finishing out steers

[catdance62]

Ok, so we have two steers that are going to be ready to be butchered in the spring. They've been on hay/pasture and range cubes all winter. What is the best thing to finish them out with and for how long to feed it. We are trying to avoid corn if possible.

[Yvonne's hubby]

Originally Posted by catdance62

Ok, so we have two steers that are going to be ready to be butchered in the spring. They've been on hay/pasture and range cubes all winter. What is the best thing to finish them out with and for how long to feed it. We are trying to avoid corn if possible.

more hay, pasture and range cubes. Unless you want a lot of fat in your meat, then pour cottonseed meal and ground corn to them. of course you dont want to change their diet all at once... you gradually increase the grain over a period of time.

[MO_cows]

Depends how you like your meat. If you want marbling, they will need some carbs.

[arabian knight]

Originally Posted by MO_cows

Depends how you like your meat. If you want marbling, they will need some carbs.

Ya for sure. I go and put them on 'total" gain, all the grain they want at all times. Very little hay.
I have huge bins that I can put in 75 pounds in at a time. I only raise one steer at a time. So yes it is pricey but oh so yummmmmmy.
Been doing this now for the past 30 years and it really makes nice tender meat. Although I do get Jersey's and that IMO is the sweetest beef.

[opportunity]

Feed them more of what they have been having or make them fat with corn not much else to really feed them

[CIW]

We usually add in some barley and oats to the ration the last 120 days. Better marble with less exterior fat.
If I might suggest keeping your calf another 4 months. The cheapest meat that you will grow will come when the animal goes from 800 lbs. up.

[catdance62]

thank you for all the advice.

[copperhead46]

I'll throw this in as a means to stay away from corn, I finished the last Dexter steer with creep pellets and a large ration of shredded beets. The beets are high in carbs and they really like it, the calf creep is soybean with a small amount of corn. The people who bought the steer raved about how good the meat was.

[haypoint]

Oats, lots and lots of oats.

This question is often a "hot button" topic. There are those that swear by just finishing beef on grass and hay. There are others that wouldn't think of eating a beef that hadn't been finished on grain.
Too bad a beef is a lot of money to invest in a taste trial. Nothing like hands on experience to decide.