Corn/Grain finishing a steer

How long will they live when fed that way? Supposedly the feedlot beef are fed like that for almost as long as their bodies will tolerate it, if left much longer they die from fatty liver.

You can raise them from wean to finish like that if you care to.
We did a pair of holstein steers on straight corn for the last 6 months that came out quite tender and tasty. But corn was closer to 2 bucks a bushel then.

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Deja Moo; The feeling I've heard this bull before.

I'm with Arabian Knight, I like to pour the feed to them. I gradually work them up to full feed and keep it in front of them until they're finished. I don't go by weight or age to determine finishing. I go by fat deposits around their tailhead, scrotum, and 13th rib area. Once you can feel about 1/2 fat cover on their 13th rib it's time to schedule an appointment with the butcher.

As far as why I put them on grain versus grass. Well, I don't have that good of grass. I've grass fed one a few years ago and just fed him corn for a few weeks before the slaughter and he was very "twangy". It may have to do with the fact that at that time I wasn't actively trying to eradicate bitter sneeze weed and ragweed from my place. The next one we did happened to be a 4-H steer that was on a rate-of-gain contest and he was fed full feed for the entire time with access to loose minerals and just enough hay to keep his rumen active. I would definately prefer the grain fed in that scenario. Maybe though I'm comparing apples to oranges but it's a personal preference.

These days, with grain being very expensive, I'm letting them gain all they can off of grass and only feeding them 10-15lbs. per day for about 60 days before the slaughter.

To each his own. Only do what the pocket book can afford.

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Francismilker

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16

Grass or grain fed an animal needs to be putting on weight to make good meat when butchered. If your going to feed him for 30 or 45 days slowly work him up to 8 - 10 pounds of grain a day split into two feedings. Starting with a couple of pounds twice a day slowly working up over a couple of weeks keepping plenty of hay out too. If your going to feed longer you can feed more grain but slowly increase it, stretching out the times between increasing grain.

Remember now I am putting them in my freezer. And I most always butcher at around 18 months,, something like that. So they living a length of time is a none issue.
And with grain prices getting way down in price now way down from where it was just a year ago it is most effective to grain with very little hay.
Last week i picked up 500 pounds of my sweet feed mixture and was only 49. Bucks~!!!
Where I had been paying around 85 at the high end of grain prices a few years back..
So at 500 pounds for 50 bucks, that is 10 cent a pound~!!!! Can't beat that price at all. Cool

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Thanks, folks, for all your input. I had kinda hoped it would be a consensus but what was I thinking? LOL. I have been reading up on the Omega factors, so I can see where some of you are coming from.

I have decided on a middle course. I will go with minimal (4-6#/day) sweet feed plus alfalfa pellet mix along with as much hay as he cares to eat, and re-evaluate as I see how he is looking.

As it is November there is almost no grass left here so hay it has to be

Mary

What is everybody referring to as sweet feed? What we get here I call junk in a bag. Basically molassas coated grain and grain products, 10% protein half again higher in price then rolled corn. Not any extra value for the price.

The "dairy chop" I buy is from my local mill just a few miles up the road. They make it themselves and it has no animal by-products in it. It's corn, soybeans, molasses, minerals, and a few other things. They grind it fine, and it comes in 100 pound bags. My cows about jump the fence for it; I guess it's the molasses in it that makes them go crazy over it. I finished a Black Angus steer on it last year, which produced some of the best meat I have ever eaten.

Cool and what I get is a receipt that my friends have been feeding for many years now complete with even vitamins added, (cattle Lac), and yes it has molasses in it as most sweet feeds do that is what makes then "sweet" and horses and cattle love sweet feeds. I get 500 pounds at a time and even with the grinding cost the final cost is still under 50 bucks for that 500 pounds.

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We would finish out cattle on almost a bu of ground feed per head, 1/2 in the morning, 1/2 in the evening. They had hay available, but didn't eat a whole lot.

Mind you tho, this is not solid corn kernals. This is a mix of oats and whole ear corn ground together with a little mineral added. The cobs of the ear corn & the hulls of the oats would be adding a lot of roughage one normally gets from the hay. Perhaps 2/3-3/4 ear corn, 1/4 oats. Silage can also be a good portion of a finishing mix, or earlage. But that's not a typical thing a person with one or 3 critters can have around.

It's good to do something to the kernals of corn - the seed coat protects the kernals and the critter might pass a lot of them through without getting anything from them. Cracked or crushed, so the starch is available. You do _not_ want it ground to a fine flour, just so each kernal gets broken a little bit somehow. Some say crushed is better for calves/ young stock, don't think it should matter either way for older critters.

These were bigger cattle, typically Holstien cross. A smaller breed would use a lot less amount of course.

--->Paul

I like marbled meat so I'd pound the cracked or ground corn to him! 30 pounds split into two feedings a day would be normal here. We're new to Dexters and they do seem to gain well on much less, so I might cut that more than in half for size so maybe only 10 pounds? I'd appreciate updates as you go and how he finishes out.

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Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup........

That's what it is here too junk in a bag and no cheaper than good feed.

Growing up, my family would bring the steers off pasture for the final 90 days and feed them out. Today, my wife and I feed only a small amount of corn to keep them tame and they are on grass until October when we bring them in. I have had no complaints from my customers yet!!!! When I say small amount, generally we put about 2 lbs of feed per animal out there.

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