Pasture Finishing

[Oldtimer]

On-Pasture Finishing Viable for Smaller Feeders

Research reports from Oklahoma and Illinois detail costs, returns.



Alan Newport - Beef Producer - Published: Apr 27, 2011



Researchers in Oklahoma and Illinois recently released cost-saving details of their experiments with feed-finishing calves in a pasture setting.



The experiments ran from the late 1990s until 2006, when corn was considerably cheaper. Then the savings could be $20 to $60 per head over confined feeding in a dry lot. Today the higher feed costs imply possibly twice that much savings.



All these experiments were conducted with the idea they serve smaller feeders who direct market to consumers.



A larger story on pasture-based finishing appears in the May issue of Beef Producer inside your local Farm Progress magazine. Check out the complete reports using the links below:



more

http://beefproducer.com/story.aspx/onpa ... s/14/48874

 

[Stocker Steve]

Wisconsin also did some studies on this recently. Seems like a big waste of tax dollars. Good English cattle will finish on grass alone, and if you need to push the corn grain then you take a feed conversion hit compared to the feedlot.

I finish a couple freezer beef heifers on permanent pasture each year. Steers are "tougher".

 

[Amo]

UNL is also trying something like this. Yearling heiffers with a creep feeder wide open. Eating 15-18# a day of a dry DDG/20% corn mix. Just started so no results. Said with the cost of feed it could be a crap shoot.

They would take longer to finish on grass alone though wouldn't they?

 

[hayray]

Grass alone pasture finishing in my analysis would cost me more the last time I calculated it mainly because of the less yield and length of time to finish. I do basically pasture finishing but includes alot of grain but less yardage costs such as bedding and so forth so that is a savings.

 

[vclavin]

Wisconsin also did some studies on this recently. Seems like a big waste of tax dollars. Good English cattle will finish on grass alone, and if you need to push the corn grain then you take a feed conversion hit compared to the feedlot.

I finish a couple freezer beef heifers on permanent pasture each year. Steers are "tougher".

Steers are "tougher" to raise on grass? Or the finished product is "tougher" to chew? If chewing is the problem, can't you use sires with known tenderness dna to improve texture?
Valerie