steer feedinf help

[zak]

I have a steer he weighs 530. I am going to jackpot him this fall and winter so i want him to be fat. How much should he be eating?

Zak

 

[Hofstatter Farms]

full feed

 

[AAOK]

I have a steer he weighs 530. I am going to jackpot him this fall and winter so i want him to be fat. How much should he be eating?

Zak

I don't know what or how much he is eating now, but he needs to be on a good, balanced steer ration + mineral.  The ration should be a minimum 50% corn.  Gradually get him up to 25 pounds of grain per day.  Free choice hay should also be available.  Your steer should gain sufficiently at this rate, but you can always increase his grain if necessary.

 

[zak]

How much should a steer that weighs 530 eat right know.. He has been on straight feed and hay since begginning of august?


Zak

 

[AAOK]

I thought I just answered that question.  Must be Deja Vu all over again!

 

[dutch pride]

He should eat between 2 to 3% of his body weight. So a 530# calf should be eating between 10 to 15#s per day. How nuch he gains will be related to now much energy is in the ration.

Hope that helps

DLZ

 

[BCCC]

I would not feed him 25 pounds a day now, thats almost 5% of his body weight. Should be eating about 16lbs of feed(thats 3% of his body weight)

 

[CAB]

  Key words given by AAOK,"gradually get him up to" 25lbs. Most cattle are started on feed @ the rate of 1% of their body wt. which in this case would be 5.3lbs/hd/day, & GRADUALLY increase to 2 -3% of his body wt or once the calf is on full feed some have better luck feeding the calves for 20 minutes twice/day and taking the pan away, trying to be as consistant as possible as far as feeding times are concerned.

 

[doublestuff]

Everyone has their own opinions on the topic but for what you want to do he needs to be on free choice feed (Finisher) at all times, freechoice hay and water too. All day all night. The 2-3 % theory is a generalization. Not saying those that do it are wrong, but for me I like em on the all you can eat plan day and night.

 

[Hofstatter Farms]

do agree with doublestuff, however you do need to add a little morning and night to get them to venture over to the bunk, and change any old feed out ever other day or so.