10-15 lbs. per day of corn, oats or barley fed to grazing cattle is a good finishing ration. This fed to a 900-1000 pound steer for 3-4 months should will you a nicely finished animal. If you do not have access to pasture or if you are finishing during the winter, you might increase the amount of grain to 15-18 lbs.
What is the best feed for steers?
Most experts recommend mixing alfalfa with grass hay, rather than relying exclusively on alfalfa hay. Alfalfa hay is often recommended for dairy cattle, but may not be a good fit for beef cattle, since it can lead to bloat. Legume hay is another nutritious option for cattle, since it’s high in protein.
What is the best feed to finish cattle?
Finishing cattle should be offered a high-energy, low-protein ration, as the aim is to develop fat cover, not lean tissue and frame. Aim for a high cereal based ration consisting mainly of barley and maize meal.
What can I feed my steer to gain weight?
To gain 2.75 pounds a day, a diet with 80% TDN will need to be provided. Steers need to be placed on a 70% to 85% grain diet to finish adequately. During the last 100 pounds of gain, the diet may approach 85% grain content.
What is the best feed mixture for beef cattle?
Nutrition. Cattle weighing 700 pounds or more should be fed a ration containing 11 percent crude protein in a ration composed of grain (usually corn, but barley and wheat are often also used), protein sources, and roughage.
How much grain does a steer need?
10-15 lbs. per day of corn, oats or barley fed to grazing cattle is a good finishing ration. This fed to a 900-1000 pound steer for 3-4 months should will you a nicely finished animal. If you do not have access to pasture or if you are finishing during the winter, you might increase the amount of grain to 15-18 lbs.
How do you bulk up a steer?
Add Grain into Their Daily Diet
While your cattle likely make their primary diet of hay and grass forage, adding some healthy grains too can increase their weight substantially over time. Grain won’t from the basis of your herd’s nutrition, but the calorically-dense food can provide a boost to cattle weight.
How long should you finish steer on grain?
The period of time needed to finish cattle will be dependent on multiple variables, including age of the animals and whether they are calf-feds or yearlings, and ration being fed. This time can range from 80-300 days.
What is a complete feed for cattle?
Complete feeds provide a diet with all the nutrients required for the life cycle of the livestock, not including pasture/forage/hay. MFA recommends the addition of feeding some sort of long stem value product in addition to the complete feed.
What do you feed beef steers?
Beef cattle can utilize roughages of both low and high quality, including pasture forage, hay, silage, corn (maize) fodder, straw, and grain by-products.
What is the cheapest way to feed cattle?
“Corn residue is one of the lowest cost forages on a cost per pound of energy. That’s why mixing a high energy and protein feed like distillers’ grains with a low quality forage like corn stalks is so cost effective. Distillers’ is often a low-cost source of both energy and protein.
How much does a steer eat per day in KG?
Feed at least 1.5 kg hay/hd/day with 6.5 kg grain/hd/day.
How much should a steer gain per day?
Usually gains will range from 1.5 to 2.5 pounds per day.
What is a good finishing ration for beef cattle?
On average, finishing cattle will consume 2% to 3% (dry matter basis) of their body weight in feed. It is suggested that finishing calves be fed twice a day to help avoid digestive upset and allow for increased intake.
What is the best grain to feed cattle?
Corn, oats, and barley are the primary grains fed to cattle. Oats, which has a lower energy value due to its high fiber content, is considered the “safest” grain in regards to potential digestive disturbances.
What is the most important nutrient for beef cattle?
Water
- Dietary experts spend so much time discussing absorbable nutrients, minerals, and various fractions of protein.
- Water is the most important nutrient for cattle as it accounts for nearly 50-80 percent of your animal’s live weight and all animals need water.
Can you finish cattle on alfalfa?
PROTEIN SOURCE: When finishing beef cattle, alfalfa can provide adequate roughage and reduce the need for purchased protein, but the ration will require some additional protein to meet animal requirements.
How much corn does it take to finish a steer?
Corn production requirements
Depending on the size and weight of the cattle, the amount of forage available for growing lighter calves, access to low-priced byproducts and other factors, 50 to 80 bushels are typically required to finish one steer.
How much grain should I feed my 700 pound steer?
The main goal for steers hand fed between 700 pounds through the finishing phase is three pounds per day, Weaber said. “To make that goal, the calf needs to be fed six pounds of feed for one pound of gain so about 2.1 tons of feed during that phase,” Weaber said.
How much protein does a steer need?
For example, steer calves gaining 2 pounds per day may require 1.6 pounds of protein per day. If they consume 15 pounds of DM daily, the protein requirement could be expressed as 10.7 percent of DM intake.
Can you over feed a steer?
Over-eating a forage will likely not hurt the cow, but will increase feed costs. Cows over-eating grains is not a good situation. This will usually result in acidosis, founder, reduction in performance, and sometimes death of the animal.