Grass to finish

[Quintonhall]

Held back a black angus steer to try grass finished. He is on uf riata bahia grass now. I'm wondering if the beef would be better finished on summer grass or finished on winter foliage such as rye, rye grass,clover or something else?

 

[WarEagle73]

It will be tough to finish a calf on summer grasses, especially bahia. Maybe a summer annual, but Bahia is pretty low in energy and protein so your steer probably won't grow like he could. Winter annuals will work a lot better. Marshall Ryegrass is hard to beat. Mix that with Crimson Clover and a small grain that works in your area and that will probably be your best quality forage of the year.

 

[Jogeephus]

Ditto.

 

[AllForage]

To increase your odds of a pleasurable eating animal, take him to 24 months. Like others said, harvest off your best high sugar forage.

 

[Quintonhall]

Thank you very much for replies. I'm in Florida so it looks like i must finish in winter. Thanks again

 

[WarEagle73]

Good luck. The great thing you have going for is your should be able to grow winter annuals all winter long. We hit a spell from about Christmas until March 1st that basically nothing will grow fast enough to keep up with the cows.

 

[LRTX1]

Pearl millet might be an option. Planted now you could start grazing it in a month. What part of Florida? I'm around Gainesville.

 

[Quintonhall]

Since high sugar forage is preferred should brassica plants be considered in the mix? These plants protect there self from freezing by increasing sugar levels after frost. Maybe feed the steer salad so I dont have to eat the stuff
i'm really looking at trying to avoid grain to finish for healthier meat.

 

[Quintonhall]

LRTX1 I'm smack dab in the middle of no where 12 miles from the city limit of Altha which has one blinking caution light. about hour north of panama city. Climate is about same as your neck of woods. Do you by chance grass finish?

 

[LRTX1]

No I don't grass finish, have grazed pearl millet and got real good grazing from it.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

I have yet to see where grass finished is much different than grain finished health wise.

 

[dun]

Don;t use alfalfa to finish. We did that years ago, partner let me use parts of his 1500 acres of alfalfa. The meat tasted like alfalfa, I suppose a vegan would have been fooled but it tasted crappy to me. Since then we've always finished on grain for our own eating.

 

[AllForage]

Don;t use alfalfa to finish. We did that years ago, partner let me use parts of his 1500 acres of alfalfa. The meat tasted like alfalfa, I suppose a vegan would have been fooled but it tasted crappy to me. Since then we've always finished on grain for our own eating.

This is not true.


Why do grain fed lovers always have to reply to grassfed threads?

I have yet to see where grass finished is much different than grain finished health wise.

What's your point? There is a market, folks will pay for it, and why not?

 

[dun]

Don;t use alfalfa to finish. We did that years ago, partner let me use parts of his 1500 acres of alfalfa. The meat tasted like alfalfa, I suppose a vegan would have been fooled but it tasted crappy to me. Since then we've always finished on grain for our own eating.

This is not true.


Why do grain fed lovers always have to reply to grassfed threads?

I have yet to see where grass finished is much different than grain finished health wise.

What's your point? There is a market, folks will pay for it, and why not?

Have you ever eaten beef that has eaten nothing but alfalfa for 6 months? I have no complaint with anyone grass finshing beef, they are filling a nitch. The taste is just not what everyone wants. I don;t know about finishing on straight grass. My only try was on straight alfafa because of the cost.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

The point is where he is he may have a hard time grass finishing a steer. So use some grain and good graze to get the critter where he wants it.

 

[hurleyjd]

Mow the Bahia about every three days do about an acre of so each time this will allow the steer to have lush grass to eat. Cattle evolved to eat grass and legumes and not grain. May not be any thing to it but grass finished cattle's meat is supposed to have omega 3 in it and is as healthy as Salmon.

 

[LRTX1]

Farm raised or natural caught salmon?

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Grain fed have it to Hurley. Cattle have always eat grains just not row crop grains like we use now. Cattle will eat the beans from thorn trees the seeds of many weeds like beggar lice. Quite a few more if you need a few more examples of grain cattle evolved eating.

 

[hurleyjd]

Farm raised or natural caught salmon?

Farm raised

 

[BC]

This thread has been interesting to read for all the information and misinformation shared. In Florida, you should be able to graze nearly year round. Unfortunately, in Florida your summer perennial forages are lacking in carbohydrates. They can be managed for protein but need more carbohydrates to finish a yearling. Overseeding the warm season grass with ryegrass and clover in the fall and harvesting your yearling in the spring will work. If you need to butcher in the summer or fall, then you are going to have to plant a warm season annual. That could be millet, sorghum-sudan or even corn. I saw some stocker operators in Kentucky graze corn to get some good gains.