Ive been slowly getting into the cattle business. I am looking to market my future steers in april when prices are traditionaly at there highest. I want to get my steers into the 600 to 700 lbs range. What is the average time it is taking yal to get your cattle to that desired weight? I am wanting to set up a early fall calving season to take advantage of spring high market prices, but i feel that a sept,oct calving season will not net me the desired weight by april. All cattle will be fed on stockpiled fescue pasture till dec. then fed round bales of hay till the spring greening. There will be little to no grain feed fed. Is my goal achieveable? Any advice from other cattleman out there that do a similar program? Thank you.
How long to achive ideal weight
- Thread starter luke03cr
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cross_7
Well-known member
2 things I know for fact people will lie about
#1 fuel mileage
#2 weaning weights
#1 fuel mileage
#2 weaning weights
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
Are you weaning and keeping a while or selling of the cow? i think it can be done to have some over 600lbs pretty easy.
shadyhollownj
Well-known member
Cross you mean you dont wean 750 lb calves and gte 25 mpg on your diesel. I thought everyone did.
luke03cr
Well-known member
I will likely wean straight off the cow. But the steers will have good access to pasture and free choice hay. I want to market them around 6 to 700lbs but just not sure if it will be achievable to do so within 6 to 7 months. If anyone is accomplishing this i would appriciate the advice. Thanks again.
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
I wean all my calves at about 7 months, and my steers are allways over 600 at no more than 7 months. you can definetly do this imo. what kind of cattle and bulls do you have? makes some difference.
cross_7
Well-known member
shadyhollownj":1f2y95uo said:
Sure do
I'm not one them guys that weans 5wt calves and 15 mpg
cross_7
Well-known member
Luke
I'll give you my best guess
I know nothing about stockpiled fescue or how much nutrition it has.
It's going to depend on the cow, the size of the cow, cows milking ability, the bull you use and so on.
With that said 600-700 at 7 month where I'm from and the type of cows we have for our environment it can be done, but lots of years just don't allow for it.
If you have the grass to sustain a bigger heavier milking cow I don't think it would be a problem.
I'll give you my best guess
I know nothing about stockpiled fescue or how much nutrition it has.
It's going to depend on the cow, the size of the cow, cows milking ability, the bull you use and so on.
With that said 600-700 at 7 month where I'm from and the type of cows we have for our environment it can be done, but lots of years just don't allow for it.
If you have the grass to sustain a bigger heavier milking cow I don't think it would be a problem.
luke03cr
Well-known member
I raise purebreed angus. Bull is med. frame, young prob 11 to 1200 lbs. Cows are around 1100 lbs. glad to hear its achievable. My concern is just with only having about 6 months to reach my target weight of 600 on strictly pasture and hay.
cross_7
Well-known member
luke03cr":2v0uctzo said:
If I were not keeping heifers I'd look at a terminal bull.
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
You can get them to 600lbs in less than 7 months. but that is close.
luke03cr
Well-known member
With the calving season that i want to set up, starting calving in sept and oct will get me the 6 to 7 months im shooting for by april. If i have to market into may to get the weight up that would be acceptable to, since yearly trends are less then .10 apart between them. But my main focus is to make sure that they are atleast 600lbs if not more by then so i dont keep them into the summer.
denvermartinfarms
Well-known member
I think you have good expectations for what they are really going to do.
luke03cr
Well-known member
Ive reduced my inputs significantly by growing and cutting my own hay, only raising the cows that ive grown myself here at the farm, and taking advantage of other things that ive learned at our state master beef producer program. Now im working on getting my brreding and calving season where i want it.
AllForage, do you feed hay or are you like Agmantoo and doing it all on grass?
TennesseeTuxedo":11f62wcj said:
I live in WI, given enough land, the best winter annuals still would not hold up. Our spring just comes too late. I do market grass fed, but I have to feed in winter. You can bet if I lived 2 states south or so that would be my primary goal. Money wise it is more important than any color breed or calving scheme.
jerry27150
Well-known member
those fall calves won't grow like spring born unless you are creep feeding. which defeats your purpose
