Feedlot ADG

[SRBeef]

What is a typical Average Daily Gain for 900-1000 lb steers in a feedlot?

I want a benchmark to judge how my grazing-standing-corn steers are doing compared to a feedlot.

My scale is frozen under a foot of snow and ice so I won't be able to weigh mine for awhile.

They will need to come off of the corn in about 30-35 days. Last weight I have is at weaning, Nov 14th, 2009. One steer for example (#6209) was 700 lb even actual. As of March 22nd it will be 163 days since weaning. Some of that was on hay only but if I take 700lb actual + 163 days x 3.0 lb/day = 700 + 489 = 1189 lb projected weight as of 3/22. Does that sound reasonable?

I would be pleased with anything over 1100 lb at processing.

What might I expect? Jim

 

[Howdyjabo]

loaded question- the answer is it all depends
What you really need to care about is your cost/lb of gain and what you will get paid for those lbs of gain.
Getting to the proper grade and yield is VERY important on the rail.
The lb gained /day, by itself, tells you nothing.

 

[SRBeef]

loaded question- the answer is it all depends
What you really need to care about is your cost/lb of gain and what you will get paid for those lbs of gain.
Getting to the proper grade and yield is VERY important on the rail.
The lb gained /day, by itself, tells you nothing.

Thanks for your response. In my case the cost per pound is fixed. The standing corn is out there.

I do agree with you on grade/yield. I wish I knew more about how and when grade is put on a steer. I know there are marbling EPD's. Mine should be pretty good in that area. My problem is that they need to come off the corn in the second half of March. It's ready or not, then they go (to the processor).

My guess is that most of that marbling/grade/yield is put on at the end of the feedout. I am cutting that short. How much grade and yield am I losing if I harvest them at 1050lb vs 1100 lb or 1150 lb?

So what is a typical northern US plains feedlot 900+ lb ADG??? 3.0? 3.5? 4.0?

Thanks. Jim

 

[Howdyjabo]

Again wt at harvest tells you nothing-
on the grid
1100 lbs of mostly frame will get you cull cow price
1100 lbs of mostly fat will get you a HUGE discount


This might be of interest- check out page three good

http://www.extension.umn.edu/Beef/compo ... /cfr03.pdf

then check out this

http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lm_ct100.txt

You are getting hung up on the lbs /day and I am trying to tell you it doesn't matter-- what matters is did you make money.

 

[SRBeef]

Again wt at harvest tells you nothing-
on the grid
1100 lbs of mostly frame will get you cull cow price
1100 lbs of mostly fat will get you a HUGE discount


This might be of interest- check out page three good

http://www.extension.umn.edu/Beef/compo ... /cfr03.pdf

then check out this

http://www.ams.usda.gov/mnreports/lm_ct100.txt

You are getting hung up on the lbs /day and I am trying to tell you it doesn't matter-- what matters is did you make money.

Thank you Howdy. I appreciate the links. I am marketing my cattle differently. I am interested in QG & YG. What is my most important statistic is the pounds of minimum bone trimmed beef frozen in the box of my split halves I sell directly. Right now I am just at 40% of live weight. I hope to get to 42 or 43%. I also want to keep the marbling up. I am looking for a feedlot ADG number just to compare my gain while grazing on standing corn to what they would gain to a light finish on a feedlot. Seems like its not a number folks want to throw out there. Thank you for your comments and links. Jim

 

[dun]

ADG in a feedlot varies a lot by individual animals. We've had a couple that went of 3.5 lbs a day and a couple that went around 1. That's why some go 75 days on feed and others go 150 when they start and end at the same point

 

[plumber_greg]

Jim, I take mine to the feedlot about Nov.1. They start selling latter part of April, finish up in mid May. Average wt. is about 650, finish wt is about 1250. On YG, I will have maybe 20-25 percent YG 4 and select. Some go CAB. First year I didn't handle them right, cuz' I didn't know, and had 6 norolls. They sell them for me on a grid of some kind. I'm trying to breed them up to all grade choice, like the guy from Savannah, MO., but I just ain't smart enough, and don't have enough cattle to cull that hard. That's what I remember from last year, may not be exactly right, but the weights are pretty close and you can figure the ADG from that. gs

 

[plumber_greg]

Need to add a little more. That's the average on steers and heifers. Some of the bigger ones may weigh 750-800 when I take them up to the feedlot. I take 90-100 head and take almost everything I raise, the 650 is the average on them all. gs