Just need a simple answer, please?

[Old Cow]

Supposed to be fattening up a steer for a relative. Hay wise, all I feed is home grown local grass hay. Kinda already overloaded on other stuff around here, when I look at all the numbers on the labels, my head wants to explode! So, what am I looking for in grain? How long will I have to feed him grain?
Help please?

 

[poorfarmer]

Your best bet would probably be to go to your local feed mill and talked to them. They will probably need to know the current weight of the steer to give you a recommendation on which ration is best. The supplement will change according to the weight. As for how long you would want him on grain it depends some people finish beef on grass, but I would want the steer finished on some type of grain ration from 600-700lbs on up. By the time they approach 800lbs you want to have them on a free choice ration which mean they can eat as much grain as they want, with a little hay for roughage. There are certain rations have fillers so the calf won't founder (eat to much and die) others rations you have to gradually increase the amount given until the steer has adjusted to the grain intake.

 

[suzorse]

90 to 120 days on grain , I feed 12 lbs 2 times a day of a COB ,and 14% stock and stable mix
Suzanne

 

[Old Cow]

Thank you for the ideas! Don't have a local feed mill. I have no faith in the recommendations of local feed stores! Did find 1 long time beef guy feeds a 14% from 1 store, so I got that! Now what about hay? Running low on local grass hay, will be kicking main herd out to pasture, any day now. Want to pick up some extra hay for the 1. Timothy? Alfalfa? Orchard?

 

[jedstivers]

What does this animal weigh? What condition is it in.

 

[Old Cow]

Couldn't guess his weight if my life depended in it! He's a Hereford/limo, just a little over a year old, he looks good. Usually my meat buyers want grass fed, this guy wants fatty grain fed! It all sounds like a waste of time and money to me, but I'm trying!

 

[poorfarmer]

Any decent grass hay would be good enough, I wouldn´t spend the money on alfalfa. The grain will take care of the protein, and as you increase the grain they won´t eat much hay.

 

[Old Cow]

Thank you Poorfarmer! Kinda what I was thinking, but I kept getting vetoed!

 

[jedstivers]

How are you going to feed him if you don't know what he weighs?
Just feed till he leaves some then back off just a hair?

 

[Old Cow]

My Hubby is the weight guesser. I'm going to pass on the info I have learned here, and let him come up with the feeding plan.

 

[Son of Butch]

So, what am I looking for in grain?
How long will I have to feed him grain?
Help please?

Corn.
Can be cracked corn, rolled corn, shelled corn or ground ear corn, but you want to fatten him on corn.
90 - 120 days.
Start him out slow 4-6 lbs a day for 2 - 3 weeks, increase to 8 - 10 lbs for a month and increase to 12 - 18 lbs to finish
allow free choice access to hay, water and a salt block and then let him eat as much grain as he'll clean up in a day.

 

[Lazy M]

So, what am I looking for in grain?
How long will I have to feed him grain?
Help please?

Corn.
Can be cracked corn, rolled corn, shelled corn or ground ear corn, but you want to fatten him on corn.
90 - 120 days.
Start him out slow 4-6 lbs a day for 2 - 3 weeks, increase to 8 - 10 lbs for a month and increase to 12 - 18 lbs to finish
allow free choice access to hay, water and a salt block and then let him eat as much grain as he'll clean up in a day.

+1

 

[TexasBred]

Hard to make a recommendation for feeding when you have no idea of the weight of the calf.

 

[Son of Butch]

He's a Hereford/limo, just a little over a year old, he looks good.

By 13 months he's obviously well over 600+ lbs and since he looks good, no reason to think he's anything other than healthy
and ready for grain. But I can understand her unwillingness to try to guess his weight out of fear of giving wrong info.
She says she has no experience feeding grain, so most important thing is to start him out slowly on it to avoid problems.