Ration help

[seamanj]

This steer was 908 but people complained they thought it was a bit heavy for their steers when weighed, at a show about a week ago. Has free choice of hay (various degrees of good alfalfa mix and some more grassy). Also was getting 6lb of Feed mix morning and again at night. Feed mix is roughly 14.6% protein.

Our goal is about 1350 +/- 50 for fair 154 days from today.

Part of me is concerned I’m going to overshoot as the free choice hay is an average round bale around every 12 or so days between 5 head. But part of me wonders if there will be a slow down period of gains and I’ll look underfed.  I like the steer but wish there was more power. Not sure I can get that by upping feed. Should I keep at the 6 twice a day or increase?

Thoughts?

 

[neocattleman]

How much is he gaining a day? Without knowing that I wouldn't change it. Say he's gaining 2.5 lbs a day that's 385 pounds so add that to his current weight of 908 and you are only at 1293. If he's gaining 3 lbs a day that will put you at 1370. So you need to figure out an ADG before you change anything

 

[vc]

So you have a July show? I would up the grain a little, he is getting less than 2% of his body weight a day of grain, he will slow down as he finishes and the heat of summer will some times slow then down as well. The best thing to do is cruise in right on schedule, if that does not happen I would rather have to hold one then to need to push one.
We were lucky enough to have access to a portable scale, we weighed every Sunday at the same time to get a good idea of ADG, we were able to adjust so they came in close to the weight we wanted.

We weighed between 950 and 1050 at this time with about 130 days out, We shrunk them up for weigh-in, having calves hit right around 1295-1330. Calves weighed between 1340 and 1400 full.

If you are comfortable with how he is growing just monitor his weight and his look closely.