, and strong cull cow prices are resulting in large numbers of beef cows leaving

www.feedlotmagazine.com

 

[Son of Butch]

Yes some can make money on Holsteins but let's take a closer look at the numbers. A large percentage of dairy animals are cull milk cows marking close to 50 percent of all cull cows

Why look at cull cow market, when discussion is Holstein and Holstein cross beef steers and fed market?

Holstein fed cattle slaughter is a by-product of dairy farms.

 

[M.Magis]

I suspect the discussion has taken a turn from where the TS was thinking, and I also suspect Farmerjan was right in that her idea of "finished" may not be what some of us think of.

 

[Rmc]

Why look at cull cow market, when discussion is Holstein and Holstein cross beef steers and fed market?

Holstein fed cattle slaughter is a by-product of dairy farms.

Because you brought up the point ..that someone must be asking money on dairy cattle . But look at the fact that a significant portion of dairy for meat are cull cows. Dairy steer calves slaughtered is roughly half of the 20 plus percent you quoted.
If dairy breed alone is so profitable for meat why are are so many dairy's switch over to using beef bulls or using their cows for embryos for beef breeds?

 

[MurraysMutts]

First of all, WELCOME @2old !!!

I have not much advice, but sort all this stuff out on the last couple pages. I know dairy cattle bring more money in Northern states. Here in Oklahoma they don't bring much. They will/can consume a LOT of grain to finish compared to comparable beef animals.

Best of luck to ya! I'm so glad someone else is enjoying raising quality animals!
Please stick around and let us all know how ya come out with em.

I'm very interested in how folks do things and love it when there's a learning experience shared. Especially if makes a nickel and people enjoy what they are doing.

 

[2old]

First of all, WELCOME @2old !!!

I have not much advice, but sort all this stuff out on the last couple pages. I know dairy cattle bring more money in Northern states. Here in Oklahoma they don't bring much. They will/can consume a LOT of grain to finish compared to comparable beef animals.

Best of luck to ya! I'm so glad someone else is enjoying raising quality animals!
Please stick around and let us all know how ya come out with em.

I'm very interested in how folks do things and love it when there's a learning experience shared. Especially if makes a nickel and people enjoy what they are doing.

Thank you!

 

[Buck Randall]

Are you wanting to have a discussion or just looking to contradict everything I post?
View attachment 20602
View attachment 20603
As I have said from the beginning
AT BEST he is at break even if not upside down when you look at his local and national prices for 300 lb calves that he is in$390 each into.
So which is it big boy ?
You don't like my national average price so I post the closest local I can find . First you argue that he can make profit and national average doesn't equal local.
Post local prices that don't list weights so I give benefit of a doubt and go with highest Holstein steer price listed which is $138 which is similar to national average price . And you want to nit pick me giving the benifit of the doubt and using highest local price.
Continue to nit pic all you want but it doesn't change the facts .
Weather you use national average price or local highest prices . He is at best break even at the very best and at worst upside down over a $100+ dollars a calf as I stated earlier.

You're comparing fat cattle price to feeder price. "HOLSTEIN CHOICE" refers to finished steers.

 

[Buck Randall]

Do you use it from cradle to grave? Do you feed that kind of diet to Holsteins from bottle calf to when they are finished? Sorry... but there is no way you could make money on them if you do. I'm betting you started them on it at about 1200 pounds. Anything before that was hay, pasture, and minimal grain.

I work with several clients that feed Holsteins on full corn from cradle to grave. Most of the roughage is from whatever bedding they eat. If you wait until a Holstein is 1200 lbs. before you start pushing corn he's going to weigh a ton before he's fat. They're very different from beef breeds.

 

[farmerjan]

@2old .... I hope that you are reading all this and taking it with a grain of salt also. The thing that I see is that you are
#1... enjoying the feeding of the calves, and doing the chores and being back to "farming" of a sort...
#2.... you are keeping track of what you are putting into them. The biggest expense in starting calves is the milk replacer and the starter/calf grain. So, having $390 in 300 lb calves is actually not too bad. From here on it will get less expensive/ per pound....... by the day or by the animal.

I personally can make some on holsteins by raising them on a nurse cow rather than feeding milk replacer... BUT..... I am feeding the cow grain so she makes more milk so there is still the expense. The last few years I have not been doing it because of an ankle replacement and then both knees replaced. Starting to get back to "doing" with the cattle more...
I think what you are doing is fine... there will not be any "cheap" replacements for some grain... and you do not have to feed enough grain to choke a horse either.
A word to the wise... a holstein or a hol/angus cross will start to "look older" once they hit the 16-18 month age if you have them on pasture and hay like you are planning... they will not bring as good a price if they "look old".... so my suggestion is to sell them while they still have that healthy younger look, and they will get bought by someone that will ship them to a feedlot that specializes in finishing holsteins and dairy crosses. They will go on and "finish" fast if they have had a healthy upbringing... and you will realize a better price too.

If you like doing this with the calves, I would suggest that you start a few more so that you can have some ready to go out on grass when the spring growth spurt hits... In fact, maybe starting calves in the fall, and then they will be in the 3-400 lb range when the good grass growth of April/May gets here... they will better utilize the grass with a little added grain for the protein needs.
And you might find that you are better suited to selling them off at 5-6 wts....
Play with it a little and see where YOUR sweet spot is....

I am glad that your post has triggered so much "discussion"..... and I hope that you can stick around and tell us how they did and when you sold and what you figured you made for your "retirement time" put into them. And yes, I make money on my nurse cows and calves they raise....

 

[SBMF 2015]

How many pounds are you talking per calf?

To get them to finish under 1,500lbs you need to start feeding them all corn at a pretty light weight (2-300lbs). They'll eat 100 bushels (5,600lbs) of corn. A Bos Taurus steer will eat 50-75 bu of corn.
I sold corn to the elevator Fri. $6.82/bu.

 

[SBMF 2015]

A cow without roughage is a death waiting to happen.
If Holsteins don't need roughage why do dairies still feed it and still buy and feed sodium bicarbonate by the ton as a buffer to try to negate the effects of not enough roughage in the diet?

You feed built in roughage, i.e. Purina Acuration or U.S. Feeds Linebacker product (which was designed to feed Holsteins) They don't get any other roughage. They'll chew on the corn stalks they get bedded with, but they don't need to.
We're talking steers on full feed, not cows in milk production.

 

[Davemk]

Do you use it from cradle to grave? Do you feed that kind of diet to Holsteins from bottle calf to when they are finished? Sorry... but there is no way you could make money on them if you do. I'm betting you started them on it at about 1200 pounds. Anything before that was hay, pasture, and minimal grain.

250lbs they go on this ration. Corn corn then some more. Their only roughage is bedding and that ain't much. As I said earlier we use shelled corn and protein pellet we buy that is designed for dairy beef.

 

[Son of Butch]

To get them to finish under 1,500lbs you need to start feeding them all corn at a pretty light weight (2-300lbs).
I sold corn to the elevator Fri. $6.82/bu.

Would've got a buck more selling in May. lol (damn hindsight)
sorry, couldn't resist the little needle.

Markets are cyclical. I'm sure you remember the years you were lucky IF you got
2 bucks after trucking and to make any money you had to sell your corn by running
it through hogs or feed out cattle.

 

[2old]

@2old .... I hope that you are reading all this and taking it with a grain of salt also. The thing that I see is that you are
#1... enjoying the feeding of the calves, and doing the chores and being back to "farming" of a sort...
#2.... you are keeping track of what you are putting into them. The biggest expense in starting calves is the milk replacer and the starter/calf grain. So, having $390 in 300 lb calves is actually not too bad. From here on it will get less expensive/ per pound....... by the day or by the animal.

I personally can make some on holsteins by raising them on a nurse cow rather than feeding milk replacer... BUT..... I am feeding the cow grain so she makes more milk so there is still the expense. The last few years I have not been doing it because of an ankle replacement and then both knees replaced. Starting to get back to "doing" with the cattle more...
I think what you are doing is fine... there will not be any "cheap" replacements for some grain... and you do not have to feed enough grain to choke a horse either.
A word to the wise... a holstein or a hol/angus cross will start to "look older" once they hit the 16-18 month age if you have them on pasture and hay like you are planning... they will not bring as good a price if they "look old".... so my suggestion is to sell them while they still have that healthy younger look, and they will get bought by someone that will ship them to a feedlot that specializes in finishing holsteins and dairy crosses. They will go on and "finish" fast if they have had a healthy upbringing... and you will realize a better price too.

If you like doing this with the calves, I would suggest that you start a few more so that you can have some ready to go out on grass when the spring growth spurt hits... In fact, maybe starting calves in the fall, and then they will be in the 3-400 lb range when the good grass growth of April/May gets here... they will better utilize the grass with a little added grain for the protein needs.
And you might find that you are better suited to selling them off at 5-6 wts....
Play with it a little and see where YOUR sweet spot is....

I am glad that your post has triggered so much "discussion"..... and I hope that you can stick around and tell us how they did and when you sold and what you figured you made for your "retirement time" put into them. And yes, I make money on my nurse cows and calves they raise....

Thanks for your response. I confess, I read it more than once. I did not know about them looking older at 16 to 18 months. There really is a lot of knowledge shared on this forum and it is a process of sifting through to find what works. I genuinely appreciate the advice. Hope you heal quickly and completely.