What is the best feed for fattening cattle? Barley is the best grain for lot feeding cattle, but wheat, triticale, sorghum, maize, and oats can be used. Oats is not an ideal grain on its own for cattle fattening but can be used with any of the other grains. Hay or silage could be used as the roughage source.
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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 to put weight on cattle?
FEEDING FOR WEIGHT GAIN
At the cow-calf level, when fed properly, whole cottonseed and corn are ingredients he recommends often because they are energy dense and high in fat.
What is the best grain to feed a steer?
Corn
Corn has the highest energy value and is likely the most economical grain in corn-producing localities. 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.
How do you fatten up a cow quickly?
According to the feeding expert, it is also necessary to feed with grain, because this is the only way to fatten cattle efficiently and economically. Many farmers give the animal crushed grains.
How much grain should I feed my steer per day?
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.
Will corn fatten a steer?
Not only do cattle fed corn gain weight faster, but their meat contains more marbling, or fat, along with a more consistent taste. In contrast, meat from grass-fed beef contains fewer calories and far less fat.
What is the best protein to feed cattle?
Microbial crude protein (MCP) —The most important protein source for cattle, supplying from 50% to 100% of the daily MP required by the animal.
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 long does it take to fatten a steer?
The amount of time on feed can vary from 60-150 days. For a backyard steer, 90 days on grain should be sufficient. The grain component will help him gain faster and change the flavor of the beef to more closely match what is purchased in the grocery store.
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.
Is cracked corn or whole corn better for cattle?
Even though corn can be fed whole with satisfactory results, cracking or rolling prior to feeding will increase digestibility by 5 to 10 percent. In most instances, grinding or rolling corn will not markedly improve average daily gain, but proper processing will improve feed conversion efficiency.
What does barley do for steers?
Barley processed to a smaller particle size improved starch digestion and feed efficiency in cattle fed medium-concentrate growing diets. Barley can be added during the ensiling of grass or corn silage to increase energy and protein, but it should be rolled for optimum animal performance (Jacobs et al., 1995).
What food is irresistible to cows?
Candy, wrapper and all: Ranchers report feeding their beef steers and dairy cows a variety of bulk candy, including gummy worms, marshmallows, hard candy, sprinkles, chocolate, candy corn, and hot chocolate mix. Candy provides sugar that cows would usually get from corn, giving them more energy and making them fatter.
What do they give cows to get bigger?
Since the 1950s, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a number of steroid hormone drugs for use in beef cattle and sheep, including natural estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, and their synthetic versions.
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 alfalfa should I feed my steer?
By feeding 5 pounds of alfalfa every day or 10 pounds every other day, producers can meet the nutrient requirements of the beef animal for less cost.
Can you overfeed 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.
How often do you feed steers?
Otherwise some cattle will overeat the grain and that can have very serious consequences,” he said. “Feeding them at the same time each day helps the rumen PH balance,” said Weaber, who recommends feeding twice a day, 12 hours apart.
How many pounds of corn does it take to feed a steer?
To maintain maximal forage utilization, corn should not be supplemented at more than 0.25% of body weight. This equates to 2.5 lb for a 1000-lb cow, 3 lb for a 1200- lb cow, and 3.5 lb for a 1400-lb cow.
Is alfalfa good for steers?
Alfalfa is recognized as one of the most nutritious forages available and is widely used as conserved forage (ex, hay, silage) in the diets of beef and dairy cattle. However, the utilization of alfalfa by grazing beef cattle has been limited due to its propensity to cause pasture bloat.