question about steer feeding

[LimousinGirl]

OK, my brother had a question...I tried to get him to ask it but he told me to... :). When feeding steers, for instance, in the spring, do you guys feed them hay along with their feed, or just let them have pasture plus the full feed? I know they probablly need hay in the winter, but what about the spring when the grass is coming up?

 

[larryshoat]

Grass,corn,mineral,bovatec,and salt.In the spring the lush grass has plenty of protein in it.As the summer progresses we start to add in corn gluten pellets for protein.

Larry

 

[randiliana]

OK, my brother had a question...I tried to get him to ask it but he told me to... :). When feeding steers, for instance, in the spring, do you guys feed them hay along with their feed, or just let them have pasture plus the full feed? I know they probablly need hay in the winter, but what about the spring when the grass is coming up?

What are you trying to do with the steers? Are you fattening them or backgrounding them?

 

[LimousinGirl]

OK, my brother had a question...I tried to get him to ask it but he told me to... :). When feeding steers, for instance, in the spring, do you guys feed them hay along with their feed, or just let them have pasture plus the full feed? I know they probablly need hay in the winter, but what about the spring when the grass is coming up?

What are you trying to do with the steers? Are you fattening them or backgrounding them?

Um...the ones we have now should be butchered some time in Dec. if that answers your question.

 

[msscamp]

OK, my brother had a question...I tried to get him to ask it but he told me to... :). When feeding steers, for instance, in the spring, do you guys feed them hay along with their feed, or just let them have pasture plus the full feed? I know they probablly need hay in the winter, but what about the spring when the grass is coming up?

What are you trying to do with the steers? Are you fattening them or backgrounding them?

Um...the ones we have now should be butchered some time in Dec. if that answers your question.

If you like grass-finished beef - grass and mineral/salt is enough, but it usually takes longer to finish animals on grass. If you don't like grass-finished beef, you need to be aware that you should be feeding a high amount of corn, or some type of grain, the last 90 days or so. Start the animals out at 1-2% of their body weight, then gradually increase until they are eating 15-20 lbs of corn once a day - maybe more depending on their weight.

 

[LimousinGirl]

OK, my brother had a question...I tried to get him to ask it but he told me to... :). When feeding steers, for instance, in the spring, do you guys feed them hay along with their feed, or just let them have pasture plus the full feed? I know they probablly need hay in the winter, but what about the spring when the grass is coming up?

What are you trying to do with the steers? Are you fattening them or backgrounding them?

Um...the ones we have now should be butchered some time in Dec. if that answers your question.

If you like grass-finished beef - grass and mineral/salt is enough, but it usually takes longer to finish animals on grass. If you don't like grass-finished beef, you need to be aware that you should be feeding a high amount of corn, or some type of grain, the last 90 days or so. Start the animals out at 1-2% of their body weight, then gradually increase until they are eating 15-20 lbs of corn once a day - maybe more depending on their weight.

They are on full feed right now. But that wasn't really the question :) So obviously ya'll don't feed hay in the spring. I think I posted this on the wrong board...sorry!

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

You posted on the right board.
Your question was quite clear to me.
It really doesn't make any difference in the spring, IF, the steers are eating enough grain. Sometimes they get too filled up on the lush grasses.
Grass will give them a yellow fat and a different taste, so to avoid that, you should put them on hay the last 60-90 days.
As far as how much grain, you start off at 1% of body weight & build to 3% of their body weight. I realize you didn't ask this, but you mentioned they were on "full feed" right now so if they weigh about 1000#, they should be getting up to 30# of grain & hay.