How much Hay?

Chickencrazygg · #1 09/25/05, 07:57 AM

How much hay would a steer consume over the winter months when he can't be on pasture? I am a newbie at this and before I get a steer I need to gather info. Do you have any tips on fencing and shelter? I will need to build a good fence. would 3-4' of woven field fence, topped off with a row of barbed wire be good? Any other tips? Thanks so much for everybodys help.

Rebekah

agmantoo · #2 09/25/05, 11:06 AM

3 plus percent of its body weight per day

evermoor · #3 09/25/05, 11:24 AM

There are many questions here, such as how big of an animal, are you planning on butchering him, how much pasture or space is availible, is there any natural shelter availible. I would guess 20-40 #s of hay or half a bale a day if they are getting additional graiin. A simple windbreak is enough if the calf is 400# or more, though a three side roofed shed woul be nice. The fence should be fine, though I would recommend one electric wire around 30 inches off the ground. If you only have one calf do not use roound bales as it will spoil faster than he would eat it unless you peel a little off daily and keep they rest off the ground and covered.

djuhnke · #4 09/26/05, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by evermoor

There are many questions here, such as how big of an animal, are you planning on butchering him, how much pasture or space is availible, is there any natural shelter availible. I would guess 20-40 #s of hay or half a bale a day if they are getting additional graiin. A simple windbreak is enough if the calf is 400# or more, though a three side roofed shed woul be nice. The fence should be fine, though I would recommend one electric wire around 30 inches off the ground. If you only have one calf do not use roound bales as it will spoil faster than he would eat it unless you peel a little off daily and keep they rest off the ground and covered.

how much grain per day? Also I would imagine if it were a dairy would there bbe different requirements?

twstanley · #5 09/27/05, 09:40 AM

We don't give our cows any grain, just hay. Occasionally we give them some range cubes which are really just compressed alfalfa.

We call the range cubes cow snicker bars, they think they are candy.

evermoor · #6 09/27/05, 02:09 PM

It depends on the quality of hay, type of animal,weather , and many other factors. Our young dairy heifers get app. 5# of starter and older (>1year) get 3-4# of a special cracked corn grower mix. Both usually eat grass hay or lower quality alfalfa. If the hay is good sometimes you do not have to feed any grain. Bad weather ie cold, snowy, ect require more energy . Mature animals may not need any supplemental feed with decent hay and shelter.

Haggis · #7 09/27/05, 04:24 PM

I'm getting my hay delivered over the next bit and I'm guesstimating the weight of my cattle at more than they weigh, and then figuring .03 of body weight per day X our 225 hay period.

Last year I bought good hay and had worthless hay delivered. This year I've been buying samples out of the barn from different producers, and letting my cattle have a go at it to see what they liked best. One fellow has mostly grass hay with trefoil and clover in the mix. My little herd eats 100% of every bale I've thown to them from this producer.

I figure to give them grain as the weather cools, but I also need hay they will eat without wasting a lot of it; I have to pay for what they waste too.

I bought round bales last year and had to feed them by hand to my cattle. This year I'll pay a bit more, store the hay in my barn, have better hay, and make less work for me.

YuccaFlatsRanch · #8 09/27/05, 06:47 PM

One problem I see is raising 1 steer by himself. They are herd animals and will eat much better and grow much better when they have competition from one of their own kind. Its why I raise a cow calf pair. The cow has a calf about every 12 months and always has a "friend". Its also easier for my DW to forget about the older calf as she lavishes love on the newest cute young baby.

travlnusa · #9 09/27/05, 09:50 PM

I use four strands of barb wire. Works fine.

tenacres · #10 09/28/05, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chickencrazygg

How much hay would a steer consume over the winter months when he can't be on pasture? I am a newbie at this and before I get a steer I need to gather info. Do you have any tips on fencing and shelter? I will need to build a good fence. would 3-4' of woven field fence, topped off with a row of barbed wire be good? Any other tips? Thanks so much for everybodys help.

Rebekah

Hay: 2.5-3% of body weight - example a 600 lb steer would need 15-18 lbs of hay a day. As he grows, make sure to increase this amount as needed to maintain condition.
Fencing: We are running 4 strands of barbed wire now but would like to increase that to 6 strands....will do so next spring. Your field fencing, running a strand of barbed wire above will be just fine. Make sure it's all tight. If a cow can get their head through the fence to "taste" what's on the other side, they may try to put their body through as well.
Shelter: A simple 3 sided one would be okay. Just as long as they have something dry to escape the heat/cold/wind/rain, etc.

A good book for beginners: Storey's Guide to Raising Beef Cattle