Fattening the calf

farmmom · #1 03/13/10, 12:10 PM

Ribeye is penned as of today and being fattened for the butcher. This is my first time doing this so any advice is appreciated. He is being fed 16% cattle feed and alfalfa hay. Anything else I should do?

springvalley · #2 03/13/10, 01:21 PM

How big is ribeye? I know the grass feed people are going to say why do you want spoil the meat by feeding him grain. you need to start imcreasing the feed a little at a time till he is on full feed, and that will take several weeks to get him up to full feed. You also don`t need the alfalfa hay, good quality grass will do. You realy only need to feed him for another 60 to 90 days after starting this, but then again I don`t know how big he is. Hope this helps, any more question , ask. Thanks Marc

farmmom · #3 03/13/10, 02:05 PM

He's currently about 600lb I'm guessing, and a year old.

francismilker · #4 03/13/10, 02:06 PM

I would also ask, "what breed is he"? If he's a dairy breed, it's gonna take quite some time to put any fat cover on him. (depending upon where you are when you start, as well as weather conditions it may take more than 90 days) As Marc said, I'd go with graduating him up a little at a time until he's on full feed and grass hay. Keep minerals out to him and give him enough room to excercise a bit. They eat better and are healthier if they're not cooped up tight.
Also, I don't have any data to back it, so I can just call it my two cents, but I like to feed a ration with lots of corn and cottonseed meal in it during the finishing process. I just personally think they grow out better.

Depending on what breed he is, 600lbs might be a little on the light side to start finishing if you're wanting to only feed him for 60-90 days.

farmmom · #5 03/13/10, 02:55 PM

He's a Holstein.

agmantoo · #6 03/13/10, 04:10 PM

Living in South Carolina you should already be on new grass. Why not run the calf on grass all Summer at little expense then as Fall approaches and grass becomes short put the animal on feed? The yield will be considerably more meat and only a little more costs. A small calf is going to give really small cuts.

farmmom · #7 03/13/10, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

Living in South Carolina you should already be on new grass. Why not run the calf on grass all Summer at little expense then as Fall approaches and grass becomes short put the animal on feed? The yield will be considerably more meat and only a little more costs. A small calf is going to give really small cuts.

Nothing's growing on my place yet. My pasture looks like it was just mowed. I'm heavily hay feeding everything on the place right now. My goats have nothing to eat either unless I give them hay. It's just been raining so much, and I can't afford to keep feeding him hay and grain.

francismilker · #8 03/13/10, 05:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farmmom

Nothing's growing on my place yet. My pasture looks like it was just mowed. I'm heavily hay feeding everything on the place right now. My goats have nothing to eat either unless I give them hay. It's just been raining so much, and I can't afford to keep feeding him hay and grain.

I'm with Agman. If you're are even remotely possibly able, you might consider trying to get him a little further along on grass before you start the feeding process.

A 600lb. Holstein isn't going to produce much meat and isn't going to pack on the pounds like a beef feeder calf would. I'm only making these suggestions because I've been on the recieving end of a substantially smaller amount of beef than I expected when I unloaded the live steer at the slaughter house.

Just ventoring a guess here, but I'd dare to say you would be lucky to get 1.5lbs per day gain out of feeding him for 90 days. So, you add 135lbs to the 600lb calf you end up with 735lbs. live weight. Just stretching a guess here but I'd bet you end up with 300lbs. meat and that includes bone weight. It's been a long time since I slaughtered a straight Holstein to remember.

Others with similiar experiences please weigh in here so I don't lead someone astray......

agmantoo · #9 03/13/10, 05:51 PM

farmmom
I do not intend for this to be mean or uncaring. I am north of you and probably in a different growing zone and I have grass. Either you have too many animals or you need to work to improve your pastures. I am willing to help you if you are interested. Read the long sticky above on rotational grazing and if that has any interest or merit to you let me know.

farmmom · #10 03/13/10, 05:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agmantoo

farmmom
I do not intend for this to be mean or uncaring. I am north of you and probably in a different growing zone and I have grass. Either you have too many animals or you need to work to improve your pastures. I am willing to help you if you are interested. Read the long sticky above on rotational grazing and if that has any interest or merit to you let me know.

No problem. Even the grass that has not animals on it hasn't started growing. It's just now starting to turn the ground green, so it's trying, but it's not enough to feed the animals. Any advice you can give is appreciated. At this point I have 5 adult goats and the calf on pasture, hay and grain. I have only lived here just over a year and am working on putting up my permenant fencing around my whole property, but at this point, even the rest of the property has almost nothing on it.

topside1 · #11 03/13/10, 06:15 PM

Farmmom I'll tell you this butchering a 600 pounder is a mistake. First he'll have little fat for flavor no matter how much you feed him out...Don't get mad but a year old holstein going to slaughter should weigh 900-950 pounds. Even at that weight the amount of fat is minimal. In fact the slaughterhouse borrows fat from other animals just to make the hamburger into hamburger. Of course they ask the owner first...I'd use the above posted advice by Agman and Francis, keep the old boy untill he's 1000 pounds, that's my advice....If you don't the meat will taste dull and you would have wished you waited....Topside

agmantoo · #12 03/13/10, 06:17 PM

farmmom

Read the sticky at the top on rotational grazing. My neighbors have fed hay all Winter and are still feeding hay and will do so for a few weeks. From the post above you will learn that I have managed to get through many Winters here is NC without feeding any hay. I live near the cross roads of I-77 and I-40 if you care to see my location. If traveling to here is possible you are welcome to visit and to see first hand what I do. I enjoy sharing what I have learned and would enjoy your visit.

springvalley · #13 03/13/10, 06:57 PM

Hi all, I`m back, yes a 600 lb. holstein is way to young to feed out yet. You need to run him on pasture all summer, then get him in next winter and start feeding him out. Holsteins use to be a good beef to feed out when corn was cheap, because they can put it away. Some have been as big as 16 to 1800 lbs. when finished, now that is going to take a bunch of corn if you start now. Pasture is good cheap feed if you have it. Thanks Marc

agmantoo · #14 03/15/10, 08:40 PM

farmmom
I did not hear back from you and I am curious if you saw my last reply to you?
As recently as 3 weeks ago the herd grazed this paddock. I just wanted to share with you what can happen with a attention to growing grass and legumes. I took the picture on 12 Mar. '10

Fattening the calf - Cattle

springvalley · #15 03/15/10, 09:11 PM

Hey Agmantoo, send me some of that green, ours is starting but a while yet before we get enough for grazing, my cows look out there alot in the last few days.Thanks Marc

darbyfamily · #16 03/15/10, 09:52 PM

we don't have that much green down here in Kansas!!!! I'd love to have some nice green like that

Apryl in ND · #17 03/16/10, 09:35 PM

We still have snow up here.