Removing Steers from Feedyard
- Thread starter farmwife
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
traderaaron
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 5, 2010
- Messages
- 75
- Reaction score
- 0
Do you mean still on the same or similar ration fed once or twice a day in a bunk but just out in a paddock?
If so then the answer is probably so. Cattle can be fed like they are in a feedlot while remaining in a pasture and achieve similar gains while reducing some health issues.
They just shouldn't be stepped down in the ration or the performance they did have will slip.
If so then the answer is probably so. Cattle can be fed like they are in a feedlot while remaining in a pasture and achieve similar gains while reducing some health issues.
They just shouldn't be stepped down in the ration or the performance they did have will slip.
They will loose some gain
One any time you change their environment they will backset
Two there will be some grazing there and they will eat it- another backset
Three they will have more room to roam and burn off calories
One any time you change their environment they will backset
Two there will be some grazing there and they will eat it- another backset
Three they will have more room to roam and burn off calories
Texas PaPaw
Well-known member
Only if the cattle are moved to a higher plane of nutrition when turned out will they not "backup" for the reasons previously cited. If they were on a very limited grow ration before turnout and changed to a higher level ration when turned out will they maintain there performance. It will take more energy to make the same gains in a pasture environment as they will burn more energy when walking the paddock than in the yard.
Unless management really knows what they are doing nutrition wise, it will most likely be a "learning experience". How much this experience costs will only be known in the aftermath.
My 2 cents worth is don't do it. Either maintain the current feeding program or ship them to a feedyard to finish.
Unless management really knows what they are doing nutrition wise, it will most likely be a "learning experience". How much this experience costs will only be known in the aftermath.
My 2 cents worth is don't do it. Either maintain the current feeding program or ship them to a feedyard to finish.
mncowboy
Well-known member
If the feed ration stays the same, they'll continue to gain but not as fast. We've always moved the steers to pasture in the spring with self feeders. We realize its takes slightly longer but we feel its a better, healthier end product. The cattle are free to roam (keep in mind it isnt a huge pasture, 45 acres of low land for 25 steers)and eat what they want rather then stuck shoulder to shoulder with other steers, ankle to knee deep in sh#t forced to eat whats infront of them. We find that the people buying freezer beef are happier as well when they know or can see the enviroment thier beef is raised in.
