we just bought two holstein bottle calves. can anyone tell me about how much grain it will take to raise them from weaned to slaughter? they dont have enough grass in the lot to count,but they will be given free will hay.
how much grain to raise a holstein steer
- Thread starter jvlare
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BlackBaldyMan
Well-known member
Alot. 
We have a pen of holstein calves and are probably going to ship them ~1400lbs, one is about 1300 and going. Remember holsteins take a long time to get fat on them, they grow like crazy, actually I dont think they ever stop growing :shock:
We have a pen of holstein calves and are probably going to ship them ~1400lbs, one is about 1300 and going. Remember holsteins take a long time to get fat on them, they grow like crazy, actually I dont think they ever stop growing :shock:
Bez>
Well-known member
I just hope you are not doing this to make money!
Grain, hay, milk replacer, meds, and chance of death.
Enjoy the beef.
Have fun you will learn a lot.
Bez>
Grain, hay, milk replacer, meds, and chance of death.
Enjoy the beef.
Have fun you will learn a lot.
Bez>
bigbull338
Well-known member
from birth to weaning youll need 2 50lb sacks of powdered milk to wean the calves.about 1500lbs of feed each from birth to butcher for each calf.thats 3000lbs of feed.an 5 rolls of hay for the calves.unless your feeding sq bales.about 120sq bales.jvlare":1h6ykw3s said:
In the feedlot our average lately has been 7.46 to 1. From 300# on up to 1575# to 1625#. That is a mixture of corn and 40% protien pellets. We feed 1.5# protien per day. But that is the figure our close out sheets have been averaging and the figure we use. When trying to cash flow a yard.
You must have a very very very good feed conversion rate. I've fed alot of holstiens and 1500# of grain and 3000# of hay never would finish them very good here. Feeding straight shell corn and pellets would use twice the amount of feed your suggesting. Whats your secret to such awesome feed conversion? Maybe I'm doing it wrong.bigbull338":ftrrtwgo said:
bigbull338
Well-known member
if you notice i figure 15lbs grain pre head pre day from 0 to butchering.as well as assuming they will be on grass 6 to 8 months a yr.if your running on pasture an haying them 15lbs a day is all the feed they will eat.somn":1hnrmlbg said:
i want to try and make some extra money with some holstein calves i would like to get them right after weaning any advice on feed and type of pasture and any other advice. would it be better to get them up to around 450 or 600. what should i pay for small holstiens around 180 - 200 lbs.
bigbull338
Well-known member
if you buy say wean hol steers your lookiing at giving $250 to $300 a hd maybe more.say you keep them 6 months.an put 300lbs on them.an sale them at 550lbs.your looking at maybe $450 hd sale price.trin":3h1axpgm said:
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
somn":19cy1bmd said:
This feed conversion sounds low. Is it due to the Holstein breed?
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
trin":11x54p8t said:
Holsteins don't do well on pasture unless they are "heavy", perhaps 600 pounds or so.
Yes it is due to holstien breeding. The first poster asked how much grain it will take to raise a holstien calf from weaning to butcher with no available pasture and free choice hay. Those figures will get the poster very close. A lighter butcher weight will have a better feed conversion but a lighter butcher weight in a holstien will result in a lower yield and a poorer carcass grade. I'm a meat eater not a bone chewer so I tend to feed my cattle until properly finished resulting in the best possible yield and grade. People can sit on here all day long and tell me I'm doing it right or wrong but at the end of the day one fact never changes I've fed almost every breed under the sun here in North America. I have close out sheets for every pen. And grid printouts for every load that I sell on the grid. It is always in clear to see it is in black and white. Sometimes red. Three words for the red figures PPM, BSE, and Yaks.Stocker Steve":2pk9v73r said:
I should have made it more clear what breed I was feeding when getting those figures. But I thought that considering I was answering a question specifically about holstiens the poster would understand my answer was about feeding holstiens. My mistake. The more I think about it I have seen on more than one once people ask questions about something specific and someone else will give them an answer that has nothing to do with the question asked.
Sometimes I believe that is an attempt to rack up their post count trying to impress unsuspecting hobbiest into believing the have a real life cowboy on the other end of the computer screen giving them advice.
newrancher
Well-known member
I too am trying to make alittle extra money by raising holstein steers, just got them yesterday.10@400lbs. I have 10 acres lots of bermuda and fescue,was planning to pasture on about 3 acres until june 1,cut hay on the other7 and then pasture it.I am going to give them 1lb 14% creep per day as supplement,is this viable? cost effective? sound like a good plan? wasnt planning to winter them but sell about oct at 750 or so,but will have hay so plan s could change. any advice appreciatd
TheNewb
New member
Sometimes I believe that is an attempt to rack up their post count trying to impress unsuspecting hobbiest into believing the have a real life cowboy on the other end of the computer screen giving them advice
Good Call
Good Call
hughnews
Active member
saw holstein steers, 1.458 lbs sold @ $.65 ..... how much to feed him ... wowowow
My brother and I fed hundreds of holstien bottle calves we used 1 pound milk replacer to 2 quarts water twice a day. I guess everyone does it different. From birth to full feed grain in 50 days was an accomplishment.TJ":15j8uevl said:
