fleshing out dairy steers

[Mollyd63]

Totally new here. Never asked a question on a web site and have never raised cattle. Have 3 dairy steers (2 Holsteins 1 Jersey/Holstein) Got last Jan 2008 at about 3 days old. Now trying to "flesh them out" Banded very young and dehorned if that matters. Fed Kent milk and creep supplement and pastured last year on yard grass. (I didn't want to mow with gas prices last summer) Now have them in a lot and have been feeding refusal from the dairy farm they came from supplemented with a 5 gl bucket full of ground corn twice a day and some poor quality pasture hay ( which they lived on all winter) Question is refusal has "dried up" dairy people say put back out on grass which is greening up fast and still bring in and "grain twice a day" beef people say no to grass I need "flesh out" What can I do and how? They are now on the ground corn "pasture hay" 2 bales a day and a mineral tub. When I had refusal they had it 24/7. The dairy I got them at looked at them a couple of weeks ago and said they would go about 900 1000 and maybe 1100 Lbs. Any advice?

[sammyd]

Keep em in the lot and get them on whole shell corn and Tend-R-Lean if you can get your corn at an affordable price.
Get a pair of young calves and get them started and on the pasture.
Butcher the big guys in 4 months or so. The little guys will be ready in 18.

[Ross]

I'm feeding my 2 (steer and heifer) 30 pounds of corn screenings (from a drier) and 30 pounds of dairy ration. It's worked, the steer could go any time. As soon as I have freezer space would work better.

[bricned]

Sammyd you suggest to use Tend R Lean who makes this product
Thanks

[Mollyd63]

To Sammyd what is Tend R Lean? And also I am feeding ground corn would not that be easier to digest than whole shell corn?
To Ross I'm not sure what corn screenings from a drier are. And the dairy ration you speak of is that what I'm calling refusal? What I call refusal is the left over feed from lactating cows going to the parlor every day. It is silage, hay, straw, distillers by product, etc. that the dairy nutritionist makes the recipe for mixed in a TMR truck.

[Mollyd63]

Oh yeah I forgot to say I am totally thrilled to have you all respond to me. This is so cool and I really want to learn. If I can raise steers for butcher I can raise heifers for the parlor.

[sammyd]

http://www.tendrleen.com/
I misspelled it
I used this stuff a few years ago on a pair of holstein steers. It made some seriously awsome meat. Found it at the local feedmill.
Whole shell corn is recommended.

[Up North]

Your course of action really depends on what outcome you desire.
If you want them finished in a conventional fashion with lots of flesh and some fat in the meatcuts, then proceed as suggested.
If you prefer leaner meat, you could let them eat the grass you have available and supplement that with some grain feeding.

You have not said what the fate of the steers will be?
Home consumption?, Locker Beef to another private party?
Sold to the commercial cattle market?
If selling them to the commercial cattle market, you want them gone before they hit 1,050 pounds. Slaughterhouses do not want big, heavy steers and may dock price accordingly.