Feeding 7 year old steer

[Rosebecky]

I have a 7 year old steer who is a pet. The weather is in the teens and 20's. How much grain should I be feeding him and how much hay if he isn't being free fed on hay? He is a good weight (around 2,000 pounds) now. Three out of 7 days per week they free feed hay, then when the bale is used up, they don't put out anymore until the next week. I feed him on the days that they don't (they let them eat the "grass" in the pasture, which isn't much and no food value). Need to know how much to feed on the "off" days. He is a beef steer, part angus. Annie

 

[mnmtranching]

Welcome Rosebeck, You ought to separate him from the rest and take better care of him. Don't make him have to compete for his food. At a ton he is a growing boy, don't skimp. :cry2:

 

[Rosebecky]

Thanks for the reply but my post must have been unclear. Ferdinand is the largest bovine of 5. There is one other full size cow and the other 3 are yearlings. He pushes the others around when he feels it is necessary as he is by far the largest. He is just like a dog. I just need to know how much hay and grain I should be giving Ferdinand on the days that they don't put out hay, as I supplement him on those days. Just want to make sure that I'm feeding him enough. Thanks! (I haven't run into this difficulty in the past as they have always provided hay on a daily basis prior to this year.)

 

[bigbull338]

id give him 10lbs of grain an 20 to 25lbs of hay a day.that should keep him going good.

 

[jedstivers]

id give him 10lbs of grain an 20 to 25lbs of hay a day.that should keep him going good.

A 5 gallon bucket of whole corn weighs about 33 pounds (I brought one in the house and weighed it). I had a pet steer that lived to 13 and he weighed about a ton but he had plenty of pasture so he only got a few pounds a day. He would come to the house everyday and stand in a spot where he could see through the glass door and my grandmother would go feed him (I think she looked foward to it as much as he did).

 

[Rosebecky]

Jedstivers - I'm so happy to know that someone else had a pet steer who lived to 13! Vet said Ferdinand might live to only 10 because of his weight. Said that his legs might give out. I haven't found anyone else who has/had a pet steer. I guess most people don't see the point in having a "worthless" steer. Mine was a twin and I've had him since the day he was born because his mother rejected him. He still thinks I'm his Mom and comes when he's called (most of the time) and when he is lying down, he puts his head in my lap. (Actually, his head is bigger than my lap now! but he puts as much of it in my lap as he can fit.) He also likes to untie tennis shoes. He loves to be brushed and tolerates a bath.

I appreciate the food info from everyone!

 

[jedstivers]

Mine was a prolapsed uterus cow that did not make it.I brought him home in the floor of the pickup. He got arthritis at 13.