What do i feed?

[Shadowsboomerang16]

I just got my 4H project steer, and i am not sure what type of grain to feed him. He weighs 725 right now and he is on Grass and Alfalfa hay. But how much hay should i be feeding him and what type of grain, so that he weighs 1200-1350 at fair?

 

[bigbull338]

I just got my 4H project steer, and i am not sure what type of grain to feed him. He weighs 725 right now and he is on Grass and Alfalfa hay. But how much hay should i be feeding him and what type of grain, so that he weighs 1200-1350 at fair?

you start him on grain slowly.an increase him slowly like 2llbs increase every 2 or 3 days.till he is eating 20 to 26lbs feed a day.you can feed him free choice hay.

 

[ChrisB]

When is the fair?

Normally for finishing a steer I would agree with Bigbull, but if you start pushing the grain to him now he will weigh over 1300# before summer comes. I am guessing the fair is around the first part of August? But by backing off, you will increase frame size, and he won't finish until he's in the 1400-1500# range.

But, alot will depend on genetics also. I also don't really know what they look for when showing cattle as far as finish, so maybe you'll be fine.

 

[bigbull338]

When is the fair?

Normally for finishing a steer I would agree with Bigbull, but if you start pushing the grain to him now he will weigh over 1300# before summer comes. I am guessing the fair is around the first part of August? But by backing off, you will increase frame size, and he won't finish until he's in the 1400-1500# range.

But, alot will depend on genetics also. I also don't really know what they look for when showing cattle as far as finish, so maybe you'll be fine.

the way i have said to feed the steer will barely have him at 1200 to 1300bs at fair time.but if he is gaining to much you can put him on a diet.

 

[somn]

When is the fair?

Normally for finishing a steer I would agree with Bigbull, but if you start pushing the grain to him now he will weigh over 1300# before summer comes. I am guessing the fair is around the first part of August? But by backing off, you will increase frame size, and he won't finish until he's in the 1400-1500# range.

But, alot will depend on genetics also. I also don't really know what they look for when showing cattle as far as finish, so maybe you'll be fine.

the way i have said to feed the steer will barely have him at 1200 to 1300bs at fair time.but if he is gaining to much you can put him on a diet.

Well if the fair is in August and you fed him 26 pounds of grain and free choice hay everyday for 240 days and the steer only gained 525 pounds you might want to consider worming the steer or finding out who has been stealing all that grain and hay and eating it. I've bought broken mouth cows and put them in the feedlot and fed them less grain per day than that and they had a higher adg than that.